Tuesday

20.04.2021 WISE WORDS »

hindustantimes.com.htpace
htschooltimes
Arise! Awake! and stop not until
NEW DELHI
the goal is reached.
nVOL. XCVII NO. 93 PRICE ₹2.50
n
n 6 PAGES

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

crisis in climate action

soccer
U.S. MUST HALVE EMISSIONS:
EUROPEAN U.N. CHIEF GUTERRES 4 >P
FOOTBALL
SPLIT AS
12 CLUBS
LAUNCH
BREAKAWAY
LEAGUE
>P6 bamboo inspiring
dweller lives
MEGHALAYA BOOKER
RECORDS WINNER
historic sortie INDIA’S KIRAN
FIRST BAT DESAI 3 >P

WITH
NASA’S MARS HELICOPTER DISK-
TAKES FLIGHT, FIRST FROM SHAPED
STICKY FEET
ANOTHER PLANET >P5
Nasa’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter captured in this shot as it
hovered over the Martian surface on Monday AFP >P5

llN A T I O N l CITY LIGHTS llW O R L D l

Everyone above 18 years will be eligible Global Covid cases

to receive Covid-19 vaccine from May 1
NEW DELHI: Everyone above 18 years
of age will be eligible to get vacci-
nated against Covid-19 from May 1,
the central government said on Mon-
day as it liberalised the vaccination
drive to allow states, private hospitals
and industrial establishments to pro-
cure the doses directly from manu-
facturers.
Under the third phase of the vacci-
nation drive commencing next
month, the vaccine manufacturers
would supply 50% of their monthly
Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL)
released doses to the central govern-
ment and would be free to supply the
remaining 50% doses to state govern-
ments and in the open market.
Manufacturers would have to
make an advance declaration of the
price for 50% supply that would be
available to the state governments
and in the open market before May 1,
2021, an official statement said.
Based on this price, state govern-
ments, private hospitals, industrial
establishments, etc would be able to
procure vaccine doses from the man-
ufacturers.
Centre to provide India is committed
fresh insurance cover to action on climate
to Covid-19 warriors change: Macron
NEW DELHI: The Union health minis-
try on Monday announced that all
claims of’ Covid warriors under the
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Pack-
age will be settled till April 24 after
which a fresh insurance policy for
them will become effective. In a
tweet, the ministry said that a new
dispensation will be provided to
cover the ‘corona warriors’. For this,
the ministry is in talks with the New
India Assurance, it said.
“Two hundred and eight seven
claims have been paid by the insur-
ance company so far. The scheme has
played a crucial psychological role in
boosting the morale of the health
workers fighting Covid-19,” the min-
istry said in a statement.
“The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan
Package (PMGKP) insurance policy
claims of Covid warriors will con-
tinue to be settled till 24th April, 2021,
thereafter a fresh insurance policy
will become effective,” it said. The
PMGKP was announced on March
last year, and was extended thrice till
April 24, the ministry said. PTI
A medical worker conducts a Covid-19
test at the Jain Hospital in Mumbai on
Monday as coronavirus cases surge PTI
The health ministry said the
important decision to allow vaccina-
tion to everyone above the age of 18
was taken in a meeting chaired by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
India logs 2,73,810 fresh cases
India’s total tally of Covid-19 cases
crossed 1.50 crore with a record sin-
gle-day rise of 2,73,810 new coronavi-
rus infections, while the active cases
surpassed the 19-lakh mark, accord-
ing to the ministry data. PTI
WASHINGTON: Stressing on the need
for innovation on the issue of climate
change, French President Emmanuel
Macron on Sunday lauded actions
taken by India to tackle the climate
crisis, saying that New Delhi is “very
committed” to the cause.
“We need to accelerate innovation
and the ability to deliver. We need
India and China to be with us. India is
very committed. It is a huge democ-
racy with a lot of inequities to deal
with but they launched with us a
solar initiative three years ago now.
They are improving the system and
they are committed to reducing the
HFC emissions,” Marcon said on an
American news programme on CBS.
Earlier this month, US Special
Presidential Envoy for Climate John
Kerry had said that India’s global
leadership has been critical across a
range of issues, including climate
change. India has set the goals for
2030 for increasing renewable energy
generation to 450GW and has revised
its nationally determined contribu-
tion under the Paris Agreement. ANI
CM Kejriwal announces
six-day lockdown
NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejri-
wal announced a six-day lockdown from 10 pm
on Monday till 5 am on April 26 which he said
was necessary to deal with the rising number
of Covid-19 cases as the city’s health system
was stretched to its limits. The national capi-
tal’s health system is stretched although it has
not collapsed yet, he said, adding that despite
around 25,500 cases coming up every day,
Delhi’s health system is still functioning. But
any system has its limit, he said while address-
ing an online press conference. The lockdown
is needed to prevent the health system of Delhi
from collapsing under the increasing number
of patients as there is an acute shortage of
medicines, beds, ICUs and oxygen, Kejriwal
said. PTI
Govt sets up control
rooms to manage drugs
NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has set up
two control rooms for monitoring and manag-
ing the supply of Covid-19 management drugs,
amid a massive rise in coronavirus cases in the
national capital. In an order Monday, the gov-
ernment’s Drugs Control Department said the
step to establish the control rooms has been
taken to address reports of “acute shortage of
Covid-19 management drugs due to a sudden
rise in cases in Delhi”. For East, North East,
South, Central, New Delhi and North districts,
the Karkardooma Head Office will serve as the
control room and operate the helpline number
-- 011-22393705, according to the order. The
Lawrence Road Zonal Office is the second con-
trol room and it will serve the North West,
South West, and West districts. PTI
llS C H O O L EVENTl
AHLCON, MAYUR VIHAR,
FELICITATES STUDENTS
Ahlcon Public School, Mayur Vihar celebrated
its first virtual annual prize distribution
ceremony and cultural fiesta with great zeal
and enthusiasm to
felicitate the
students for their
excellent academic
performance. The
triumph was
possible by the
relentless hard work of the students, faculty
and support staff under the able guidance of
the school principal, Deepak Raj Singh Bisht.
The event began with lamp lighting and
‘Stuti’, to invoke the blessings of the Divine.
More on p2
Migrants arrive at the Anand Vihar Bus
Terminal in Delhi to board a bus to reach their
native places after a six-day lockdown was
announced on Monday ANI
Govt advances summer
vacation in schools
NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Monday
advanced the summer vacation in all schools
in the national capital in view of the Covid-19
situation. The vacation which was scheduled
from May 11 to June 3 has now been resched-
uled from April 20 to June 9. “In view of the
ongoing Covid-19 pandemic situation, the
summer vacation has now been rescheduled
and will be observed from April 20 to June 9,”
the Directorate of Education (DoE) said in an
official order. Earlier in the day, Delhi chief
minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced a
six-day lockdown from 10 pm on Monday till
5 am on April 26 which he said was necessary
to deal with the rising number of Covid-19
cases as the city’s health system was stretched
to its limit. PTI
WORD POWER
Ambiguous
am-big-yoo-uhs
Adjective
Meaning: Open to more than one interpreta-
tion; not having one obvious meaning.
Origin: Early 16th century from Latin ambi-
guus ‘doubtful’ (from ambigere ‘waver, go
around’, from ambi- ‘both ways’ + agere ‘to
drive’) + -ous.
Synonyms: dark, deep, equivocal, fuliginous,
inscrutable, murky, mysterious, mystic
Antonyms: accessible, clear, obvious, plain
Usage: His remarks were ambiguous, and it
will be the tone that matters.
hit weekly record
despite vaccinations
LONDON: More people were diagnosed
with Covid-19 during the past seven
days than any other week since the
start of the pandemic – topping 5.2
million globally–-with the worst out-
breaks accelerating in many countries
that are ill-equipped to deal with
them. The worrisome trend, just days
after the world surpassed 3 million
deaths, comes as countries are rolling
out vaccinations in an effort to get the
virus under control. The data from
Johns Hopkins University showing a
12% increase in infections from a week
earlier casts doubt on the hope that
the end of the pandemic is in sight.
The weekly increase surpassed the
previous high set in mid-December.
BLOOMBERG
Hong Kong bans
flights from India,
Pak and Philippines
HONG KONG: Hong Kong will suspend
flights from India, Pakistan and the
Philippines from April 20 for two
weeks after the N501Y mutant Cov-
id-19 strain was detected in the Asian
financial hub for the first time,
authorities said in a statement late on
Sunday. The three countries would be
classified as “extremely high risk”
after there had been multiple
imported cases carrying the strain
into Hong Kong in the past 14 days, the
government said. The city reported 30
new coronavirus cases on Sunday, 29
of which were imported, marking the
highest toll since March 15. REUTERS
Japanese journalist
detained in Myanmar
YANGON: Myanmar authorities
detained a Japanese journalist in
Yangon on Sunday evening, Japan’s
government said on Monday, adding
that it was trying to seek his journo
release. BBC Burmese quoted a wit-
ness as saying freelance journalist
Yuki Kitazumi was picked up from his
home and taken into custody by
troops on Sunday night. He was asked
to raise both hands and was taken
away in a car, it said. Japan’s govern-
ment spokesman described the jour-
nalist as a man in his forties, without
naming him. A spokesman for the
junta did not respond to calls asking
for comment. REUTERS
 02
llS C H O O L EVENTSl
Ahlcon Public, Mayur Vihar Tips and smart suggestions for
felicitates students online business studies board exam
Ahlcon Public School, Mayur Vihar
celebrated its first virtual Annual
Prize Distribution Ceremony and
Cultural Fiesta with great zeal and
enthusiasm to felicitate the students
for their excellent academic perform-
ance.
The triumph was possible by the
relentless hard work of the students,
faculty and support staff under the
able guidance of the school principal,
Dr. Deepak Raj Singh Bisht. The
event started off with lamp lighting
and ‘Stuti’, to invoke the blessings of
the Divine. The panel of dignitaries
consisted of the esteemed chief guest,
Dr. Vidhi Nagar, associate professor
(Kathak) and former head of the
department (dance), BHU, Varanasi;
Bikramjeet Ahluwalia, president of
Ahlcon Schools; Dr. Ashok Kumar
Pandey, director of the Ahlcon Group
of Schools, School principal Dr.
Deepak Raj Singh Bisht, along with
invited guests of considerable repute.
The school’s annual report was pre-
sented by the principal, which
included noteworthy achievements
and milestones achieved during the
last academic session despite the
lockdown period.
The director, a visionary in the
field of education, in his address to
the virtual gathering, expressed his
delight on the flawless execution of
the programme and complimented
the principal for the collective efforts
put in by the school and staff under
Ryan Int’l, G’gram marks Rashtriya Poshan Maah
Some of the students who took part in the event
llB O O K ZONEl
Book on Sam Manekshaw’s
extraordinary life, leadership
Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw: The
Man and His Times is a very inspira-
tional and informative book on the
life of one of the greatest generals of
all time. The book is written by the
General’s close associates— his Aide-
de-Camp (ADC) Brig BM Panthaki
and Zenobia Panthaki. The book
gives us a deep insight into the Gen-
eral’s life starting from his childhood
in Amritsar to his young days at
Indian Military Academy (IMA) to
becoming India’s first Field Marshal.
The book tells us about his family
life and the beautiful relation with his
wife Silloo. The book gives us a sneak
peak of the planning behind the 1971
war where the General’s magnificent
military skills made the world’s larg-
est surrender of over 97,000 POWs,
half of the Pakistani army. Sam’s
leadership qualities are very nicely
highlighted in the book.
The book tells us about Sam’s
faithful relation with Indira Gandhi.
The book tells us about the contribu-
tion of Sam in irradiating the Naga
llV E R S E ZONEl
Monsoon
I woke up straight that morning,
Waiting for a lovely sunshine ray.
Instead found a gloomy sight,
Oh, what a bad start of the day!
Grey Scenes every where,
Surrounding that was a heavy rain,
Shivering, I wore a light sweater,
My day has gone down in vain!
Waking up, I swifted about the balcony,
Finding myself in an amazing scent,
It was of the fresh Petrichor,
wish this scent, I could rent!
Monsoon wasn’t bad at all,
For I got delicious hot soup to slurp,
Wolfing it with my warm tea,
I did a slight burp!
After a slight fuss,
I ran about in some puddles,
Thinking about this amazing time,
Seasons are just like riddles!
Zanna Kapur, Class 8C, Bluebells School International, Kailash
Principal, Dr. Deepak Raj Singh Bisht of Ahlcon Public School, Mayur Vihar
his leadership. He also congratulated
all the prize winners. The cultural
extravaganza by the students beauti-
fully unfolded the theme UMANG-
Rediscovering Joy and Inspiration.
The cultural presentation blended
the theme with a melodious song, a
well synchronised orchestra and a
mesmerising dance performance
which captivated the entire virtual
gathering.
The chief guest lauded the impec-
cable performances showcased by
the students. In her speech to the
gathering, she emphasised on the
fact that we should remain grateful
‘Good nutrition is one of the keys to a
healthy life,’ keeping this thought in
mind Prime Minister launched Rash-
triya Poshan Maah.
In this context, Ryan International
School Sector- 31, Gurugram cele-
brated Poshan Maah to accelerate
and further drive this behavioural
change and to create a people’s
movement to achieve better nutri-
tional outcomes.
The Mind Quiz Competition was
planned by Sudha Society to create
awareness in the field of good health
“Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw’s
leadership qualities are nicely
highlighted,” says Lakshya Singh
Punia, a Class 9 student of Mount
St. Mary’s School, Delhi Cantt
terrorist from Mizo hill while assum-
ing the post of GOC-in-C Eastern
Army Command. The book covers
Sam’s role during partition and his
role in the division of territory at that
time. The book in the end covers his
