Vivek Mishra works as an Assistant Editor with Eastern Eye and has over 13 years of experience in journalism. His areas of interest include politics, international affairs, current events, and sports. With a background in newsroom operations and editorial planning, he has reported and edited stories on major national and global developments.
The much-anticipated clash between India and Pakistan in the T20 World Cup is set to unfold at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Sunday.
While Pakistan are coming from a shock defeat against hosts USA, India will be confident after a thumping eight-wicket win over Ireland.
The venue, with its newly constructed 34,000-seater capacity, is expected to host a sizable crowd for what promises to be a thrilling encounter between the traditional rivals.
Amidst the excitement, concerns loom over the pitch conditions, which have been a subject of criticism for their unpredictability. Teams have struggled to post big scores, with the pitch proving to be a challenge for batsmen to negotiate.
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma highlighted the uncertainty surrounding the pitch but stressed the importance of a collective effort from the team.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially acknowledged the issues with the pitch, which has raised questions about its suitability for showcasing cricket to the American audience.
The drop-in pitches, laid under the supervision of renowned groundsman Damian Hough, are yet to settle properly, contributing to uneven bounce and safety concerns for batsmen.
Rohit Sharma's recent injury scare during India's match against Ireland further underscored the challenges posed by the pitch conditions. However, despite the uncertainties, the Indian team remains focused on preparing for the game against Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Pakistan finds itself in a vulnerable position after suffering a surprising defeat to USA in their previous match. The team, led by Babar Azam, has had limited time to adapt to the conditions at the Nassau Stadium, posing a significant disadvantage ahead of their clash with India.
They arrived in New York on Thursday night following their shocking defeat to tournament debutants USA and took the next day off. As a result, Babar Azam and his squad have had limited time to adjust to these challenging conditions, which could be a disadvantage heading into this crucial encounter.
And a defeat against India could significantly complicate their qualification prospects.
Against Ireland, the Indian think-tank left out left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav from the playing XI and opted for an extra specialist fast bowler. On Sunday, the strategy is expected to remain the same, particularly as the match is expected to be played on an unused centre turf.
However, given Kuldeep's recent form and his favourable match-ups against Pakistani batters, especially Babar, the team management might consider including him. If that happens, one out of Axar Patel or Ravindra Jadeja may have to sit out.
The batting is more or less settled with Rohit and Virat Kohli expected to continue as openers and Rishabh Pant taking the number 3 slot.
Pakistan, on the other hand, would be hoping to get their act together after the opening shock. Their unpredictability was on full display against the USA, who pipped them in the Super Over for a memorable win.
Babar blamed the loss primarily on bowlers but what he cannot afford to overlook is the underwhelming performance of the team's batters, including him. The captain consumed 43 deliveries for his 44, which is nowhere close to being a decent strike rate in the shortest format.
And with conditions helpful for seamers as pointed out by India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah after the Ireland game, it won't be a surprise if the lethal version of Pakistan's bowling attack led by Shaheen Afridi decides to show up on Sunday and put the team's campaign back on track.
Security measures for the high-profile match have been significantly heightened following a received ISIS terror threat.
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder emphasised the extensive arrangements in place, likening them to security measures for a presidential visit.
Various law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Homeland Security, are involved in ensuring the safety of players and spectators.
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan.
PAKISTAN’S army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir on Monday (7) rejected Delhi’s allegation that his military received active support from longtime ally China in its conflict with India in May.
The Indian Army’s deputy chief, Lieutenant General Rahul Singh, said last week that China gave Islamabad “live inputs” on key Indian positions.
Singh did not elaborate on how India knew about the live inputs from China.
Regarding the possibility of China providing satellite imagery or other real-time intelligence, India’s chief of defence staff had said such imagery was commercially available and could have been procured from China or elsewhere.
The “insinuations regarding external support” are “irresponsible and factually incorrect”, Munir said in an address to graduating officers of the national security and war course in Islamabad, according to an army statement.
Pakistani officials have previously dismissed allegations of receiving active support from China in the conflict.
Beijing and Islamabad have longstanding close relations, with billions of dollars of Chinese investment in the country’s energy and infrastructure.
India’s relationship with China meanwhile was strained after a 2020 border clash that sparked a four-year military standoff, but tensions began to ease after the countries reached a pact to step back in October.
India and Pakistan used missiles, drones and artillery fire during the four days of fighting in May – their worst in decades – triggered by an attack in April on tourists in Indian Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Islamabad, before agreeing to a ceasefire.
Pakistan has denied involvement in the attack in April.
