Month: November 2023

Media caption, ‘Putin hates Clinton’ and other things the FBI learned about Russia
FBI director James Comey has confirmed for the first time that the FBI is investigating alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.
However, Mr Comey said his agency had seen no evidence to back up President Trump’s claim that his phones had been tapped by the Obama administration.
He was giving evidence to the congressional intelligence committee.
The Trump administration said nothing had changed and there was “no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion”.
Russia has always denied attempting to influence the US presidential election.
The FBI investigation would examine possible links between individuals in the Trump campaign and the Russian government and whether there was co-ordination between the Trump campaign and Russia, Mr Comey said.
The FBI would also assess whether crimes were committed, he said.
Mr Comey said the investigation was “very complex” and he could not give a timetable for its completion.
“We will follow the facts wherever they lead,” he said.
Media caption, What FBI director Comey said on Trump, Russia and wiretaps
Image caption, Mr Putin “hated Mrs Clinton so much” that he had a strong preference for her rival, Mr Comey said
But White House press secretary Sean Spicer suggested the administration was not concerned, saying: “You can continue to look for something, but continuing to look for something that doesn’t exist doesn’t matter.”
National Security Agency (NSA) chief Admiral Mike Rogers also appeared before the committee.
He said the NSA stood by an intelligence community report published in January, which said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered a campaign to harm the campaign of Mr Trump’s rival, Hillary Clinton.
Mr Comey said he had no information on unsubstantiated claims tweeted by Mr Trump this month that former President Barack Obama had ordered a wiretap on Trump Tower.
This was despite looking carefully for such evidence, he said. The Department of Justice also had no information, he said.
What FBI director James Comey didn’t say during intelligence hearings today on possible Russian meddling in the 2016 US election was as important as what he did say.
Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, who had ties to pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians? No comment. Long-time Trump adviser Roger Stone, who reportedly had communications with individuals who hacked the Democratic National Committee emails? No comment. Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who was forced to resign after leaked evidence surfaced that he had communicated with a Russian ambassador about US sanctions? No comment.
“I don’t want to answer any questions about a US person,” Mr Comey said.
All of this is evidence that the investigation isn’t just ongoing, it’s substantive and far-reaching.
While Democrats will likely be encouraged by this, it was telling that Republicans pursued the White House line – that the topic of greatest concern was the intelligence leaks that put this story in the headlines.
If Mr Trump can consolidate his party’s support, it will go a long way towards insulating the president against any fallout from this investigation.
Will FBI investigation ensnare Trump?
Meanwhile, Adm Rogers strongly denied that the NSA had asked Britain’s GCHQ intelligence agency to spy on Mr Trump – a claim that had been repeated by Sean Spicer.
The allegation “clearly frustrates a key ally of ours”, he added.
GCHQ had described the claim as “utterly ridiculous”.
Image caption, Mr Trump raised eyebrows after he suggested both he and Mrs Merkel had been wiretapped by Mr Obama
Mr Trump’s recent joke about how Mr Obama had wiretapped both German Chancellor Angela Merkel and him “complicates things” with an ally, Adm Rogers added.
However, Devin Nunes, the Republican chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, said it was still possible that other surveillance activities had been used against Mr Trump and his associates.
In January, US intelligence agencies said Kremlin-backed hackers had broken into the email accounts of senior Democrats and released embarrassing messages in order to help Mr Trump defeat Hillary Clinton.
“That was a fairly easy judgement for the community,” Mr Comey said. “Putin hated Secretary Clinton so much that the flipside of that coin was he had a clear preference for the person running against the person he hated so much.”
However, late last summer the Russians concluded that Mr Trump had no chance of winning, based on polls at the time, and so focused on undermining Mrs Clinton, Mr Comey said.
Media caption, Trump’s wiretap saga explained in two minutes
Both intelligence chiefs said that Russia had made its intervention in last year’s election campaign unusually obvious, perhaps to further its aim of undermining US democracy.
Mr Comey said Russia had succeeded in this goal, by sowing chaos, division and discord.
Mr Trump has since faced allegations that his campaign team had links to Russian officials.
Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has said he saw no evidence of any collusion, up until the time he left his post in January.
Two senior officials in the Trump administration have been caught up in the allegations – former national security adviser Michael Flynn, and Attorney-General Jeff Sessions.
Mr Flynn was fired last month after he misled the White House about his conversations with the Russian ambassador before he was appointed national security adviser.
Image caption, Michael Flynn encouraged a softer policy on Russia and a harder line on Iran
He allegedly discussed US sanctions with ambassador Sergei Kislyak. It is illegal for private citizens to conduct US diplomacy.
Meanwhile, Mr Sessions was accused by Democrats of lying under oath during his confirmation hearing in January.
He said he had “no communications with the Russians”, but it later emerged that he had met Mr Kislyak during the campaign.
Mr Sessions denied any wrongdoing, but removed himself from any FBI inquiry into Russia’s alleged interference.