life in Wellington after becoming
India’s first Field Marshal.
Beyond Books
to the Almighty for all the blessings
in life and that obstacles come in life
only to chisel our personalities and to
make us more capable. The school
song also revived the memories of all
the hard work put in throughout the
year when the entire world was fac-
ing the pandemic.
Finally, the vote of thanks was
delivered by the head girl, who
acknowledged the efforts of the prin-
cipal, the students, teachers and sup-
porting staff and thanked the
esteemed guests for their precious
time and presence. The programme
was appreciated by everyone.
and Nutrition. Students of Ryan
International School Sector- 31 par-
ticipated in it. The subject of the quiz
was Health and Nutrition and it
focussed on the importance of nutri-
tion, what it covers and habits to
keep oneself healthy. School head N
Geeta Srinivasa appreciated the
efforts put in by the Ryanites and
encouraged them to spread the mes-
sage of importance of health and
nutrition in their society as well. She
emphasised on a well-known saying
that is — Health is Wealth.
MIND GAME
SUDOKU
SCRAMBLE
Solve the four
anagrams and NSAEI
move one
letter to each AELTT
square to form
four ordinary AEETNN
words
AFORBD
Now arrange the letters marked with an asterisk (*) to form the answer to the
riddle or to fill in the missing words as indicated.
A truth that’s told with ___ __
beats all the lies you can invent.-
William Blake (3,6)
CATS & DOGS
There are 8 dogs
and 8 cats in this
picture. How
would you divide
them into 4
groups by cutting
the picture with
just three lines?
Each group must
have an equal
CATS & DOGS
number of cats
and dogs in it but
there need not be
the same number
of animals in each
of them.
Amrita Bharati Features
llT I P S AND TRICKSl
While preparing for the exam, these
are some of the things to be kept in
mind:
u Read the NCERT book thor-
oughly.
u Write the main points of the
topic on a separate sheet or highlight
them with the help of different col-
ours so that they can be revised and
retained for a longer time.
u Divide the lengthy chapters into
small parts and learn them in a simi-
lar manner so that maximum can be
retained.
u Learn a chapter with the help of
flowcharts, diagrams, tables and
short notes to enhance learning and
retention.
u HOTs, case studies, application
based questions and value based
questions should be practised from
NCERT and reference books.
u Attempt at least 4 sample papers
once you complete your course along
with last five year papers.
u Attempt the sample papers
within 3 hours without any disturb-
ance, preferably between the time
schedule of 10:30 am to 1:30 pm.
u Don’t go for any new content,
rather concentrate only on the sylla-
bus you have already done during
preparatory leaves before exam.
u Give more importance to the
chapters carrying maximum weight
age
u Do take care of the topics deleted
and added by the CBSE
While attempting this paper, few
critical things to be kept in mind are:
u Most of the time students find
the paper to be very lengthy and diffi-
cult to complete. So, during the first
15 minutes of reading time you
should thoroughly read the instruc-
tions of the question paper along
with the weightage of each question.
Students should start recalling the
point during this period.
u Decide the question you want to
attempt at last.
u You should also decide the pat-
tern in which you would proceed in
the exam i.e. starting from the first
question i.e. 1 mark or from the last
one i.e. 6 marks.
u Preferably start with the 6 marks
questions as in them you need to
* * *
* *
* *
* *
invent.- William Blake
bad intent beats all the lies you can
Answer: A truth that’s told with
Ashu Goel, PGT- Commerce, Rukmini
Devi Public School, CD- Block,
Pitampura
STRICTLY STICK TO THE
WORD LIMIT AND BE
SPECIFIC WHILE
ANSWERING 1 OR 3
MARKS QUESTIONS.
write a lot and at the beginning you
are fresh and can write the answers
quickly.
u Presentation of the paper mat-
ters a lot. Always try to write in
points with headings and sub-head-
ings being crystal clear (preferably
with a black pen). If it is not possible
to write in points then break the
answer in small paragraphs, key
terms being properly underlined.
u Strictly stick to the word limit
and be specific while answering 1 or 3
marks questions.
u Very often it is seen that though
knowing the subject / concept, many
students are in dilemma as to how to
start, what should be in the main
body and how to conclude the
answer. So the first thing that is
needed is to make the answer effec-
tive so as to impress the examiner
quickly. As far as possible answers
should be given in points. If possible,
flow chart should be made that sum-
marises the answer
u No question should be left unat-
tempted. The questions which the
students do not know should be
attempted by at last writing whatever
MATHDOKU
VINTAGE BEAUTY
A guide addresses visitors at a railway transport museum exhibiting steam
locomotives and vintage trains in Lebyazhye, a settlement located in
Russia’s Leningrad region, on Sunday
Answer:
NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
APRIL 20, 2021
they know.
u Attempt the questions asking the
difference between two items in tab-
ular form giving the basis of differ-
ence.
For the questions carrying the
words:
1. Enumerate / List / Give – just list
down the points without any expla-
nation except in a 4, 5 or 6 mark
question.
2. Comment / Evaluate / critically
analyze – Explain both sides of the
topic along with a conclusion.
n If the question asks Do you
agree? Or Name the Concept, then
neatly answer yes or no and identify
the concept, respectively. This is nec-
essary as such answers carry half or
one mark for the same.
n You must attempt all the ques-
tions and number the questions
properly. As far as possible, follow
the sequence in the question papers.
n Do not spend too much time on
a single question. Plan the time
accordingly.
n Revise the paper once you com-
plete it, so that no question is left
unattempted.
n Use Only blue-black or royal
blue ink/ball point/gel pen
n Write in the space provided in
the title sheet the roll number and
nowhere else.
n Write answers on both sides of
the page of the answer book.
n Do not tear leaf nor put any spe-
cial remark on it.
n Carefully write the Question
Paper Code No. and fill the title sheet
of the answer book .
n Do not write name, mobile num-
ber, e-mail ID etc. on the pages of
answer sheets or make any distin-
guishable sign or mark anywhere
inside the Answer Book or the graph
paper. Roll Number must be written
on the supplementary Answer Book.
n Supplementary answer books,
maps, graphs etc. are to be securely
tied with only white tags or white
twines.
n Under no circumstance, col-
oured tags/twines should be used.
Ashu Goel, PGT- Commerc, Rukmini Devi
Public School, CD- Block, Pitampura,
Place numbers into
the puzzle cells so
that each row and
column contains each
of the digits from 1 to
5. No number is to be
repeated in any row or
column. Each bold-out
lined cells contain a hint
-
of a number and one of
the mathematical sym-
bols + x - /. The number
is the result of the
operation represent-
ed by the symbol to the
digits contained.
REUTERS
Solutions
SUDOKU SOLUTIONS
MATHDOKU SOLUTION
Anise, latte, neaten, forbad
SCRAMBLE Solution Words:
NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
APRIL 20, 2021 Inspiring Lives 03

