Newcastle qualifies for Champions League for first time in 20 years

 

Newcastle qualified for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years after drawing with Leicester 0-0 in the English Premier League, a milestone moment for a Saudi-controlled club with the resources and ambition to become a major force in European soccer.

The point ensured Newcastle cannot be denied a top-four finish heading into its final game of the season, at Chelsea on Sunday.

Leicester's campaign-closing game has far more riding on it, with the team still in the relegation zone and needing a win at home to West Ham to avoid falling into the second-tier Championship — seven years after winning the Premier League at preseason odds of 5,000-1 in a sporting fairytale.

Newcastle swarmed all over Leicester at St. James' Park, hitting the post on three occasions — through Callum Wilson, Miguel Almiron and Bruno Guimaraes — and forcing a series of saves from goalkeeper Daniel Iversen.

Still, it was job done for Newcastle, which was last in Europe's top club competition in 2003 when it reached the second group stage before finishing below Barcelona and Inter Milan. These are the types of European heavyweights Newcastle's players will be mixing with next season.

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/trending-news/newcastle-qualifies-for-champions-league-for-first-time-in-20-years.html

Desperate Mumbai Indians eye big win over lowly Sunrisers Hyderabad to bolster playoffs chances

 

Five-time champions Mumbai Indians will be desperate for a victory by a big margin over wooden spooners Sunrisers Hyderabad here on Sunday, in what could also be their last outing in this year's Indian Premier League.

While SRH are already ruled out of the race to the playoffs, Mumbai Indians, who have one last chance left, will be keen to make the most of their excellent show here at the Wankhede Stadium this season so far, and bolster their chances of qualification.

With four wins and two defeats, MI have certainly taken full advantage of their home ground, something that Rohit Sharma's men would want to continue as they also have the final opportunity to improve their Net Run Rate (NRR).

Unlike Rajasthan Royals who have finished the league round with 14 points and a superior NRR of 0.148, Mumbai Indians can do one better and end with 16 points, but they must also win big.

Currently at fourth, Royal Challengers Bangalore can be described as being in pole position since they have a better NRR of 0.180 than MI (-0.128) and RR.

RCB can also grab two vital points if they get the better of Gujarat Titans, but more importantly, Faf du Plessis' side would know what exactly is required of them since they play the last game of the league round later on Sunday evening.

Mumbai Indians' chances will get stronger if they win and RCB lose, whereas if they both win their respective games on Sunday, the NRR will come into play. Needless to say, a loss would shut the doors on MI's chances.

The race to the IPL playoffs has perhaps been the most intense this year, with the last two days of the league round determining as many as three out of the four playoffs spots.

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/trending-news/desperate-mumbai-indians-eye-big-win-over-lowly-sunrisers-hyderabad-to-bolster-playoffs-chances.html

Newcastle beats Brighton 4-1, one win away from the Champions League

 

Newcastle is one win away from a return to the Champions League.

The Saudi-controlled club beat Brighton 4-1 on Thursday to strengthen its hold on third place in the Premier League.

Three more points will guarantee Newcastle a top-four finish and an automatic spot in the Champions League, a competition the club last played in 20 years ago. The team's remaining games are at home to next-to-last Leicester and away to Chelsea.

“It is still so far away,” said Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, who hasn't wanted to talk about his team's Champions League chances.

“When it's done," he added, "I'll talk about it for fun if you want.”

Brighton striker Deniz Undav had an eventful game at St. James' Park, glancing Kieran Trippier's inswinging corner into his own net to give Newcastle the lead in the 23rd minute.

Trippier had a key role in the second goal, too, as he curled in a free kick that was nodded in by tall left back Dan Burn in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time.

Undav made amends for his own-goal — Brighton's league-high sixth of the season — by running onto Billy Gilmour's defense-splitting pass and converting a finish to reduce the deficit in the 51st.

Callum Wilson ensured there was no way back with a goal on the breakaway in the 89th and he set up Bruno Guimaraes for a fourth two minutes later.

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/trending-news/newcastle-beats-brighton-4-1--one-win-away-from-the-champions-league.html

US court approves extradition of 26/11 Mumbai attack accused Tahawwur Rana to India

 

A month before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first state visit to the US, a federal court agreed to New Delhi's request, through Washington, for the extradition of Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana to India where he is sought for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

In a major victory for India's fight in bringing the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks to justice, US Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Chooljian of the District Court of the Central District of California issued a 48-page order on Wednesday, saying Rana "should be extradited to India" under the extradition treaty between India and the United States.

"The court has reviewed and considered all of the documents submitted in support of and in opposition to the request, and has considered the arguments presented at the hearing. Based on such review and consideration and for the reasons discussed herein, the court makes the findings set forth below, and CERTIFIES to the Secretary of State of the United States the extraditability of Rana on the charged offences that are the subject of the request," the order said.

The order comes just over a month before Modi arrives in the US for his first state visit to Washington DC and will be hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for a state diner on June 22.

