Author: HFG INSIDER 897

Bengaluru: The 2026-27 domestic season is barely underway, but the old North-South rivalry is already adding spice to the Duleep Trophy. North Zone and South Zone will renew their contest in the semifinals at the BCCI Centre of Excellence here from Sunday, with youth and experience on both sides making for an intriguing battle.North bring the exuberance of youth, with the likes of Ayush Doseja keen to build on early promise. South, runners-up in the last edition, have a blend of emerging talent and established names, with Karnataka youngster R Smaran joining the likes of Tilak Varma and Karun Nair.On…

Risk of lake burst near Nepal disaster site wanes (Representative image) The threat of a lake formed after a glacier collapse bursting near the China-Nepal border, where a devastating flood struck earlier this week, has eased, Chinese authorities said on Saturday, as it appears to have shrunk. Satellite images from Thursday to Saturday morning suggest that water in the lake, which straddles the border between China’s Tibet region and Nepal at the confluence of two rivers, has been slowly flowing out and gradually reducing the reservoir, state broadcaster CCTV reported, citing the water resources ministry.By Saturday afternoon, parts of the…

Did Ram Gopal Varma take a dig at Yash’s ‘Toxic’ again? Cryptic post sparks speculation over film’s box office On the day Yash’s ‘Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown Ups’ hit theatres, Ram Gopal Varma shared a post on social media saying that he was watching ‘Dhurandhar’ again. Many netizens saw it as an indirect dig at the Geetu Mohandas directorial. Since then, he has continued sharing similar posts on his X account. Now, his latest post has caught attention, with internet users linking it to the reported slowdown in ‘Toxic’s box office collection.Did Ram Gopal Varma just take a dig…

We often sit and admire people who look complete and accomplished in every pursuit of their life, be it their lifestyles, jobs, or relationships, but what we do not pay attention to is what they put behind achieving it- the sleepless nights, the relentless hard work, and the endless fights that seem to never come to a halt.They don’t wait for life to happen to them. Instead, they go out and make things happen.Leonardo da Vinci creatively weighed in on this idea many years ago, and he reminds us that success does not come from people sitting in their comfort…

Aarav Dengla is India’s 93rd Grandmaster (GM) For a centuries-old game that has witnessed and survived the rise and fall of empires, kings and kingmakers, chess has developed a vocabulary of its own. This vocabulary is a veritable tour of the people and places that have had major influence on the game.To an ordinary person, 1.e4 c5 is simply a sequence of moves; to a chess player it is the Sicilian Defence. Why Sicily and not Shanghai or St. Louis? Or why Ruy Lopez and not Roy Lampert?I have long been curious to learn the history behind people and places…

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un shakes up military; names Kim Song Gi as the new defence minister North Korea has dismissed its defence minister No Kwang Chol in a reshuffle of the country’s top military leadership, state media reported Sunday, with leader Kim Jong Un approving the changes at a meeting on Saturday.The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the changes were part of “structural reorganization plans”.No Kwang Chol was removed as defence minister and demoted within the ruling party to “first vice-director of the Munitions Industry Department”. Kim Song Gi, head of the General Political Bureau of the Korean…

Allu Arjun and ‘Jawan’ fame Atlee joined hands for the upcoming epic sci-fi action drama, ‘Raaka’. Apart from Deepika Padukone as the female lead, the film also features Rashmika Mandanna reuniting with her ‘Pushpa’ co-star. Latest reports include new details about the film, suggesting Allu Arjun plays three different characters, with Rashmika Mandanna’s role appearing to be a protector of Deepika Padukone’s.Allu Arjun to play triple roleAccording to a report by Mid-day, Allu Arjun is playing a triple role in the film. He will be seen as a divine warrior and another with negative traits, while details about his third…

The former India fast bowler was seen travelling like any other Bengaluru commuter. There was no cricket ground, no television camera and no entourage. Just a former India fast bowler, a trolley bag and an ordinary ride on Bengaluru’s Metro.A photograph of Javagal Srinath travelling on Namma Metro has caught the attention of cricket fans online, not because of anything extraordinary happening in the frame, but because of how ordinary it looks. The former India pacer is seen travelling like any other commuter, carrying his luggage and going about his day.For a cricketer who once led India’s pace attack and…

Bengaluru: Giving up a lucrative IPL contract and a thriving commentary career, Indian batting great VVS Laxman took the administrative plunge in December 2021. What began at a modest facility inside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium has since evolved into a much larger assignment, with Laxman now at the helm of the BCCI Centre of Excellence, the state-of-the-art facility on the outskirts of the city.The Hyderabadi, whose playing career was defined by wristy elegance and remarkable resilience, is set to complete his tenure later this year.In an exclusive interview with TOI, Laxman reflects on his journey at the CoE, the changing…

Franco Fontana passes away at the age of 92 (Image source: Wikimedia Commons) Franco Fontana, an Italian photographer famous for turning landscapes into abstract images through the masterful use of colour, geometry and shadows, has died at the age of 92, Italian media reported on Saturday.Starting his career in the 1960s, when black and white still dominated fine art photography, Fontana was a pioneer of colour, influenced by abstract expressionism and minimalism. Some of his best-known pictures — showing southern Italian beaches or countryside in stark, bright colours, sometimes featuring a single tree, cloud or human shadow — evoked the…