Author endowed with

marvellous penmanship
KIRAN DESAI: This acclaimed author of books such as The Inheritance of Loss and
Hullaballoo in the Guava Orchard won international awards such as the 2006
Man Booker Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Fiction Award and many more.
orn in Delhi to novelist Anita ular pronouncements for the locals. friends and acquaintances and the

B Desai and Ashvin Desai on

September 3, 1971, Kiran
Desai spent her early years in
Pune and Mumbai.
Early life
She studied at Cathedral and John
Connon School and left India when
she was 15 years old. Kiran and her
mother lived in England for a year
before moving to the United States to
study creative writing.
She graduated from Bennington
College in 1993 and later received two
MFA’s — one from the Hollins Uni-
versity in Roanoke, Virginia and the
other from Columbia University, New
York City.
Works
She first garnered attention in the lit-
erary world in 1997 when her work
was published in The New Yorker
and in Mirrorwork, an anthology of
50 years of Indian writing edited by
Salman Rushdie.
Desai then left Columbia for sev-
eral years to write her first novel
titled Hullabaloo in the Guava
Orchard (1998), about a young man
in provincial India who abandons an
easy post office job and begins living
in a guava tree, where he makes orac-
Unaware that he knows about their
lives after reading bits from their
mail, they hail him as a prophet. Hul-
labaloo in the Guava Orchard drew
wide critical praise and received a
1998 Betty Trask Prize from the Brit-
ish Society of Authors.
While working on what would
become her second novel, Desai went
on a travelling spree that witnessed
her setting off to New York, Mexico
and India. After more than seven
years of work, she published The
Inheritance of Loss (2006) which
explores the impact of British coloni-
sation in India.
Her second book was widely
praised by critics throughout Asia,
Europe and the United States. It won
the 2006 Man Booker Prize as well as
the 2006 National Book Critics Circle
Fiction Award. When she received
the Booker Prize for the novel in
2007, Desai became the youngest
female writer to win the award that is
considered one of the most cele-
brated recognitions in the world of
letters.
The book revolves around the
inhabitants of a town in the north-
eastern Himalayas, an embittered old
judge, his granddaughter Sai, his
cook, their rich array of relatives,
effects on the lives of these people
brought about by a Nepalese upris-
ing. Running parallel with the story
set in India, the readers also follow
the challenges that the cook’s son
Biju faces as he struggles to realise
the American Dream as an immi-
grant in New York.
In August 2008, Desai was a
guest on Private Passions, the
biographical music discussion
programme hosted by Michael
Berkeley on BBC Radio 3. In
May 2007, she was the featured
author at the inaugural Asia
House Festival of Cold Literature.
Awards
She received many awards
including the Man Booker Prize
for Fiction, British Book Awards,
Decibel Writer of the Year (2007),
Kiryiama Pacific Rim Book Prize
(2007), National Book Critics’ Cir-
cle Fiction Award (USA), Orange
Prize for Fiction (shortlist) and
Betty Trask Award.
She was awarded a 2013 Berlin
Prize Fellowship at the American
Academy in Berlin.
Source: Wikipedia, Britannica, americana-
cademy.de, literature.britishcouncil.org

INTERESTING FACTS
After starting Desai became the for the Booker Prize In August 2008, Her mother, Anita
1 college studies in
science, Kiran Desai
2 youngest female
writer to win the
(Clear Light of Day,
1980; In Custody, 1984
3 Kiran Desai was a
guest on Private Pas-
4 Desai received the
Sahitya Akademi
switched to writing Booker Prize award in and Fasting, Feasting, sions, a weekly music Award in 1978 for her
and published her 2007 for The Inherit- 1999). Her maternal discussion programme novel Fire on the
first novel, Hullabaloo ance of Loss. Three grandmother was of that has been running Mountain. She also
in the Guava Orchard, books written by her German descent while since 15 April 1995 won the British Guard-
in 1998. It got a boost mother, famous author her grandfather was a hosted by Michael ian Prize for The Village
with appreciation by Anita Desai, had also refugee from Bangla- Berkeley on BBC Radio by the Sea in the year
Salman Rushdie. made it to the shortlist desh. 3. 1983.
ILLUSTRATION: GAJANAN
 04 In The News
NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
APRIL 20, 2021

llC U T GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS BY 2030l Musicians perform at the Theatre Graslin in Nantes, France, that has been occupied by protesters seeking the resumption of cultural activities

US must halve emissions

to galvanise global
climate action: UN chief
Reuters
WASHINGTON/BRUSSELS : United
Nations secretary general Antonio
Guterres wants the United States to
commit this week to at least halving
its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030
–– a move he said could unlock simi-
lar action from the world’s other
large emitters.
The United States, the world’s big-
gest economy and second-biggest
emitter of greenhouse gases behind
China, will host a virtual climate
change summit on April 22-23.
Washington has urged world leaders
to use the event as an opportunity to
pledge more ambitious emissions
cuts. Guterres said the White House’s
own pledge needed to set the bar
high. “My expectation is that the
United States will be able to present a
reduction of emissions for 2030, in
relation to 2010 levels, above 50%,”
Guterres said.
hurricanes and making wildfires
more ferocious, Guterres called this
week’s summit a “make it or break it”
moment for climate action.
Scientists say global emissions
must plummet this decade and reach
net zero by 2050 in order to limit
global warming to 1.5° Celsius above
pre-industrial levels in order to pre-
vent cataclysmic climate impacts.
“The worst risk is that we don’t
reach 1.5° as a limit, that we go over it,
and that we precipitate the world into
a catastrophic situation,” he said,
urging all major emitters to set tar-
gets for drastic emissions reductions
this decade.
Given the urgency of the climate
crisis, Guterres said he hoped the
next major UN climate summit,
known as COP26, could be held in
person in November in Glasgow.
The UN along with this year’s Brit-
ish hosts are discussing how to
ensure participants can be vacci-

NOVEL ‘CULTURAL’ PROTEST

“If it happens, I have no doubt that
it will have very important conse-
quences in relation to Japan, in rela-
tion to China, in relation to Russia --
in relation to other areas of the world
that have not yet entirely defined
these levels,” he said.
The White House is widely
expected to unveil a target to cut
emissions at least 50% by 2030, from
2005 levels. That would be equivalent
to a 47% reduction by 2030 when
compared with 2010 levels, according
to research firm the Rhodium Group.
With climate change already wor-
sening heat waves, strengthening
nated and attend the conference in Musicians express solidarity with the protesters and their cause
person, he said.
“I appeal for all those that have the
capacity to do so, to create the condi-
tions of vaccination that will allow The Theatre Graslin theatre and opera house in Nantes, France, is in the news
for a safe COP in Glasgow, with the after being “occupied” by protesters from the Odeon Theatre, Paris and other
physical presence of all those that leading theatres across France. The protesters have demanded the resumption of
need to be there,” Guterres said. cultural activities as well as the centres and institutions associated with them
The UN conference was already
postponed by a year due to the Cov-
that have been shut due to the lockdown imposed in October last year due to the
id-19 pandemic, and Britain is field- Covid-19 pandemic even though most businesses reopened in December 2020. AFP
ing questions about how the event ––
originally expected to draw 30,000 Cultural activities came to a halt in the wake of the Covid-19 prompted lockdown
attendees –– can go ahead given the
uneven global rollout of vaccines,
particularly in developing countries.