Singh also added that Turkey provided key support to Pakistan during the fighting, equipping it with Bayraktar and “numerous other” drones, as well as “trained individuals”.
Ankara has strong ties with Islamabad, and had expressed solidarity with it during the clash, prompting Indians to boycott everything from Turkish coffee to holidays in the country.
Turkey’s defence ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the allegations.
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Christine Kangaloo awards Narendra Modi with the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago last Friday (4)
INDIA’S prime minister, Narendra Modi met Argentine president Javier Milei in Buenos Aires last Saturday (5), urging the expansion of New Delhi’s preferential trade deal with South America’s Mercosur bloc.
The bilateral talks with Milei were the latest in Modi’s whistle-stop diplomatic tour culminating in the summit of Brics emerging economies which began last Sunday (6) in Brazil.
Diplomats from both countries at the meeting, which included a lunch, decided to “deepen bilateral relations and commercial ties,” according to a statement from the Argentine presidency.
John Dramani Mahama welcomes Modi on his arrival in Accra last Wednesday (2)
India’s foreign ministry diplomat, Periasamy Kumaran, told reporters Modi “requested Argentina’s support in expanding the India-Mercosur preferential trade agreement.” The Mercosur regional trade bloc, comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia, is seeking closer ties with Asian economies in the face of Trump’s global trade war.
“The two leaders discussed the necessity of diversifying and expanding bilateral trade” in sectors including defence, technology and health, said Kumaran.
They also touched upon cooperation in the energy sector, including gas and petrol, as well as lithium, a key mineral for the clean energy transition. Argentina is the world’s fifth largest producer of lithium, according to the US Geological Survey.
“Excellent meeting with president Javier Milei of Argentina,” Modi wrote on X of the leaders’ second bilateral talks.
“We have covered significant ground in our bilateral relations, but we agree that the journey ahead is even more promising!”
Modi last week visited Trinidad and Tobago which last Friday (4) bestowed its highest honour as the Indian prime minister seeks to strengthen New Delhi’s ties with the Caribbean and Latin America.
More than a third of the population in the country is of Indian descent.
President Christine Carla Kangaloo gave him the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago at a ceremony at president’s House in St Ann’s, just outside the capital Port of Spain – the first time a foreign leader was so honoured.
“This honour is a symbol of the deep and eternal friendship between our two countries,” Modi said, according to an official translation. Relations between India and Trinidad and Tobago date back to 1845, when indentured Indian labourers first arrived to work on sugar and cocoa plantations under British colonial rule, following the end of slavery.
Between 1845 and 1917, more than 140,000 labourers settled in the Caribbean nation. The Indian community is now the country’s largest ethnic group, at 35.4 per cent of the population of 1.4 million.
Modi described Kangaloo and prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar “the biggest brand ambassadors of this community.” “India and Trinidad & Tobago rose from the shadows of colonial rule to write our destiny of progress. Our nations stand tall as proud democracies and pillars of strength in the modern world,” Modi wrote on X.
“It’s high time we all work together to give the Global South its rightful seat at the high table.”
Modi last Thursday (3) visited Ghana, in a first by an Indian leader in three decades.
He outlined plans for deeper ties between India and Africa, as New Delhi increasingly vies for a stronger economic presence on the continent along with China and Russia.
South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa, Brazil’s president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Modi and China’s premier Li Qiang at the Brics summit last Sunday (6)
In a speech to Ghana’s parliament, Modi highlighted a major rail project that opened in the west African nation last year, financed by the India Export-Import Bank.
He also underlined his country’s expanding diplomatic development and business footprint in Africa.
“Over 200 projects across the continent enhance connectivity, infrastructure and Industrial capacity,” Modi said. On the political front he welcomed “the establishment of Ghana-India Parliamentary Friendship Society in your parliament”.
In a meeting last Wednesday (2), Modi and Ghanaian president John Mahama agreed to deepen security and mining ties.
The Indian prime minister also last Thursday called for a greater global diplomatic role for both his country and Africa, warning that “the world order created after the Second World War is changing fast”.
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A FRESH parliamentary initiative to establish a dedicated Sikh regiment within the British Army has gained momentum in the House of Lords, with defence minister Lord Coaker expressing willingness to engage in further discussions about the long-debated proposal.
The issue was raised in the House of Lords on Monday (7) by Labour peer Lord Sahota, who asked whether there had been any progress on long-standing calls for a Sikh regiment.
"Given the loyalty of Sikh soldiers in both world wars, there has been talk of having a Sikh regiment in the British Army for a number of years," Lord Sahota said.
