Archive August 5, 2025

After squabbling an all-time classic Test series with England at the Oval on Monday, an euphoric India praised Shubman Gill and his men.

In their first Test series under Gill, who inherited a team that had been depleted by the retirement of batting legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, two players who came before him in that capacity.

As a result of their batting order’s gaping holes, veteran seamer Mohammed Shami was declared unfit for the tour, while pace leader Jasprit Bumrah was only available for three of the five Tests as part of his workload management.

Gill and his men then won numerous memorable games at Edgbaston and the Oval to earn a 2-2 series draw and assure their loyal supporters that Indian cricket’s future was in good hands.

In the series finale, Mohammed Siraj’s tireless bowling team, which produced a six-run victory amid high drama, led by the unwavering success of the series.

The team’s great batting player Sachin Tendulkar paid tribute and described the offer as “absolute goosebumps”

“Series 2–2, Performance 10/10! INDIA SUPERMEN What a victory, the former India captain wrote on X.

With four wickets in hand, England needed 35 runs on Monday to win the series, but Siraj struck three times to give his team a famous victory.

India staged a historic heist in a nail-biting, riveting match at England’s oldest test venue in the ominous Olde Blighty weather, according to the Hindustan Times newspaper.

Gill’s leadership as captain of a “gun team” was described in the Indian Express headline “Miracles Do Happen” and how the newspaper explained the incident.

The Hindu spoke passionately about the “Mission accomplished”

The best was saved for the last thanks to Shubman Gil’s men’s remarkable victory, it said, “after 25 days of riveting action.”

The young Indian team showed heart and character as it fought back from difficult circumstances to earn the honors, according to the statement.

Before a government cabinet meeting on the subject, Hezbollah supporters have gathered in the Lebanese capital to voice their opposition to the organization’s demise.

In response to American pressure on Lebanon to release its weapons, the demonstrations took place in Beirut on Monday night.

Hezbollah’s leadership was cut down by a conflict with Israel last year, which also claimed the lives of thousands of its fighters, and forced tens of thousands of its supporters from their destroyed homes.

The US and Lebanon have been discussing a disarmament roadmap in recent months. The new Lebanoni leadership has vowed to expand its control over all of its territory, but so far it has avoided engaging in combative action against Hezbollah.

According to Zeina Khodr of Al Jazeera, Hezbollah supporters protested because they believe disarmament will affect their standing and security.

According to Khodr, who is based in Beirut, “Hezbollah has made its position clear: it will not defy the law because doing so would benefit Israel’s interests, not Lebanon’s sovereignty.”

Naim Qassem, the head of Hezbollah, reported to the country’s leaders that the organization feels threatened and that funds for reconstruction won’t be provided if they don’t disarm.

Hezbollah reaffirmed its demands prior to any discussion of disarmament, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) agency prior to Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, including the release of Lebanese prisoners and the resolution of Israel’s nuclear agreement, through Lebanese MP Ali Fayad.

by force ?

However, the political leadership of Lebanon is urging the change, even if it is forced.

It might be better to centralize the weapons with the Lebanese armed forces, according to Elias Hankash, a second member of the parliament.

“But everything has been done to prevent any clashes with Hezbollah,” he said.

Hezbollah will be defeated by the Lebanese army if and when a political decision is made to forcefully disarm it, according to Khodr.

President Joseph Aoun of Lebanon, who also referred to the subject of disarmament as “i call on all political parties to approach the issue of arms control with full responsibility,” said Aoun on Friday. He also argued that sectarian divisions have had a negative impact on national harmony.

Street violence resulted from the government’s decision to shut down the organization’s telecommunication network in 2008.

Nizar Hani, the president’s agriculture minister, claimed the disarmament process has a set date. He added that hundreds of Hezbollah sites and weapons depots have already been taken over by the Lebanese army.

Hani argued that the organization, which has a significant role in “liberating the land,” needs to be the sole decision-maker for war and peace.

Hezbollah has long been Lebanon’s most powerful military and political force, and Khodr said that despite losing some of its military might in its conflict with Israel last year, it has not completely lost.

Another MP, Mark Daou, told Al Jazeera, “Hezbollah is still strong in the state because of the monopoly] it has] over Shia representation as well as the appointment of leading figures in all of the states.”

Different viewpoints exist regarding Hezbollah’s role and the need for disarmament in Lebanon’s political landscape and society.

Despite the ceasefire that has been in place between the two countries since November 2024, the issue has remained a hot topic in Lebanon’s politics for decades, but there is now a sense of urgency as a result of growing international pressure and growing military pressure from Israel, which frequently targets Hezbollah.

In light of growing uncertainty about the top-flight league’s future, Indian Super League (ISL) side Bengaluru FC has stopped paying the salaries of its first team’s players and staff.

The 2018-19 Indian Super League champions stated in a statement that they had chosen the team “in view of the uncertainty surrounding the Indian Super League season’s future.”

Bengaluru continued, “Running and operating a football club in India has always been a challenging task that we have put all of our resources aside and built up to the end of the season.”

We have no choice but to proceed because there is no consensus on the League’s future, though.

After contract renewal negotiations between the nation’s football federation (AIFF) and Reliance-led Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), their business partners, were stalled, the ISL was put on hold.

After India’s Supreme Court requested that the AIFF not renew the deal with FSDL until it had issued an order enforcing a separate case to implement a new constitution for the federation, talks to restart.

We are in contact with our players, staff, and their families as we wait for a resolution, and we urge the AIFF and FSDL to resolve this impasse right away, Bengaluru said in a statement.

The Reuters news agency’s requests for comment were not immediately responded to by the AIFF and ISL.

Eight ISL clubs will meet with the AIFF this week to discuss the future of the league, according to reports in Indian media.

Bengaluru’s youth teams, which includes India’s Sunil Chhetri, who has scored a century of goals, were exempt from the salary suspension, according to the city.