Nov 30, 2023, 03:04PM ISTSource: etimes.inA social media post by a prominent sports journalist has sparked rumours of betrayal and discord between Anushka Sharma’s cricketer-husband Virat Kohli and his longtime friend and manager, Bunty Sajdeh. Taking to his X account, formerly known as Twitter, a sports journalist, K Shriniwas Rao, penned a post about how a top player was betrayed by his manager. The note read, ‘What was once seen as a strong bond of friendship is now turning out to be a horrible case of betrayal.’ The post further stated, ‘I’m told a leading celebrity manager, who managed a top cricketer and enjoyed the benefits of that player’s global popularity, is being called out for misleading that very player, breaking trust, deliberately messing up with the finances and causing immense mental strain.’ The journalist also mentioned, ‘It is apparently so bad right now that the player and his well-wishers are calling everyone to stay alert and find out more details about how badly they’ve been misled and what all they’ve lost in the bargain.’ Soon this post went viral on social media, leaving netizens to wonder if this is what went wrong with the former Indian captain, Virat Kohli, and his manager, Bunty Sajdeh. Reacting to the post, one said, ‘So Bunty, the brother of Rohit Sharma’s wife, betrayed Virat Kohli??????’, another wrote, ‘Bunty should be sent to jail.’ Notably, after being together for almost a decade, Kohli recently announced parting ways with his manager, Bunty Sajdeh. Reports suggest that the star cricketer is planning to open his own sports management agency. For more news and updates, stay tuned to ETimes.

Ahmed Shehzad has slammed 213 runs in National T20 Cup 2023 [X.com]
In times when cricketers are running behind lucrative league contracts, Pakistan’s Ahmed Shehzad has preferred toiling hard in domestic cricket as a means of making a return to the national side.
Out-of-field issues and several run-ins with authorities have derailed Shehzad’s career, which showcased a lot of promise, however, has failed to thrive for several reasons.
Currently playing for Lahore Whites in the ongoing National T20 Cup in Pakistan, Shehzad has revealed about refusing the Abu Dhabi T10 League contract from the Bangla Tigers franchise to feature in the ongoing season.
Taking to social media platform ‘X’, the 32-year-old aggressive opener explained his preference to play domestic cricket while thanking the Pakistan Cricket Board and Bangla Tigers.
“I have respectfully refused a contract to play in the ongoing season of Abu Dhabi T10 League as I believe I have some unfinished business with my team Lahore Whites in the National T20 Cup, and I want to carry on playing domestic cricket in Pakistan.”  
“I have always believed in putting Pakistan first, and I will continue to strive towards earning a place in the national team once again. I would also like to thank the Bangla Tigers.”
Shehzad is the leading run-getter in the tournament, slamming 213 runs in three matches which include three fifties at an average of 106.50. 
Notably, the Lahore-born’s last international appearance came in 2019 against Sri Lanka in a T20I at home.

Post the 2023 World Cup loss, Virat Kohli, the run machine of Team India, has taken some time off from the field. Though the Men in Blue failed to create the magic in the Finale against Australia at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad, Virat had lifted the Man of the Tournament trophy. 
Virat Kohli also missed the T20I series against Australia. He was recently spotted holidaying in London with his lovely wife and actress Anushka Sharma who is his support system.
The couple has been accompanied by their lovely daughter Vamika. Eagle-eyed fans spotted Kohli on the streets of London. In the recent video that is going viral on social media, Kohli and Anushka can be seen at the Winter Wonderland in London with daughter Vamika.
@imVkohli and @AnushkaSharma spotted in Winter wonderland, Hyde park, London. pic.twitter.com/AdoeWgZgyk
— Tujhme Rab Dikhta Hai, Yaara main kya karoon? (@Taanispov) November 30, 2023
The two even happily obliged for selfies and pictures for their fans.  A fan page posted the video on X where both Virat and Anushka are seen dressed in winter clothes as they have a good time in Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park, London.
It was a much-needed break for Kohli and other members of the Team. According to sources, Virat has also opted out of the T20I and ODI series against South Africa that is beginning on December 10. King Kohli is expected to join the team for the Test series.
On the other hand, India captain Rohit Sharma has also intended to stay away from the game for some time after the world Cup. He may also stay absent during the T20I and ODI against South Africa. However, the opener and star batsman of India is yet to confirm whether he is part of the ODI against South Africa.