British PM cancels India visit due to

Covid crisis, to holds talks remotely
Press Trust of India
LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris
Johnson has cancelled his planned
visit to India next week due to the
coronavirus situation in the country,
Downing Street said on Monday.
Johnson, who admitted it was
“frustrating” but “only sensible” to
call off the visit, will instead speak to
Prime Minister Narendra Modi later
this month to launch their plans for
the future UK-India partnership, with
their physical meeting expected later
in the year.
“Narendra Modi and I have basi-
cally come to the conclusion that,
British PM Boris Johnson visits a residential
project to launch the government's mortgage
guarantee scheme, in Great Oldbury,
Gloucestershire, on Monday REUTERS
very sadly, I won’t be able to go ahead
with the trip,” Johnson told report-
ers, during a visit to Gloucestershire
soon after the Downing Street
announcement.
“I do think it’s only sensible to
postpone, given what’s happened in
India, the shape of the pandemic
there. Countries around the world
including our own have been through
this – I think everybody’s got a mas-
sive amount of sympathy with India,
what they’re going through,” he said.
Asked if India would be added to
the “red list” of countries, which
imposes an effective travel ban and A musician plays the tuba outside the protest site People dance outside the Theatre Graslin
compulsory 10-day hotel quarantine
for any returning UK residents, John-
son said that was “very much a mat-
ter for the independent UK Health
Security Agency – they will have to
take that decision”.
“In the light of the current corona-
virus situation, Prime Minister Boris
Johnson will not be able to travel to
India next week,” Downing Street
earlier said in a joint statement on
behalf of the British and Indian gov-
ernments.
The ministry of external affairs
(MEA) in New Delhi said the decision
followed a mutual agreement and
that the two leaders will hold a vir-
tual meeting in the coming days
instead.

dio
HT CHRONICLE April 20 >> from the archives of the Hindustan Times
Militants slay 13 in Udhampur
Jammu: Thirteen villagers
were gunned down by a
group of militants in
Prankote village near
Mahore in Udhampur
district.

India enters space age The militants armed

NEW DELHI: India's first scien-
tific satellite, "Aryabhata",
named after the great Indian
astronomer and mathematician
of the 5th century, today began
orbiting the earth at an altitude
of about 600 kms after it was
launched by a Soviet Inter-
cosmos rocket from a Soviet
1975
cosmodrome.
This significant event in
India's march towards techno-
logical self-reliance has earned
India the eleventh position
NAM call to end state terrorism
among nations which have
orbited satellites. The other
countries which have put
satellites into orbit so far are the
Soviet Union, the United States,
Britain, Canada, Australia,
Japan, Italy, West Germa-
ny, France and China.
The 360-kg satellite,
launched at 1 p.m. (IST), is now
orbiting at a speed of 96.41
minutes per revolution around
the earth.
It is to stay in the orbit for six
NEW DELHI: The
Ministerial meeting of
the non-aligned coordi-
nating bureau in its
final political
document here tonight
expressed deep
with assault rifles entered
the village on Friday night
months and and barged into three
conduct three houses of a majority
scientific experi- community killing 13
ments. persons, including four
The satellite is women and two children on
functioning normal- the spot. One of the houses
ly, according to belonged to Mani Ram, the
preliminary informa-
tion obtained from
village headman and his
entire family was wiped
ground tracking out.
stations in Sriharikota Reports quoting a villag-
near Madras and er, who informed the Thub police Lashkar-e-Tobia, a foreign
Bears Lake in the post of the massacre late on militant dominated group has
outskirts of Moscow. Saturday evening said that claimed the responsibility
the desperadoes targeted 1998 for the massacre. But there
only the houses of a particu- was no independent confir-
lar community presumably to
force its members in the
mation about this claim.
The toll could be higher as the
terrorist acts in other States. apprehended. surrounding villages to go in for police teams have yet to reach the
The meeting also called for an The Ministers expressed their permanent exile in a bid to clear spot and find out the exact details.
international peace conference deep concern at the worldwide mountainous swathe of anyone The scene until this time is
on the Middle East and escalation of acts of terrorism, who could keep a tab on the blurred as the man who narrated
expressed deep anxiety over including State terrorism, in militants and their movements. the incident to the police was
the escalation of tension in
the Mediterranean.
1986 all its forms, which endan-
ger or take innocent human
These reports said that "incoherent", the reports said.

concern at the world- A separate chapter on lives, jeopardise fundamental

wide escalation of acts
of terrorism and called
upon nations to
refrain from organis-
ing or assisting in
international terrorism has
been incorporated in the decla-
ration which also calls upon all
States to severely punish merce-
naries and terrorists when
freedoms and have an increas-
WATCH OUT THIS SPACE FOR QUIZ
ingly deleterious effect on ON FRIDAYS
international relations and may The quiz will be based on HT archives. Send in your answers at
jeopardise the very territorial
htpacedelhi@hindustantimes.com
integrity and security of States.
 NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
APRIL 20, 2021 The Science Of It 05
llI N G E N U I T Y ’ S MAIDEN SORTIE IS A SUCCESS l RESEARCHERS SPOT lB A M B O O - D W E L L I N G SPECIESl

