Trump Administration Cancels $400 Million in Grants and Contracts to Columbia University

By Sharon Otterman and Liam Stack from NYT New York https://ift.tt/BYrbG5P

Polish Spies, South Korean Zombies and a Sicilian Prince

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Mumbai Indians Power To Victory, UP Warriorz Playoff Hopes All But Over

Hayley Matthews smashed a 46-ball 68, while Amelia Kerr registered her best figures of 5/38 as Mumbai Indians progressed to a six-wicket win over UP Warriorz in the Women's Premier League here on Thursday. The former champions chased down 151 in just 18.3 overs, boosting their net run rate and jumping to second in the table with eight points, two behind leaders Delhi Capitals with a game in hand. This was UP Warriorz's third consecutive defeat, leaving them on the brink of elimination.

Chasing a modest 151 on a dew-laden Ekana Stadium, MI lost Amelia Kerr (10) early, but Matthews took charge, hammering a 35-ball fifty in a match-winning 92-run stand with Nat Sciver-Brunt, the partnership coming off just 58 balls.

She played fluently off the back foot, especially through the off-side, and reached her second half-century of the season against UPW with a crisp boundary between point and cover-point.

She dismantled Chinelle Henry with a towering six over deep midwicket before sweeping Sophie Ecclestone for back-to-back boundaries as MI raced to 50/1 in the powerplay.

Though UPW skipper Deepti Sharma pulled off a stunning catch to break the partnership, dismissing Sciver-Brunt (37 from 23 balls), MI needed just 35 off 43 balls by then.

In the next over, Matthews tore into seamer Kranti Goud, smashing a boundary through deep cover before launching a six over deep backward square leg.

However, her explosive 46-ball 68, laced with eight fours and two sixes, came to an end in the same over.

But it was Yastika Bhatia (10 off six balls) who smashed UPW skipper Deepti Sharma for two boundaries in the penultimate over to seal the chase with nine balls to spare.

Earlier, opting to bowl, MI turned the game on its head with the New Zealand legspinner Kerr becoming the sixth player in WPL history to bag a fifer.

At 74/0 in 7.5 overs, they looked set for a 200-plus total, with Voll (50 off 29) blazing her maiden WPL fifty.

Voll, playing just her second game, attacked Kerr with four consecutive boundaries, using her feet aggressively after sent into her preferred opening slot.

However, MI struck back, taking three wickets in 14 balls.

Matthews removed Grace Harris (28) after being hit for a six, while Kerr dismissed Kiran Navgire (0) and Voll, who shuffled across for a scoop but was bowled by Sciver-Brunt's slower ball, in the 15th over.

Kerr delivered the knockout punch in the final over, picking up two wickets, including the in-form Chinelle Henry (6), who had smashed a huge six before falling into MI's trap.

UPW crumbled from 74/0 to 150/9, losing nine wickets for just 76 runs in the last 12.1 overs. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Umpires Announced For Champions Trophy Final

Australia's Paul Reiffel and England's Richard Illingworth will be the on-field umpires, while Sri Lanka's Ranjan Madugalle will be the match referee for the Champions Trophy final between India and New Zealand here on Sunday. Reiffel, 58, a former Australian fast bowler with more than 200 Test and ODI wickets, was one of the on-field umpires during South Africa's semifinal against New Zealand in Lahore. Illingworth, 61, a former England left-arm spinner, was part of the action in India's last-four clash against Australia in Dubai.

Illingworth, the four-time ICC Umpire of the Year, also stood in the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup in India and the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Americas.

He was also the umpire in the group match between India and New Zealand, which the former won by 44 runs.

India defeated Australia by four wickets in Dubai to secure a place in the final, while New Zealand beat South Africa by 50 runs in the other last-four clash.