The order noted that the court cannot certify Rana's extradition unless there is probable cause to believe he committed the offences for which extradition is sought. Citing its reasoning in detail, the order states: "Accordingly, the court finds there is probable cause to believe Rana committed the charged offences as to which extradition has been sought and should be extradited to India under the extradition Treaty between the United States and India."

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/trending-news/us-court-approves-extradition-of-26-11-mumbai-attack-accused-tahawwur-rana-to-india.html

Indian mountaineer Baljeet Kaur goes missing from Mt. Annapurna in Nepal

 

Baljeet Kaur, a 27-year-old leading Indian woman climber, went missing near Camp IV of Mt Annapurna while descending from the summit point, an official of the expedition organiser said on Tuesday, a day after another Indian climber died after falling from 6000m into a crevasse.

On Monday, Anurag Malu, a resident of Kishangadh in Rajasthan, went missing while descending from Camp III of Mt. Annapurna.

Later, it was found that Malu died after falling from 6000m into a crevasse while descending from Camp IV on Monday, The Himalayan Times newspaper reported.

In May last year, Kaur, from Himachal Pradesh scaled Mt Lhotse and became the first Indian climber to have climbed four 8000-meter peaks in a single season.

Pasang Sherpa, chairman of Pioneer Adventure, said that Kaur went missing above Camp IV while descending from the top as she scaled the peak without using supplemental oxygen.

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/trending-news/indian-mountaineer-baljeet-kaur-goes-missing-from-mt--annapurna-in-nepal.html

Active Covid cases in country rise to 49,622

 

India recorded 11,109 new coronavirus infections, the highest in 236 days, while the active cases increased to 49,622, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

The death toll climbed to 5,31,064 with 29 deaths.

While three deaths each were reported from Delhi and Rajasthan, two each were from Chhattisgarh and Punjab and one each from Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh ,Maharastra, Odisha, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh besides nine reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 5.01 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was pegged at 4.29 per cent.

The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.47 crore (4,47,97,269)

The active cases now comprise 0.11 per cent of the total infections and the national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.70 per cent, the ministry said.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,42,16,586 and the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent.

According to the ministry's website, 220.66 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/trending-news/active-covid-cases-in-country-rise-to-49-622.html

Milan vs Napoli: AC Milan beats 10-man Napoli 1-0 in Champions League QF

 

AC Milan beat Napoli for the second time in the space of less than two weeks — and this time with more at stake — as the Rossoneri won 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on Wednesday.

Ismaël Bennacer scored shortly before the end of a first half that Napoli had dominated for long stretches. Both teams also hit the crossbar before Napoli midfielder André-Frank Zambo Anguissa was sent off 16 minutes from time, following two yellow cards in quick succession.

The teams will meet again in Naples next Tuesday with the winner to play either Inter Milan or Benfica in the semifinals. Inter won the first leg of their quarterfinal 2-0.

While Milan's victory was not as comprehensive as its 4-0 rout of Napoli when the two teams met in Serie A on April 2, it left the club in pole position to reach its first Champions League semifinal since it won the last of its seven titles in 2007.

The match pitted the defending Italian champion against the team likely to take its trophy, with Napoli boasting a 16-point in Serie A.

It was Napoli's first ever appearance in the quarterfinals and it was without a recognized striker as leading Serie A goalscorer Victor Osimhen and Giovanni Simeone were out injured and coach Luciano Spalletti opted to start Giacomo Raspadori on the bench and play Eljif Elmas in the false nine position.

Nevertheless, the visitors got off to an aggressive start and had four clearcut opportunities in as many minutes.

The best of those was after only 50 seconds as Milan failed to deal with a cross and a horrible Rade Krunic clearance fell straight to Napoli dangerman Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. But Krunic atoned for his error by clearing the shot off the line and Mário Rui ballooned the follow-up over.

Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan also came to his team's rescue several time before the Rossoneri had their first real chance in the 25th minute, completely against the run of play.

Rafael Leão, who had scored two goals in Naples in the league match, raced from inside his own half and past two Napoli players before unleashing a shot that went just the wrong side of the right upright.

The Portuguese forward took his frustration out on the corner flag, shattering it in the process.

Milan broke the deadlock five minutes from halftime as Brahim Díaz sped forward from midfield and laid the ball off to the right of the area to Leão. His attempt at a one-two didn't quite come off but it came through to Bennacer to fire into the top near corner.

That was only Milan's second attempt compared to Napoli's eight.

The Rossoneri almost doubled their lead in stoppage time but Simon Kjær's thumping header came off the underside of the bar and bounced just the wrong side of the line for Milan.

Napoli should have leveled five minutes after the break but Maignan finger-tipped an Elmas header onto the bar. Its chances of doing so diminished when Anguissa was shown a second yellow card for a high tackle on Theo Hernández four minutes after being booked for a foul on the same Milan defender.

Real Madrid beat Chelsea 2-0 in the other quarterfinal match on Wednesday.

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/trending-news/milan-vs-napoli--ac-milan-beats-10-man-napoli-1-0-in-champions-league-qf.html