Nasa helicopter scripts history, NEW AMPHIBIOUS

takes first flight on Red Planet
The twin-rotor whirligig’s
debut on the Red Planet
marked a 21st-century Wright
Brothers moment for Nasa,
which said success could pave
the way for new modes of
exploration on Mars and other
planets in the solar system
Reuters
LOS ANGELES: Nasa’s miniature robot
helicopter Ingenuity performed a suc-
cessful takeoff and landing on Mars
early on Monday, achieving the first
powered, controlled flight by an air-
craft over the surface of another
planet, the US space agency said.
The twin-rotor whirligig’s debut on
the Red Planet marked a 21st-century
Wright Brothers moment for Nasa,
which said success could pave the way
for new modes of exploration on Mars
and other destinations in the solar
system, such as Venus and Saturn’s
moon Titan.
Mission managers at Nasa’s Jet Pro-
pulsion Laboratory (JPL) near Los
Angeles burst into applause and
cheers as engineering data beamed
back from Mars confirmed that the
1.8-kg solar-powered helicopter had
performed its maiden 40-second flight
precisely as planned three hours ear-
lier. The robot rotorcraft was pro-
grammed to ascend 10 feet straight up,
then hover and rotate in place over
the Martian surface for half a minute
before settling back down on its four
legs. During Nasa’s presentation of the
event livestreamed from JPL head-
quarters, mission managers also dis-
played the first images from the flight.
A black-and-white photo taken by a
downward-pointing onboard camera
while the helicopter was aloft showed
the distinct shadow cast by Ingenuity
in the Martian sunlight onto the
ground just below it.
And a snippet of colour video foot-
age captured by a separate camera
mounted on the Nasa’s Mars rover
Nasa's experimental Mars helicopter Ingenuity lands on the surface of Mars on
Monday. The little 1.8-kg helicopter rose from the dusty red surface into the thin
Martian air on Monday, achieving the first powered, controlled flight on
another planet.
Perseverance, parked about 200 feet
away, showed the helicopter in flight
against the orange-coloured land-
scape surrounding it.
“We can now say that human
beings have flown an aircraft on
another planet,” said MiMi Aung,
Ingenuity project manager at JPL.
Despite the flight’s brevity, it
marked a historic feat in interplane-
tary aviation, taking place on an “air
field” 173 million miles from Earth on
the floor of a vast Martian basin called
Jezero Crater.
Nasa likened the achievement to
the Wright Brothers’ first controlled
flight of their motor-driven airplane
near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in
December 1903 - a takeoff and landing
that covered just 120 feet in 12 seconds.
Paying tribute to that modest but
monumental first flight, Nasa engi-
neers affixed a tiny swath of wing fab-
ric from the original Wright flyer
under Ingenuity’s solar panel before
sending it on its way to Mars.
The tiny rotorcraft was carried to
the Red Planet strapped to the belly of
the Mars rover Perseverance, a six-
wheeled astrobiology lab that touched
down in Jezero Crater on Feb. 18 after
a nearly seven-month journey
through space. Ingenuity was devel-
oped as a technology demonstration,
AP
separate from Perseverance’s primary
mission to search for traces of ancient
microorganisms and collect samples
of Martian rock for eventual return to
Earth for further analysis.
With the helicopter’s first outing
deemed a success, Nasa plans to send
the aircraft on several additional, pro-
gressively more ambitious flights in
the weeks ahead. Building a helicopter
that could fly on Mars posed a major
challenge for JPL engineers.
While Mars possesses much less
gravity to overcome than Earth, its
atmosphere is just 1% as dense, mak-
ing it especially difficult to generate
aerodynamic lift. To compensate,
engineers equipped Ingenuity with
rotor blades that are larger (four feet
long) and spin far more rapidly than
would be needed on Earth for a simi-
lar aircraft of its size.
The design was successfully tested
in vacuum chambers built at JPL to
simulate Martian conditions, but it
remained to be seen whether Ingenu-
ity would actually fly on the fourth
planet from the Sun, until Monday.
Because of the enormous distances
involved, Ingenuity was designed to
execute pre-programmed flight
instructions autonomously, using
sophisticated onboard pilot and navi-
gation systems.
CENTIPEDE SPECIES
IN OKINAWA, TAIWAN
Asian News International
TOKYO : A new species of large, tropi-
cal centipede of genus Scolopendra
has been discovered by researchers
from Tokyo Metropolitan University
and Hosei University in Okinawa and
Taiwan.
It is only the third amphibious cen-
tipede identified in the world and is
the largest in the region, 20 cm long
and nearly 2 cm thick. It is also the
first new centipede to be identified in
Japan in 143 years, a testament to the
incredible biodiversity of the Ryukyu
Archipelago.
Scolopendra is a genus of large,
tropical centipede, one of the original
genera named by the father of modern
taxonomy himself, Carl Linnaeus.
They are strong predators in any soil
ecosystems they inhabit, with around
100 different species found in tropical
regions around the world. Of these,
only five have been identified in Japan
and Taiwan. Scientists were excited
when news came in of an unknown
centipede species sighted around the
Ryukyu Archipelago, reportedly
attacking giant freshwater prawns. A
team led by Sho Tsukamoto, his super-
visor Associate Professor Katsuyuki
Eguchi of Tokyo Metropolitan Univer-
sity, and Professor Satoshi Shimano of
Hosei University set out to look for
and identify this mystery creature.
It turned out that they had discov-
ered an entirely new species. Genetic
analysis confirmed that it was distinct
from any of the other Scolopendra
inhabiting the region. Approximately
20 cm in length and 2 cm in width, it is
the largest centipede species to be
found in Japan and Taiwan. Sporting
a beautiful jade-coloured shell, it has
been named Scolopendra alcyon Tsu-
kamoto & Shimano after the Greek
mythological figure Alcyone, who was
transformed into a kingfisher by Zeus.
Its new Japanese name, ryujin-om-
ukade, also has a mythological origin,
in homage to the region where it was
found. Local myths have it that a
dragon god, or ryujin, was in agony
because a centipede had entered his
ear. On seeing a chicken quickly
devour a centipede, it was said that
the god came to fear both centipedes
and chickens.
Meghalaya records
India’s first bat with
disk-shaped sticky feet
Utpal Parashar
GUWAHATI : A team of scientists have
discovered India’s first bat species
with disk-shaped sticky feet in
Meghalaya. With this find, the num-
ber of bat species in India increases
to 130, and in Meghalaya, to 66.
The species, Eudiscopus denticu-
lus, was found by a team of scientists
led by Uttam Saikia from Shillong
office of Zoological Survey of India
and scientists from a few European
natural history museums at Lailad,
close to Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanc-
tuary, in July last year.
The finding about the “very spe-
cialised bamboo-dwelling bat spe-
cies” has been published in the
recent issue of Revue Suisse de Zool-
ogie, a bi-annual journal published
by the Geneva Museum and the
Swiss Zoological Society.
“The bat species is very distinctive The bat species Eudiscopus denticulus with disk-
in appearance with prominent disk- shaped foot found in Meghalaya. UTTAM SAIKIA
like pads in the thumb and bright
orange colouration,” said a state-
ment on the finding. TILL NOW, THE SPECIES
“From the modifications in the WAS RECORDED IN FEW
feet, it was presumed to be a bam- LOCALITIES IN
boo-dwelling species which was SOUTHERN CHINA,
later identified as a disk-footed bat.
This bat is reported to roost inside
VIETNAM, THAILAND
bamboo internodes aided by their AND MYANMAR. THE
adhesive disks,” it added. LOCATION IN
Till now, the species was recorded MEGHALAYA WHERE
in few localities in Southern China, THE SPECIES WAS
Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar.
The location in Meghalaya where
FOUND IS NEARLY 1,000
the species was found is nearly 1,000 KM WESTWARD OF ITS
km westward of its earlier known EARLIER KNOWN AREAS.
areas.
The researchers found that
though several bamboo-dwelling bat from Meghalaya and Vietnam may
species are common throughout have very recent common origin and
Southeast Asia, this particular spe- all existing bat populations
cies is rare and found only in a few expanded from the same region fol-
localities worldwide. lowing recent expansion of man-
Comparison of the DNA sequence made bamboo forests.
of the species found in Meghalaya “From analysis of the very high
with specimens from Vietnam frequency echolocation calls of the
revealed that despite the vast dis- Meghalaya individual, the scientists
tance separating the two specimens, noted that the cell structure is suita-
they were found to be identical. ble for orientation in a cluttered
The researchers have hypothe- environment like inside bamboo
sized that populations of the species grooves,” the statement said.