Mohammed Ajmal to Sajjad Malook, no run, runout (Abdul Shakoor),Sajjad Malook1(2)runout (Abdul Shakoor)

Bayern Munich earned a hard-fought 0-0 draw with FC Copenhagen in the Champions League, but the performance underwhelmed fans and pundits alike.
While the Danish power was content to grab a point and run out of the Allianz Arena, Bayern Munich scuffled through a hapless showing. Manager Thomas Tuchel was able to rotate, but it might not necessarily have been because he wanted to rest certain players.
In fact, some players were too sick or banged up to play.
(Noussair Mazraoui) is ill, he was touch-and-go for (the match against FC Copenhagen), was with us at the hotel but it got worse and he went home we hope hell be back on Saturday, Tuchel said (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). For (Kim Min-jae) and (Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting), too, we hope itll be enough for Saturday. We have to wait and see tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.
With Bayern Munichs depth on the backline rail thin, you can bet Tuchel is hoping to see Min-jae and Mazraoui back on the pitch as soon as possible.
At training this morning, Choupo-Moting and Min-jae both did some individual work.
Looking for more thoughts and analysis on Bayern Munichs disappointing 0-0 draw with FC Copenhagen in the Champions League? Check out our Postgame Podcast on Spotify or below:

Tilak Varma has been underwhelming in AUS T20Is [AP]
After incurring a five-wicket defeat in the last-ball thriller in Guwahati, India will look to rediscover their mojo when they take on Australia in the fourth T20I of the ongoing five-match series on Friday. 
The third match saw a memorable contest between both sides on a placid batting deck in Guwahati. Batting first, India posted a mammoth total of 222 runs on the board before Glenn Maxwell’s blistering ton helped Australia break their two-match losing streak. 
Notably, experienced batter Shreyas Iyer has been included in the Indian squad for the remaining two matches of the series. As he is the vice-captain, we reckon he will make it into India’s playing XI in Raipur. 
As Iyer will return, India might exclude Tilak Varma, who has blown hot and cold so far in the series. So, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal will open the batting, with Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh and Axar Patel following them in the lineup. 
Ace pacer Mukesh Kumar, who was granted leave for his wedding, will join the Indian squad ahead of the fourth T20I. So, he might replace Prasidh Krishna, who has had a horrendous run in the ongoing T20I series. Thus, the Indian bowling unit will likely comprise Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan and Mukesh Kumar along with the spinners, Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi. 
India’s probable playing XI for 4th T20I vs Australia (case-1)
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar
In another move, India might rest Jaiswal and promote Ishan to open the innings to accommodate Iyer in the lineup. 
India’s probable playing XI for 4th T20I vs Australia (case-2)
Ishan Kishan (WK), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar

I Would Be Worried…: Ab De Villiers Highlights RCB’s Biggest Weakness They Need To Address At IPL Auction

November 26 brought the deadline for all ten Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises to submit the final list of the players they had released and retained ahead of the IPL 2024 auction, which is slated to take place on December 19 in Dubai.
Fans were interested in which players five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) had released and there were some surprise releases. Jofra Archer, whom MI had invested in IPL 2022 despite knowing he wouldnt be available and only played a handful of games in IPL 2023, was released. Apart from him, big names like Tristan Stubbs, Jhye Richardson, Riley Meredith, Chris Jordan were left as well.
In a big twist, MI traded Cameron Green to Royal Challengers Bangalore and in turn got Hardik Pandya from Gujarat Titans in an all-cash deal. However, the players released by Mumbai Indians could be in huge demand in the IPL 2024 auction.
Here are 3 players released by MI who could be in high demand in IPL 2024 auction:
Duan Jansen
Duan Jansen. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)
The twin brother of South African all-rounder Marco Jansen, Duan is also a tall left-handed pacer and can bat well. He has extensive experience in domestic cricket, having played 22 First-Class matches, 24 List-A matches, and 32 T20s. He has a cumulative of 98 wickets. In T20s, he has scored 266 runs at a strike rate of 150.28. 
Jansen played in the 6ixty tournament and CPL in 2022 for St Kitts & Nevis Patriots and finished as one of the leading bowlers, helping his team win the tournament. In the IPL, he was picked by Mumbai Indians but got to play only one game, in which he returned figures of 1/53.