List of officials: On-field Umpires -- Paul Reiffel and Richard Illingworth; Third Umpire -- Joel Wilson; Fourth Umpire -- Kumar Dharmasena; Match Referee -- Ranjan Madugalle. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Mohammed Shami Disappointed With This ICC Law: "You Are Not Getting...":

India pace spearhead Mohammed Shami has broken ranks by admitting that playing all their Champions Trophy games at one venue in Dubai has been to their advantage. Shami returned figures of 3-48 to set up India's four-wicket win over Australia in the semi-finals on Tuesday in Dubai. India coach Gautam Gambhir afterwards lashed out at critics who have said playing at the same Dubai International Cricket Stadium each time is unfair.

India refused to travel to Champions Trophy hosts Pakistan over political tensions and have won all four of their games at their temporary home.

They will face South Africa or New Zealand in Sunday's final, again in Dubai.

The other seven teams in the ODI competition have meanwhile had to shuttle between three Pakistani cities and the United Arab Emirates.

"It definitely helped us because we know the conditions and the behaviour of the pitch," Shami said Tuesday after his pivotal role in beating Australia.

"It is a plus point that you are playing all the matches at one venue."

As part of the hybrid arrangement of the tournament, South Africa were forced to travel to Dubai, only to return to Pakistan again less than 24 hours later without playing a game.

India are unbeaten in the 10 ODIs they have played in Dubai, winning nine.

'World class'

Shami, 34, claimed a five-wicket haul in India's opening win over Bangladesh and has bowled with pace and accuracy.

But a question on getting reverse swing with the old ball got Shami pleading with cricket authorities to allow the use of saliva to polish the ball in the 50-over format.

The International Cricket Council in 2022 made a ban on saliva -- brought in during the Covid pandemic -- permanent.

"We are trying to reverse, but you are not getting the use of saliva into the game," Shami told reporters. "We are constantly appealing to allow the use of saliva and it will be interesting with the reverse swing."

The use of saliva to shine one side of the old ball and keep the other rough helps fast bowlers get the leather ball to swing late and can be a lethal weapon in the final few overs of an ODI match.

They can still use sweat. After a strong start to the tournament, Shami left the field briefly in the win over Pakistan.

He has now put all fears of any fitness issues to rest with two matches in three days and bowling his full quota of 10 overs against Australia.

"I am trying to get my rhythm back and contribute more for the team," said Shami.

He added: "I am ready to bowl long spells."

Gambhir called Shami "a world-class performer".

"He's phenomenal and the hunger he brings on the table, the way he trains, the way he practises -- that's why you see all those results."

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Líderes mundiales debaten sobre usar los activos rusos para ayudar a Ucrania

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Virat Can't Keep Calm As Hardik's Late Cameo Guides India To CT 2025 Final

Virat Kohli slammed a sensational half-century while Hardik Pandya produced late fireworks as India defeat Australia by four wickets to reach the Champions Trophy 2025 final in Dubai on Tuesday. Chasing 265, Kohli was once again the top performer with 84 but it needed a cameo from Hardik to clinch the win for India. Hardik slammed 28 runs off 24 deliveries with the help of one four and three massive sixes. The match went down to the wire with India needing 27 runs to win from 24 balls but Hardik was able to help the cause massively with two sixes off Adam Zampa. The sixes sent the crowd into frenzy and the reaction of Virat in the Indian dressing room has gone viral on social media.

Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir's reaction on kung fu pandya's big sixes pic.twitter.com/7x5d1dOOPk

— ••TAUKIR•• (@iitaukir) March 4, 2025

Batting first, Australia were bowled out for 264 in 49.3 overs and India chased it down with 11 balls to spare. Besides Kohli's 98-ball knock, Shreyas Iyer made 45 while KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya chipped in with 42 and 28 respectively in the first semifinal.

Earlier, captain Steve Smith and Alex Carey struck fifties to guide Australia past 260.

Smith top-scored with 73 off 96 balls as he stitched two crucial partnerships, first with Travis Head (39) for the second wicket, which yielded 50 runs, and then with Marnus Labuschagne (29) for the third for another 56 runs.

Carey made 61.

For India, Mohammed Shami (3/38) grabbed three wickets while Varun Chakravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja took two wickets apiece.

(With PTI inputs)

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