Growth is
not just adopting
new technologies.
It’s also adapting
to new realities.

Growth is...On.

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 06
llT 2 0 WORLD CUPl
De Villiers awaits Boucher talks on return
CHENNAI: AB de Villiers on Sunday
said it would be “fantastic” to return
to playing for South Africa ahead of
the Twenty20 World Cup as he awaits
a discussion with national coach
Mark Boucher. The veteran batsman,
who retired form international
cricket in 2018, smashed a match-
winning unbeaten 76 as the Royal
Challengers Bangalore thrashed
Kolkata Knight Riders by 38 runs in
the Indian Premier League.
De Villiers, 37, has been keen to
feature again for the Proteas and
believes a call on his form and fitness
would be discussed towards the busi-
ness end of the T20 tournament. “We
have been talking about it. Already
AB de Villiers. REUTERS
llC O V I D - 1 9 l
Badminton: India
Open postponed
NEW DELHI: The India Open Super 500
tournament, one of the last three
qualifying events for the Tokyo Olym-
pics, was on Monday postponed due
to the raging Covid-19 pandemic in
the country.
The $400,000 India Open was
scheduled to be held behind closed
doors in the national capital from
May 11 to 16.
“Considering the current challen-
ges, BAI is left with no option but to
announce the postponement of the
tournament for the time being,” Bad-
minton Association of India general
secretary Ajay Singhania said at a vir-
tual press conference.
The 2020 edition of the India Open
was cancelled after it was initially
postponed from March to December.
“It is unfortunate that we had to
postpone it for the second time. But I
am confident when situation will
improve, we will conduct the tourna-
ment properly. The fresh dates has
still not been decided. That is some-
thing BWF will let us know in time.”
llT E N N I S l
Tsitsipas happy to
follow mother
MONACO: Stefanos Tsitsipas said he
had a little extra motivation to win his
maiden ATP Masters 1000 title against
Andrey Rublev on Sunday as he was
keen to join his mother on the honour
roll at the Monte-Carlo Country Club.
Tsitsipas had lost both his previous
Masters finals but defeated Russian
Rublev 6-3, 6-3 to win the title without
dropping a set at the clay court tour-
nament. The 22-year-old said he was
six when he came to the club for the
first time with his mother, Julia Salni-
kova, who won a junior title at the
same venue in 1981. His mother also
played in the Fed Cup for the Soviet
Union and reached a career-high
ranking of 130.
“She showed me that name up
there. I was ... stunned. I was like,
‘Wow, that is really cool. How cool is
that?’ I didn’t think about it in the
beginning of the tournament, but it
came to my mind when I was playing
the semi-finals. I was thinking that
would be really cool to be in this
llO U T O F H O S P I TA L l
Muttiah Muralitharan, 49, was on Monday discharged from a Chennai
hospital after undergoing a coronary angioplasty. The former Sri Lankan
spinner is part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad support staff in the IPL.
last year he asked me if I would be
interested and I said ‘absolutely’,” De
Villiers said after being named Man
of the Match in Bangalore’s third suc-
cessive win this season. “Coming into
the IPL we will look at where we are
with regards to my form, my fitness.
If I can slot in there, it will be fantas-
tic for all these things to fall into
place. I am waiting for Boucher
towards the end of IPL and then we
will plan accordingly.”
De Villiers has been in talks with
former captain Graeme Smith, South
Africa’s director of cricket, and
Boucher to make a comeback to the
T20 side. The T20 World Cup is
scheduled to played in India between
October and November.
South Africa recently lost a one-
day (2-1) and T20 series (3-1) to Paki-
stan at home.
De Villiers has been in prolific
form for Bangalore, led by Virat
Kohli, who are searching for their
first IPL title. He smashed nine fours
and three sixes in his 34-ball blitz
and put on a quick fire fifty plus part-
nership with Australia’s Glenn Max-
well, who made 78, in Bangalore’s
204/4.
“I have never been an ego player
who will go out there and say I am
Mr.360, I am going to play all the
shots in the book,” said De Villiers.
PGA Tour: Lahiri to
miss couple of events
HILTON HEAD ISLAND (USA): India’s top
golfer Anirban Lahiri has tested posi-
tive for Covid-19, ruling him out of at
least a couple of events on the PGA
Tour. Lahiri received his test result
on Saturday and has since gone into
quarantine. The 33-year-old, who is
aiming for a second successive Olym-
pic appearance, was just beginning to
show signs of return to form with a
fifth place finish at the Valero Texas
Open. He will now miss action for at
least two weeks.
Lahiri’s recent top-5 fnish had cat-
apulted him into the race for one of
Olympic berths. Even though he will
miss a tournament or two, he could
be back for Wells Fargo in mid-April
and then the Byron Nelson event.
There are a few more events for him
to make a bid for the Olympic spot.
Last week Lahiri missed the cut at
RBC Heritage after a modest 71 in the
first round and a listless 75 in the sec-
ond. He was sitting out the week of
Zurich Classic of New Orleans, to
practice and work on his game.
Tsitsipas with his mother. REUTERS
together, like mother like son. That’s
where the whole purpose came from.
I feel like there was an enormous
amount of willingness to want to do
more in order to be there with my
mom.”
Top seed Novak Djokovic and
11-time Monte Carlo winner Rafa
Nadal fell early, opening the door to a
new Masters champion. “I stepped up
my game, brought this good game,
good tennis. I didn’t see no reason for
me to leave from here without the tro-
phy. I felt like I deserved it,” he said.
“I’ve put so much effort and so much
concentration into it. Definitely some-
thing that I deserve.”
AFP
World Of Sport
llS U P E R LEAGUEl
An anti Super League banner is seen outside Anfield as 12 of Europe's top football clubs launch a breakaway tournament.
European football split as 12
clubs launch breakaway event
UEFA held a crisis
meeting where it also
decided that the new
Champions League
format will be
introduced from 2024
Associated Press
sportsdesk@hindustantimes.com
MONTREUX: Players at the 12 clubs set-
ting up their own Super League could
be banned from this year’s European
Championship and next year’s World
Cup, UEFA President Aleksander Cef-
erin said on Monday.
Ceferin spoke following a UEFA
executive committee meeting held
only hours after the English, Italian
and Spanish clubs announced the
project that threatens to split Euro-
pean football.
“They will not be able to represent
their national teams at any matches,”
Ceferin said. “UEFA and the footbal-
ling world stand united against the
disgraceful self-serving proposal we
have seen in last 24 hours from a
ATLÉTICO INCREASES
LEAD IN SPAIN AFTER
REAL MADRID DRAW
AGAINST GETAFE
Agence France-Presse
sportsdesk@hindustantimes.com
MADRID: A depleted Real Madrid
delivered a major boost to Atletico
Madrid’s title hopes on Sunday by
drawing 0-0 with Getafe in La Liga.
Atletico had thrashed Eibar 5-0 to
reignite their own fading challenge
