Latest news with #NewIndianExpress
3 days ago
- Entertainment
Thailand's Opal Suchata Chuangsri crowned Miss World
Thailand is celebrating a historic first. Opal Suchata Chuangsri has been crowned Miss World 2025, dazzling a global audience in Hyderabad, India. This marks Thailand's maiden win at the iconic beauty pageant, now in its 72nd year. Opal, just 22, outshone 107 other contestants from around the world and received her crown from outgoing queen Krystyna Pyszkova of the Czech Republic. The grand event, hosted at the HITEX Exhibition Centre, was a spectacle of colour, music, and culture. Bollywood stars Jacqueline Fernandez and Ishaan Khatter added even more sparkle to the night, according to New Indian Express. Opal's victory is a moment of pride for Southeast Asia and a story of hope for young women everywhere. 'After waiting 72 years for our first crown, it's an incredible honour to bring it home,' Opal said. 'I now have the opportunity as Miss World to travel and support important projects around the world. I'm excited to make an impact'. As the field narrowed to the final two, Opal felt a strange calm. 'It was the most intense moment, yet I felt calm. I knew my people were proud of me for reaching that far. It felt like a dream,' she recalled. Opal's gown became a talking point of the evening, as she wore a delicate white dress adorned with opal-like florals. These symbolise both healing and strength. 'The shimmering white fabric and delicate opal-like florals reflect women who choose hope over fear,' Opal explained on Instagram. 'Just like the opal, I shine in my light. Her 'Opal For HER' campaign, which inspired the gown, champions women's resilience and transformation. The Swarovski crystals on her dress, she said, 'sparkle like the inner light that guides us through darkness'. As Miss World, Opal plans to focus on causes close to her heart, including breast cancer awareness. 'If you believe in your purpose, you're already extraordinary,' she told reporters. India, the host nation, had pinned its hopes on Nandini Gupta. She made it to the Top 40 but missed out on the final eight. The disappointment was palpable, but the event itself was a showcase of unity and global talent. Opal's win is a reminder that with hope, compassion, and self-belief, anything is possible. As she put it, 'The soft flare mirrors the ripple effect of compassion—how one heart can awaken many'. The new Miss World will now embark on a year-long journey, supporting humanitarian projects and inspiring a new generation of women. Her message is clear: shine in your light, and never stop dreaming. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
New Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Sport
- New Indian Express
Next line of players will start performing in a year or two: BAI gen secretary
CHENNAI: The Badminton Association of India (BAI) general secretary Sanjay Mishra felt things will improve soon because several systems have been or are in the process of being implemented. He felt changes could have been made earlier but a start has been made. 'Let's concentrate on the future,' he said. One such area is creating a decent perennial bench strength. "Of late in international challenge level tournaments, some of our second string players are doing well,' he told the New Indian Express on Friday. 'Today (Friday) at St. Denis International Challenge, there are some four or five quarter-finalists. Tanvi Sharma has won an international event recently. Unnati (Hooda) is another player doing well. Ayush (Shetty) had beaten the All England finalist. Young players have started performing. They will get more exposure and with that, they will be more mature and they will start performing. Within another year or two, bigger results will start coming. 'For big tournaments like the Asian Championships and Thomas and Uber Cup, we will prepare for that. We have the likes of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shettry, who are great doubles players. They are coming back from injury. In women's doubles, we have Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand. Because we have limited big players right now, so when they lose then there is a lot of negativity. They are also under tremendous pressure. Now we are banking on the doubles players and singles exponents like PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy. They will support us in the next two years. By that time, the second line should be ready. This happens in sport." But the vacuum the country has seen have not been created over the last one year. If a proper system were to be in place, India might have avoided such a phase. "We have to form a backup with U-15 to U-19 players. Earlier, we had two camps; one in Hyderabad and another in Bengaluru for seniors round the year. Junior camps used to be held before Asian Championships, Worlds, or during other events. Now, we have started an NCOE (National Centre of Excellence) where they will train for 365 days a year. Everyone is training and playing together and going for exposure trips as well. Juniors used to train in their own academies earlier. Now, we will have the line."
