Month: September 2024

Former Brazil coach Tite was fired on Monday by Flamengo, his first job after taking the national team to the past two World Cups. His replacement for the rest of the year will be former Atletico Madrid defender Filipe Luis, a multi-champion at the Rio de Janeiro club and coach of one of its youth divisions.

Flamengo announced the move in a statement, less than a day after its 1-0 home win over Athletico Paranaense in the Brazilian league. Tite’s contract ran until the end of the year.

Last week, Flamengo was knocked out by Uruguay’s Penarol in the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores. It is currently fourth in the Brazilian league with 48 points in 27 matches, 11 points behind leader Botafogo.

Flamengo will face Corinthians in the semifinals of the Brazilian Cup on Wednesday, in a tournament that provides its high spending squad a last chance to win a major trophy this year.

The 63-year-old Tite captured his only title with Flamengo in April, a Rio state championship trophy. He left Brazil after the 2022 World Cup in the wake of the team’s quarterfinals elimination against Croatia. He also took Brazil to the 2018 World Cup, where his team was knocked out by Belgium in the quarterfinals.

Flamengo fans booed Tite during his team’s last minute 1-0 victory against Athletico Paranaense at the Maracana Stadium.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Associated Press)

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick’s reaction to Toni Fernandez climbing over his seat with dirty boots has started a buzz on the social media. The Catalan giants extended their undefeated LaLiga run this season against Villarreal last weekend. Barcelona scored five against them at El Madrigal on September 22 to maintain the top spot on the La Liga points table.

In a wholesome moment during the game, Flick could be seen staring down 16-year-old Toni. The teenager had found the way to his seat in the dugout by climbing over Flick’s chair. Upon discovering Toni’s act, a smile broke on the German manager’s face.

The video begins with Toni Fernandez finding all ways to his seat completely blocked off. But the youngster found a solution by putting his foot on Flick’s seat to get back to his chair.

Moments later, the German coach could be seen approaching the bench before turning towards his seat. Looking at the foot impression on his chair, Flick instantly looked at Toni who nodded his head with a smile on his face.

Eventually, the German laughed it off before wiping the chair clean with his hands.

Speaking of Toni, the teenage footballer is one of the most promising players in Barcelona academy. The 16-year-old recently became the youngest footballer to score a goal for the club’s reserve team. He netted a spectacular overhead kick in a 3-0 victory against Ourense, sparking plenty of discussion around his talent and ability.

Earlier this month, Toni and his cousin Guille were called up for the club’s Champions League match against AS Monaco. Their presence was required as Spanish star Dani Olmo suffered an injury a few weeks ago.

The duo of Toni and Guille was also included in Barcelona’s squad during their trip to Villarreal. The team did not have to bank on the youngsters as Barcelona stars, including Robert Lewandoski, Raphina and Pablo Torre combined for five goals. Toni and Guille are yet to secure first-team action for the Spanish giants this season.

Barcelona are next set to take on Getafe in La Liga. The match will take place at the Estadi Olympic Lluis Companys on Thursday, September 26.

Toyota’s king-size SUV Fortuner has been rulling the segments effortlessly for years. Despite lacking all the trending features, the vehicle somehow reports decent sales numbers. As the vehicle is reaching the end of its life cycle, the company is likely to introduce the next-generation model soon.

The company has not shared any details about the launch as yet. However, some report claims that the model is expected to break the cover somewhere in 2025. It is expected to come with some major enhancements, making it better than ever.

To Replace Diesel Engine Option?

Amid all the speculations, it has been reported that the brand is working on a new engine option that will be used in the upcoming model. The company is likely to power the next-gen Fortuner with a new 2.0 turbo petrol engine, and might replace the existing 2.8-litre diesel unit.

To note, these are just speculations, a concreted confirmation about the same is yet to be shared by the brand.

More Efficient Than Ever?

It has been reported that the future petrol engine options will be up to 30 percent more energy efficient. This will allow the customers to enjoy improved efficiency and will reduce carbon emissions.

Expected Improvement from Outside

In terms of looks from the outside, customers can expect some noticeable updates. It might get an updated headlight setup, integrated DRLs, redesigned bumpers, heavy cladding on the sides, complimented roof rails and aggressive dual-note alloy wheels.

Xiaomi has introduced its much-anticipated Redmi Note 14 series in China. The tech giant has launched three models in the new series: the Redmi Note 14, the Redmi Note 14 Pro, and the Redmi Note 14 Pro+. These smartphones, succeeding the Redmi Note 13 series, are equipped with several notable enhancements, including a revamped camera module to improve the user experience.