and their victory proved even more
valuable after Real Madrid were held
to a goalless draw at the Coliseum
Alfonso Perez. It means Atletico
extend their advantage at the top of
the table from one to three points
over Real while Barcelona, who now
have a game in hand after winning
the Copa del Rey final on Saturday,
are five points back. Sevilla could yet
join the race after they defeated Real
Sociedad 2-1 but with six points sepa-
rating them and Atletico, it remains
more of an outside chance.
Real Madrid have enjoyed an
incredible two weeks after beating
Barcelona in the Clasico last weekend
between knocking out Liverpool over
two legs in the quarter-finals of the
Champions League. But a crippling
list of injuries and absentees means
the squad is down to its bare bones
and this was the game that finally
caught up with them. “I’m not wor-
ried,” said Zinedine Zidane. “There’s
a lot going on, a lot of absentees, but
it is what it is. We keep going.”
Zidane took only 13 senior outfield
players to Getafe and still decided he
had to rest Toni Kroos and Karim
Benzema by starting them on the
bench. Sergio Ramos, Ferland Mendy
and Lucas Vazquez are both injured
while Eden Hazard and Dani Carvajal
were not deemed ready to return.
select few clubs in Europe that are
fuelled purely by greed above all else.”
UEFA’s 55 member federations are
gathering for an annual meeting on
Tuesday, including 24 nations that are
playing in Euro 2020. “My opinion is
that as soon as possible they (the
clubs) have to be banned from all our
competitions, and the players from all
our competitions,” Ceferin said.
Three of the 12 rebels—Chelsea,
Manchester City and Real Madrid—
are scheduled to play in the Champi-
ons League semi-finals this month.
Earlier, the 12 clubs planning to
start the breakaway Super League told
the leaders of FIFA and UEFA that
they have begun legal action aimed at
fending off threats to block the com-
petition. The letter was sent by the
group to Ceferin and FIFA President
Gianni Infantino saying the Super
League has already been underwritten
by funding of four billion euros from
American bank JPMorgan Chase.
Currently, teams have to qualify
each year for the Champions League
through their domestic leagues, but
the Super League would lock in 15 pla-
ces every season for the founding
members. The seismic move to shake
up the sport is partly engineered by
llT I M E UPl
Mourinho sacked by Spurs
after 17 months in charge
Agence France-Presse
sportsdesk@hindustantimes.com
LONDON: Jose Mourinho was sacked
by Tottenham on Monday just six
days before they play Manchester
City in the League Cup final as the
Portuguese boss paid the price for a
turbulent campaign. Mourinho, 58,
was dismissed after only 17 months in
charge, even though he could have
led the club to their first silverware
since 2008.
Tottenham have been struggling in
their bid to qualify for the Champions
League via a top-four finish in the
Premier League. Spurs are currently
seventh, five points behind fourth
placed West Ham, and suffered a
shock Europa League last-16 exit
against Dinamo Zagreb. “The club
can today announce that Jose Mouri-
nho and his coaching staff have been
relieved of their duties,” a Tottenham
statement said.
The bombshell news came less
than 24 hours after Tottenham
announced they were one of 12 clubs
planning to launch a breakaway
European Super League.
Tottenham’s academy coach Ryan
Mason, a former player at the club,
will take first-team training this week
and is set to pick the team for
Wednesday’s Premier League clash
with Southampton and the League
Cup final at Wembley. Tottenham
chairman Daniel Levy said: “Jose and
his coaching staff have been with us
through some of our most challeng-
ing times as a club. Jose is a true pro-
fessional who showed enormous
resilience during the pandemic. On a
the American owners of Arsenal, Liv-
erpool and Manchester United, who
also run franchises in closed US lea-
gues—a model they are trying to repli-
cate in Europe.
UEFA warned the Super League
clubs, including Barcelona, Real
Madrid and Juventus, that legal action
would be taken against them and said
they also would be barred from exist-
ing domestic competitions like the
Spanish league and the Premier
League. “We are concerned that FIFA
and UEFA may respond to this invita-
tion letter by seeking to take punitive
measures to exclude any participating
club or player from their respective
competitions,” the Super League clubs
wrote to Infantino and Ceferin.
“Your formal statement does, how-
ever, compel us to take protective
steps to secure ourselves against such
an adverse reaction, which would not
only jeopardise the funding commit-
ment under the Grant but, signifi-
cantly, would be unlawful. For this
reason, SLCo (Super League Com-
pany) has filed a motion before the
relevant courts in order to ensure the
seamless establishment and operation
of the Competition in accordance with
applicable laws.”
Portugal’s Jose Mourinho was on Monday sacked by Premier League club
Tottenham Hotspur as its manager.
personal level I have enjoyed working
with him and regret that things have
not worked out as we both had envis-
aged. He will always be welcome here
and we should like to thank him and
his coaching staff for their contribu-
tion.”
Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann is
the bookmakers’ favourite to replace
Mourinho while Leicester manager
Brendan Rodgers is also a contender.
Nagelsmann has also been linked
with Bayern Munich, who are set to
NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
APRIL 20, 2021
REUTERS
The courts were not named.
“It is our duty, as SLCo’s board
members, to ensure that all reasona-
ble actions available to protect the
interests of the Competition and our
stakeholders are duly taken, given the
irreparable damage that would be suf-
fered if, for any reason, we were
deprived of the opportunity to form
promptly the Competition and distrib-
ute the proceeds of the Grant,” the
Super League letter continued.
The Super League intends to launch
a 20-team competition with 15 found-
ing members but only 12 have cur-
rently signed up.
The others are Arsenal, Chelsea,
Liverpool, Manchester City and Tot-
tenham from England, Atletico
Madrid from Spain, and AC Milan and
Inter Milan from Italy. The breakaway
was launched just as UEFA thought it
had agreement on an expansion of the
Champions League from 2024.
Now, the same officials who backed
the plans have decided to go it alone
while claiming the existing competi-
tions could remain—despite losing
their most successful teams, including
record 13-time European champions
Real Madrid and six-time winners Liv-
erpool.
ACTION IMAGES VIA REUTERS
lose boss Hansi Flick in a move that
could have persuaded Tottenham to
act on Mourinho now rather than
wait until the end of the season.
Mourinho’s abrupt exit is the latest
setback in a once glittering manage-
rial career that now appears on the
decline. The former Porto, Chelsea,
Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Man-
chester United boss was appointed by
Tottenham in November 2019, less
than 12 hours after Mauricio Pochet-
tino had been dismissed.