SA Coach Breaks Silence On "Grovel" Remark Row Post ODI Series Loss To India

South Africa cricket team head coach Shukri Conrad has broken his silence on his recent "grovel" remark for the Indian team. The controversial comment from Conrad was made last month during a two-match Test series between the sides in which the Proteas registered a clean sweep. With South Africa right on top at the end of play on Day 4 of the second Test, Conrad stirred a row by saying his team wanted to make India "grovel". He said at the press conference, "We wanted India to spend as much time on their feet out in the field. We wanted them to really grovel, to steal a phrase, bat them completely out the game and then say to them well come and survive on the last day and an hour this evening."

The remark from the South Africa head coach faced massive criticism. After the side's ODI series loss to India on Saturday, he has now opened up on it. While stating that his intentions were not wrong, Conrad accepted that he could have chosen a better word.

"On reflection, it was never my intention to cause some malice. I could have chosen a better word. My only thinking was about India spending more time on the field. One has to be careful about choosing the word. But there was no malice intended. Being humble is the cornerstone of the South African Test team," said Conrad at the end of the series-deiciding third ODI in Visakhapatnam.

While the word grovel means "to creep with the face to the ground", it carries baggage of racial undertones and has historical significance linked to former England captain Tony Greig.

In 1976, England played a home Test series against West Indies after the Windies had suffered a 5-1 loss in Australia. Ahead of the series, Greig told BBC that he wanted to make them "grovel". The remark angered West Indies players and fans, with many accusing him of racism. West Indies captain Clive Lloyd even said that West Indians everywhere felt insulted by the comment.

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Sent To Bangladesh, Pregnant Woman Brought Back After Supreme Court Order

Two days after the Supreme Court directed the Centre to do so, a pregnant woman who was deported to Bangladesh despite being an Indian citizen was brought back to the country along with her eight-year-old son. 

Sonali Khatun, who is nine months pregnant, and the child entered India on Friday in West Bengal's Malda in the presence of several officials from the district administration. 

Khatun, her husband, Danish Sheikh, and their eight-year-old son were among six people who were pushed across the border into Bangladesh on June 27 after being picked up by the Delhi police earlier that month on charges of being Bangladeshi citizens who had entered the country illegally. 

The woman's father, Bhodu Sheikh, had told the Supreme Court that she and her child were waiting on the Bangladesh side to enter India. 

On Wednesday, a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi had directed the Centre to bring back Khatun, and the government had agreed to do so on humanitarian grounds.

Justice Bagchi had said that since Bhodu Sheikh's Indian citizenship is not in question, Khatun and her children would also be citizens of India under the Citizenship Act.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had also mentioned Khatun during an anti-Special Intensive Revision (SIR) rally in Malda on Wednesday.

"How are Indian citizens being labelled Bangladeshi? Was Sonali Khatun Bangladeshi? She was Indian. Despite her having Indian documents, you pushed her to Bangladesh using the Border Security Force," the Trinamool Congress chief had said.

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Fulfilling Obligations: Shashi Tharoor To NDTV Amid Row Over Putin Dinner Invite

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor recalled with pride how a word he coined 20 years ago on geopolitical alignments has become truer today. He also shed light on the dinner invite to the Rashtrapati Bhavan in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who came on a two-day state visit.

The reason for his presence at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday night, Tharoor indicated, had more relevance to his work as the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs.

"I have come back [to Rashtrapati Bhawan] after a while. For some years I think they had a different attitude. This time it seems that they have decided to open up a little more to other voices, and frankly because the relationships with foreign countries are precisely what the parliamentary standing committee deals with, it's helpful to have some insight into what goes on in the conversations, the atmosphere and so on. So I'm very pleased to be here for that reason. Nothing more, nothing less," Tharoor told NDTV CEO and Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal after the state dinner that he described as "excellent".

Many Congress leaders including Pawan Khera and Jairam Ramesh had raised questions over party MP and Leaders of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge not being invited to the state dinner.

The reactions came after Tharoor confirmed to reporters outside parliament earlier today that he got an invitation to the state dinner and he would be going. To a question about the Leaders of Opposition in the two houses not on the guest list, he said he wasn't aware on what basis the invitations were sent, but he was definitely honoured to be invited.