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists floored after tracking eagle's flight throughout vast journey: 'Flying by instinct'
Researchers discovered that the Pallas's fish eagle returns to the same spot in an Indian national park for its annual breeding season. According to the Hindu, the eagle has been flying to Assam's Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve to breed for five years in a row. It's one of the largest fishing eagles and is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The tracked individual, a bird called Ider, exhibits reverse migration habits. Kaziranga acts as its home base for breeding, but it flies back to Mongolia after each breeding season. Two months after hatching, the baby birds are strong enough to fly to Mongolia as well. Dr. Sachin Ranade, one of the scientists tracking the flight patterns from the Bombay Natural History Society, said, "They don't need parental guidance, flying by instinct to navigate the [Central Asian Flyway]." Ranade explained, "We observed two chicks in the tagged bird's nest. Although we cannot say how many chicks it has sired, we can conclude it bred every year in Kaziranga for five successive years." According to the Hindu, it's estimated that only 2,500 mature Pallas's eagles exist in the wild. Seeing it return to Kaziranga each year is a positive sign for the species. Kaziranga's field director, Sonali Ghosh, noted, "Kaziranga is one of the best locations on Earth to observe this bird." It's also one of the safest places. Kaziranga is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a protected area, home to some of India's rarest creatures. One-horned rhinos, elephants, wild water buffalo, tigers, and swamp deer all reside here. Seeing the Pallas's eagle breed here means the young birds will have a safe place to grow before flying to Mongolia. Places like Kaziranga are essential for protecting biodiversity. The more species within an ecosystem, the more resilient it is. All creatures, including humans, rely on biodiversity for food and water security, disease control, and climate stability. Protecting birds like this eagle and preserving areas like Kaziranga help foster a cooler, healthier planet. According to the New Indian Express, Ghosh said in a statement that this development "highlights the importance of Kaziranga as a critical habitat for migratory birds [and] the need for continued conservation efforts to protect such endangered species." Hopefully, the Pallas's eagles will safely return to Kaziranga for many more breeding seasons. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
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First Post
08-05-2025
- Business
- First Post
Lionel Messi's India trip reportedly cancelled as organisers fail to raise Rs 100 crore
The Argentina football team and star footballer Lionel Messi will reportedly not come for a match to Kerala, India, in October 2025 as the organisers failed to meet the huge appearance fee demand. read more Lionel Messi and the Argentina football team's supposed visit to Kerala, India, is in doubt now as the organisers have reportedly failed to raise the required money for hosting the 2022 World Cup champions. Last November, Kerala state Minister for Sports V Abdurahiman had announced that Argentina and in 2025. At least one of the matches was to be scheduled in Kochi. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But now it has come out that the organisers have failed to raise the minimum Rs 100 crore required to arrange the matches. Rs 70 crore was reportedly needed just as the appearance fee for the Argentina team. More from Football No Messi in India in 2025 A report in the New Indian Express says that the deadline to confirm the agreement has ended with the oraganisers failing to meet the necessary financial commitments. Argentina, meanwhile, has started exploring other options. As per the report, Argentine sports journalist Gastón Edul has said that the La Albiceleste will play two matches in China and one each in Angola and Qatar. While the schedule has not been communicated officially, it appears that Argentina are already booked for October and November FIFA friendly windows. It further added that the sponsorship was initially granted to a faction of the All Kerala Gold and Silver Merchants Association (AKGSMA), which aimed to raise the required Rs 100 crore through sales on its 'Oloppo' app. Of this amount, Rs 70 crore was reportedly earmarked as the team's appearance fee. However, when the plan failed to gain traction, the state government is said to have shifted the sponsorship to Reporter Broadcasting Company Pvt Ltd, the owner of Reporter TV news channel. In March 2025, HSBC India, which partnered with the Argentina football team to promote the sport in India and Singapore, had also announced that the . The statement gave more strength to the hopes that Messi will be coming to India in 2025, but the bank is now mum on the issue. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Kerala minister Abdurahiman has also declined to comment on the issue. 'The sponsors will respond to the queries,' he told TNIE recently.
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First Post
25-04-2025
- Sport
- First Post
D Gukesh is 'universally accepted as world champion': Indian Grandmaster hits back at critics
While D Gukesh's ability to defend his World Chess Championship crown is being questioned, Indian Grandmaster Srinath Narayanan has come out in his defence. read more D Gukesh is under pressure after poor performance in Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour 2025. Image: D Gukesh on X Two back-to-back poor outings in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour 2025 have put chess world champion D Gukesh under increased scrutiny over his recent World Championship win. However, amid the growing criticism, Indian Grandmaster and coach Srinath Narayanan has thrown his weight behind Gukesh. Gukesh became the youngest world chess champion at 18 after beating Ding Liren of China in December last year. However, Gukesh's victory was criticised by former world champions Magnus Carlsen and Vladimir Kramnik for its perceived lack of quality. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Since becoming the world champion through a classical format competition, Gukesh has been mostly busy playing in the inaugural Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, which is played in the Fischer Random or Chess960 format. Gukesh had failed to win a single match in the first leg at Weissenhaus and while he ended the drought in Paris, the Chennai player eventually finished joint-last. Soon after, a video of Norwegian Grandmaster Jon Ludvig Hammer, a former main second for Carlsen, went viral in which he questioned Gukesh's capability to hold onto his crown. Gukesh 'has nothing to prove' Reacting to Hammer's comments, Srinath, who was the Indian men's team coach as they won gold for the first time in the 2024 Olympiad, said Gukesh is universally accepted as the world champion and he doesn't need to prove anything to anyone. 'I don't feel any particular attempt to downplay Gukesh as the world champion in general. He is universally accepted as the world champion and there is no questioning that,' Srinath told New Indian Express. 'Gukesh doesn't particularly need to prove anything to anyone. I also haven't noticed anyone mentioning that Gukesh won the World championship by luck. As for Gukesh's results in freestyle, I think 1-2 tournaments is far too early to draw any major conclusions.' While Hammer felt the challengers in the chess world are currently as good as the world champion and labelled it as a bad thing for the sport. Srinath said Gukesh has the ability to retain his crown in 2026 and even if that doesn't happen, a competitive rivalry is not bad for any sport. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Gukesh certainly has the ability to keep the crown. But it will definitely not be easy and his next challenger could very well be one of his compatriots from India or from his age group. Him and his trainers will have the best idea on what he needs to do to improve and defend his title,' Srinath shared with New Indian Express. 'I don't think a competitive rivalry will have any negative effect on the sport. For example, in tennis for a period of time we had Federer (Roger), Nadal (Rafael) and Djokovic (Novak) all closely at the top and the rivalry was brilliant to watch,' he added.