Redmi Note 14 Series: Price

The Redmi Note 14 series starts competitively with the base model, the Redmi Note 14 Pro, priced at CNY 1,399 (approximately Rs 16,690) for the 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage configuration. The 8 GB/256 GB variant of the device is available for CNY 1,499 (around Rs 17,882), whereas the 12 GB/256 GB comes with a price tag of 1,699 yuan (approx Rs 20,268). The top variant of the phone featuring 12 GB and 512 GB storage configuration comes at 1,899 yuan (approx Rs 22,654).

The higher-end Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus, on the other hand, starts at CNY 1,899 (Rs 22,654) for the 12 GB and 256 GB storage versions; the 12 GB/512 GB variant is priced at 2,099 yuan (Rs 25, 040); and the top-tier 16 GB RAM and 512 GB configuration goes up at 2,299 yuan (Rs 27,426).

The Redmi Note 14 series has been unveiled in a range of colour options, including Mirror Porcelain White and Midnight Black. The Pro model of the device gets additional colour variants like Phantom Blue and Twilight Purple, while the Redmi Pro+ is available in Sandstar Green.

Redmi Note 14 Series: Features

The Redmi Note 14 Pro and Pro Plus offer a refreshed design with a sleek profile and a centrally positioned squircle camera module. These devices have an IP69 rating, making them dust and water-resistant. The front display is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

The phones get a 6.67-inch curved AMOLED screen with 1.5K resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. The devices have HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compatibility. For security, the Redmi Note 14 series gets a fingerprint scanner.

The Pro+ model features a triple rear camera arrangement that includes a 50MP primary sensor, a 50MP telephoto lens with 2.5x optical zoom, and an 8MP ultrawide-angle camera. The Note 14 Pro houses a similar setup but swaps out the telephoto lens for a 2MP sensor. For high-quality selfies, both variants have a 20MP front-facing camera.

Performance-wise, the Redmi Note 14 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 CPU, while the Pro+ variant utilises the more powerful Dimensity 7300 Ultra chipset.

The battery performance of the devices is also a highlight, with the Pro Plus housing a 6,200 mAh silicon-carbon battery that supports 90W fast charging. The Pro variant includes a 5,500mAh battery with 45W charging capabilities. Moreover, the smartphones operate on HyperOS based on Android 14.

While the jury is still out on who greased the holy laddoos offered at the Tirumala-Tirupati temple with the unction of the devil, one shouldn’t underestimate their power to trigger sectarian anxiety. The Hindus who turned on the British in 1857 for handing them gun cartridges greased with beef tallow and pork lard are still very much around. All those years later, some may have embraced a few Western mores, but they are yet to lose their distaste for beef, pork, or fish – the blasphemous medley that was allegedly mixed into Tirumala-Tirupati laddoos.

And had the Laddoos not been a deified symbol of Hindu sacrosanctity, one doubts if the Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu would have made much of their supposed adulteration.

For this act of sacrilege, Naidu solely blames his predecessor, YSRCP supremo Jagan Reddy. Naidu is convinced that Reddy conspired to contract dairy suppliers of dubious bona fides to cut costs on purchasing pure ghee. The penny pinching, a show of disrespect to the resident deity, reportedly compromised the sanctity of the revered confections that are created in the Tirumala-Tirupati temple kitchen. At least that’s what Naidu has alleged.

The former Andhra Chief Minister has also struck a defiant posture. Reddy has accused Naidu of running a slander campaign.

But the damage has been done. By all accounts, Naidu’s revelations have stuck. And it doesn’t help former CM Reddy’s case that he is a practising Christian. Luckily, angry Hindus haven’t spilled out onto the streets.

While that’s a relief, what isn’t is that very few have paused to check the veracity of the “facts” put out by Naidu. Fewer still, are ready to accept the possibility that Naidu’s claims could be part of a larger, daresay, cynical communal plot.

The incumbent Chief Minister’s critics, especially arch foe Jagan Reddy’s supporters, say Naidu is trying to position himself as Andhra’s king of Hindu hearts. Naidu hopes, so the theory goes, to outflank his allies the BJP and Pavan Kalyan, who are both past masters at playing the Hindu card. Naidu, who is playing the long game, is convinced that winning the race to cement his Hindu credentials can ensure his electoral longevity and also create political space for his son and heir, Nara Lokesh.

As the Naidu camp trades accusations with the Jagan camp, it has become virtually impossible to apportion guilt.

Only an independent inquiry can dredge the truth to the surface. But what some Hindu well-wishers are thankful for is that in the interim, la-affaire laddoo has finally brought the focus back to the nationalisation of Hinduism.