Minister of state at Ministry of Defence, Lord Coaker, responded positively, saying he was "quite happy to meet him to see what more we can do to recognise the contribution of soldiers such as Sikhs, and those of many other faiths as well."
He also referenced the upcoming VJ Day commemorations on August 15, noting it would be an appropriate time to reflect on wartime sacrifices, particularly those of Sikhs worldwide.
While no firm commitment was made to establish a regiment, the exchange represents the most encouraging governmental response to the proposal in recent years.
Sikhs have served in the British Army since the mid-1800s and became renowned for their martial traditions. During the First World War, over 100,000 Sikhs served in France, East Africa, and Gallipoli.
Despite being less than two per cent of British India's population, they comprised roughly 20 per cent of the Indian contingent. In the Second World War, more than 300,000 Sikhs participated in campaigns across North Africa, Italy, and Southeast Asia.
The proposal for a British Sikh regiment has been raised repeatedly in Parliament. In 2007, plans were dropped after the Commission for Racial Equality expressed concerns about potential segregation.
The debate was revived in 2015 when former defence secretary Nicholas Soames urged the government to overcome "political correctness" and honour Sikh military service.
Sikh community leaders have consistently argued they could easily recruit enough volunteers for a regiment, pointing to precedents such as the Scots, Welsh, and Irish Guards, and the Royal Gurkha Rifles.
Currently, around 160 Sikhs serve in the British Army. The Defence Sikh Network continues to celebrate Sikh military traditions and encourage recruitment from the community.
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Cierra Ortega addresses her Love Island USA exit in a TikTok video
Cierra Ortega has exited Love Island USA after a past social media post using a slur resurfaced.
The 25-year-old content creator said she “had no idea” the word was a racial slur.
Ortega apologised to the Asian community and said she accepts being removed from the show.
She revealed her family has been threatened and immigration authorities were called on them.
Cierra Ortega, a contestant on this season of Love Island USA, has publicly apologised after an old social media post containing a racial slur resurfaced, prompting her sudden exit from the popular reality series.
The 25-year-old Los Angeles-based content creator addressed the controversy in a video, expressing regret for using a derogatory term towards Asian people in a post made last year. Ortega, who is of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent, said she was unaware of the word’s offensive meaning at the time but took full responsibility.
Ortega says she deleted the offensive post after learning it was a racial slurInstagram/cierra.ortega
Ortega says she had “no idea” it was a racial slur
In her nearly five-minute video, Ortega clarified that the post was made in 2024 and deleted as soon as a follower informed her that the word was a racial slur. “I had no idea that the word carried such pain or history,” she said, adding, “If I had known, I would have never used it.”
Describing the video as an “accountability post, not an apology video,” Ortega said she was deeply sorry to the Asian community and anyone she had hurt. She emphasised that ignorance was not an excuse and admitted that her actions had consequences. “Intent doesn’t excuse impact,” she said.
Following her exit from the villa, Ortega revealed that the backlash extended to her family. She claimed they had faced harassment, including death threats and even calls to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “My family doesn’t feel safe in their own home,” she said. “There’s no need to fight hate with hate. I don’t think that’s justice.”
Ortega’s relatives later issued a statement on her Instagram story, saying they understood the anger but condemned the level of harassment. “We’re not here to justify or ignore what’s surfaced. But the threats and attacks go far beyond accountability,” they wrote.
Ortega’s Instagram story Instagram Screengrab/cierra.ortega
Ortega accepts the show’s decision to remove her
Although the episode announcing her departure referred only to “personal reasons,” Ortega said she fully supported Love Island USA’s decision to remove her from the show. “This was a consequence I deserved,” she stated. Her former villa partner, Nic Vansteenberghe, remained on the show and has since recoupled with another contestant.
Ortega insisted she deleted the offensive post immediately after realising its meaning and has since made efforts to educate herself and others around her.
The Love Island USA contestant apologised to the Asian community onlineInstagram/cierra.ortega
Second contestant to leave over resurfaced racist remarks
Ortega is the second contestant to be removed from this season over past racist language. Earlier in the season, fellow islander Yulissa Escobar was taken off the show after an old podcast clip emerged in which she used another racial slur. Escobar also apologised on social media and echoed Ortega’s concerns about the extreme online abuse following her exit.
The backlash faced by both women has raised concerns about the mental health of reality TV participants. Peacock, the NBC-owned streaming platform airing Love Island USA, recently aired an on-screen message urging viewers to stop targeting contestants with threats and harassment.
Love Island USA aired a message urging viewers to stop harassing contestantsInstagram/cierra.ortega
As the show heads towards its finale, the debate continues over how far accountability should go, and at what cost to the people involved.