Tharoor clarified that the question of cooperating and working with the government as an MP for the betterment of his constituency was "a different conversation" which has no link with getting invited to the Rashtrapati Bhavan dinner.

"That has nothing to do with getting invited to Rashtrapati Bhavan which may or may not happen otherwise. But the truth is that on the question of cooperating with the government of the day, you don't abandon your convictions or principles but you find common ground. I mean part of democracy and part of the cooperation between government and Opposition in a democracy is about finding common ground. We disagree on some things, we agree on some things, and where we agree we should work together," said the Congress MP who in recent times has been speaking good about the government, much to the chagrin of his party.

But given the remarks that Tharoor has been giving, and the Congress repeatedly expressing disappointment over the government's choice every time it needed to invite an Opposition party leader for national work - such as India sending delegations to other nations to brief them about Operation Sindoor, with Tharoor as one of the members of the outreach teams - the question is would the Congress MP from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram make a huge move sometime?

Tharoor gave a measured and cryptic response: "...I don't know why this has to be asked. I mean I'm an MP of the Congress party. I went to great trouble to get elected. It would take a considerable amount of thought and various other considerations to be anything else."

He said he has a job to do for voters and is doing his very best to fulfill obligations to them.

"Even today in some of the conversations before we all sat down to dinner, I was trying to plug certain things for my constituency with some of the officials I was coming across here from our own government. So that's part of the life blood of getting things done for your people, your voters, your constituency. That's political responsibility," he added.

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Celina Jaitly Reacts As Delhi High Court Helps Her Contact Detained Brother

Actor Celina Jaitly has expressed gratitude after the Delhi High Court directed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to facilitate her communication with her brother, Major Vikrant Kumar Jaitly, who has been detained in Abu Dhabi since September 2024. 

Celina Jaitly's Emotional Note

Celina Jaitly opened up about her ongoing struggle, explaining that she has still not been able to speak to her brother since his detention.

To make her feelings clear, she wrote on X, "Ma & Pa.. I am doing my best ! I Haven't Spoken to Vikrant in 15 Months. Today, Hope Was Placed on Record.. Thank you Universe !! My petition seeking access to and legal representation for my brother, Maj (Retd) Vikrant Kumar Jaitly, who has been abducted and detained in UAE since 6 Sep 2024, was heard by the Hon'ble Delhi High Court today."

She further explained the steps taken by the Indian government so far. Introducing the update, she penned, "The Ministry of External Affairs filed its Status Report and appointed a Nodal Officer to coordinate with me for access to my brother. While I still haven't been able to speak to Vikrant it's been 15 months now the Additional Solicitor General, Govt of India Sr Adv Chetan Sharma apprised the Court that they will make their best efforts to get me to speak to Vikrant."

Celina Jaitly added that the court acknowledged the emotional toll this ordeal has taken on her and her family. She expressed this by stating, "The Hon'ble Judge directed the Ministry to make efforts to facilitate my access to speak to Vikrant. I'm grateful to Ld. ASG, and the Court and the who recognised my suffering and acknowledged our family's 4 generations of contributions to the Indian armed forces. The next date in Court is 23 Dec. I look forward to the next steps optimistically."

She also urged the media to respect her privacy at this delicate stage, noting, "At this time I will not be able to answer any questions from members of the media or press. They may kindly contact the leading counsel on my case from India, Mr. Raghav Kacker, Kacker & Co., who is leading & assisting me in navigating these very challenging times."

Ma & Pa.. I am doing my best ! I Haven't Spoken to Vikrant in 15 Months. Today, Hope Was Placed on Record.. Thank you Universe !!

My petition seeking access to and legal representation for my brother, Maj (Retd) Vikrant Kumar Jaitly, who has been abducted and detained in UAE… pic.twitter.com/PXAXCyzIy5

— Celina Jaitly (@CelinaJaitly) December 4, 2025

Delhi High Court Directs MEA To Facilitate Communication

According to an ANI report, the Delhi High Court instructed the MEA to inform Retired Major Vikrant during the next consular access that his sister wishes to communicate with him. The court also asked the Ministry to explore all available means, including the TAMM app or any alternative platform, to enable this contact.

Justice Sachin Datta reviewed the MEA's status report and acknowledged that a nodal officer has already been appointed in compliance with previous directions. During the proceedings, Jaitly became emotional, with her counsel offering support in court.