It’s a travesty that Hindus in the land of their birth have had to cede to the state control of their customs, practices, and places of worship.

It is a shame that only Hindu religious customs have been by-and-large codified by the state and not those of other faiths.

It is equally disappointing that the state has cleverly insinuated itself in the business of administering, principally, Hindu temples. The state’s ecclesiastical paternalism mocks at Article 25-28 that guarantee the Right to Freedom of Religion.

It is a scandal that every penny donated by devotees is diverted by the state government for “secular purposes” rather than temple upkeep.

The “nationalisation of Hinduism” is so near total that devotees who cram thousands of hundreds of crores into the donation boxes of the Tirumala-Tirupati temple annually can’t even ensure that their money is being used to prepare kosher Prasadam.

Would the state dream of denying the adherents of other faiths the right to decide how their contribution should be used? No. In fact, the Centre expressly permits Muslim donors via the Dargah Khwaja Saheb Act of 1955 to dictate the specific purpose for which their donations are to be used. Moreover, it allows the devout Muslim donor to demand an audit.

If Chandrababu Naidu, Pawan Kalyan, and the many BJP saffron plenipotentiaries are truly concerned about “blasphemy” against Hindus, they must punish the original sin. They must dismantle state laws and by-laws that have nationalised Hinduism. For far too long, Hindus have allowed a rootless westernised elite to pass off state subjugation of Hinduism as a secular pursuit.

(Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views)

Newly promoted Mohammedan SC marked their travel to Chennai with a historic first-ever win in the Indian Super League as they edged out the home side 1-0 on Thursday at the Marina Arena.

Lalremsanga Fanai’s lone strike proved to be the difference between the sides as the Kolkata-based side picked up all points on offer in the TN capital city.

Owen Coyle opted to start Samik Mitra in goal against the Kolkata side with Laldinliana Renthlei, Ryan Edwards, PC Laldinpuia and Ankit Mukherjee as the defensive foil. Connor Shields, Elsinho, Lalrinliana Hnamte and Faroukh Choudhary made up the midfield with Daniel Chukwu Chema and Irfan Yadwad made the attacking duo up front.

Andrey Chernyshov fielded Padam Chettri in goal, behind the defensive quartet of Adinga Ralte, Gaurav Bora, Joseph Adjei and Vanlalzuidika Chhakchhuak. Alexis Gomez, Mirjalol Kasimov and Amarjit Singh Kiyam made up the three-man midfield with Makan Chote, Carlos Freires and Lalremsanga Fanai up top.

Chennaiyin started the game off on a positive note venturing forward multiple times, but the visitors held tight at the back to keep the ball from sailing into the net. However, the hoists were awarded a coupe of setpieces from threatening positions, but the eventual deliveries into the ball were cut out by the Mohammedan defence.

Mohammedan nearly took the lead following a defensive blunder as a weak headed effort aimed back at the keeper was woefully misplaced but Gomez, who latched onto the loose ball, rounded the keeper only to hit the woodwork.

However, calamity struck as the Chennaiyin defence erred yet again as confusion between the onrushing keeper and leftwing back presented Fanai with the opportunity to roll the ball into an empty net to give the tourists a lead.

Coyle chose to bring on Lukas Brambilla on for Elsinho as the only HT change in the fixture with Chennai venturing with attacking intent.

Chennai nearly pulled level but for a brave bit of last-ditch defending from the Mohammedan defence.

Coyle sprung for a triple change after 65 minutes of play as Wilmar Jordan, Gurkirat Singh and Kiyan Nassiri were fielded in place of Chukwu, Choudhary and Irfan in a show of clear attacking objective, while Mohammedan withdrew Chote in favour of Bikash Singh.

With a quarter of the game still remaining, Mohammedan nearly found an insurance strike but the ball in from the new man could not be met in the middle by a sliding Fanai.

Gomez demonstrated composure to sidestep a defender inside the box before pulling the trigger but his attempt was straight at the Chennai custodian and the scoreboard remained still.

The man in the middle waved for play to continue after Jordan was brought down inside the box, and Gurkirat went for the spectacular from outside the area, only for his effort to dip beyond the crossbar.

Cesar Manzoki skied a spot kick to put daylight between the sides in second-half stoppage time, before the visitors’ defence proved strong yet again with a goalline clearance on the overturn of play.

Despite the hosts’ repeated attempts to break down the Mohammedan defence, the crowd of just over 9700 spectators most of whom had flocked in to support the Blue, went home without a point from the home game.