It was also noted that she is unable to use the TAMM app as it is restricted to UAE citizens, further complicating her attempts to reach her brother.

The case will now be heard next on December 23.

ALSO READ: Celina Jaitly Gets Emotional Recalling Her Brother's Last Call: "I Dread What They Have Done To Him"

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Congress Seeks Larger Role, Asks DMK To Finalise Seat Sharing By Dec 15

Undeterred by the setback in Bihar, where it won only six of the 61 seats it contested, the Congress has toughened its position during talks with key ally DMK in Tamil Nadu during their latest meeting, sources have said. 

Congress leaders said the party's Tamil Nadu alliance committee has sought one to two Assembly seats in each of the state's 38 districts and a share in power if the alliance returns to power after the elections next year. The Congress had contested 25 seats in Tamil Nadu in the 2021 Assembly poll, and won 18. 

Leaders present at Wednesday's discussion say the Congress has gone nearly two decades without playing a part in the state government and now wants both acknowledgement and a defined administrative role. The committee has also urged the DMK to finalise all terms, including seat sharing, by December 15 to avoid the recurring pattern of last-minute negotiations. 

The leaders said the committee told the DMK it cannot secure a comfortable victory without the party's support, given that Congress votes remain crucial in several pockets where the DMK's organisational depth is relatively thin.

The Congress formed its five-member committee on November 22 after the DMK sought clarity from the party high command. This came after speculation that sections of the state Congress were favouring an alliance with actor-politician Vijay's TVK, which has emerged as a third political force in the state, alongside the DMK- and AIADMK-led alliances. 

The committee - comprising Tamil Nadu Congress president K Selvaperunthagai, party in-charge for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Girish Chodankar, Congress Legislature Party leader S  Rajeshkumar and senior leaders Nivedith Alva and Suraj Hegde - met DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and senior DMK figures to discuss the party's expectations. 

Rethink After Bihar

The Bihar results weakened the broader opposition front and sharpened concerns about the Congress's national standing, and leaders said this has prompted a rethink, with the party unwilling to remain a passive junior partner in key states. The Tamil Nadu unit has told the High Command that while its presence may not be dominant, it holds meaningful pockets of influence that must translate into real bargaining power.

Other alliance partners, including the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and the Left parties, are also preparing to push for larger shares ahead of the 2026 polls. 

DMK negotiators are expected to weigh the Congress demands carefully because, as the principal party, it carries the largest electoral burden and must also work to secure victories for allies. 

Both the DMK and the Congress have been reassessing the TVK and Vijay's potential impact after the Karur stampede in September, in which over 40 people were killed. Vijay recently spoke to Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, adding another layer of complexity to an already complicated political equation.

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IndiGo To Cancel More Flights For 2-3 Days, Seeks Rules Exemption Till Feb 10

IndiGo has sought exemptions for pilot rest and duty norms till February 10, 2026, related to its night duty flights for its A320 fleet. The airline also admitted that it misjudged crew requirements under the new norms and faced planning gaps, resulting in inadequate crew availability at a time when winter weather and congestion were also affecting operations.

The definition of night duty being revised from midnight to 5 am to midnight to 6 am is rolled back temporarily. Additionally, the cap on night landing to two is also temporarily on hold.

It warned that cancellations are likely to continue for the next two to three days as part of schedule stabilisation efforts. From December 8, the airline will reduce flight operations to limit further disruption.

The development comes after IndiGo's mounting operational disruptions, resulting in lakhs of passengers stranded across airports and hundreds of flights cancelled in the last three days.

The airline was summoned by Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu to review the situation alongside senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and IndiGo's top management. The ministry said it is monitoring the airline's network closely after cancellations surged dramatically across the country since late November.

IndiGo Cites FDTL Transition, Crew Planning Failures

IndiGo told the DGCA that the disruptions stemmed from transitional difficulties in implementing Phase 2 of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, which came into effect on November 1 following a court directive. IndiGo said that the actual number of pilots needed for FDTL Phase 2 exceeded their anticipation.

Reviewed the operations of Indigo along with senior officials of Ministry of Civil Aviation and DGCA. I have instructed the DGCA and concerned officials at the Ministry to keep a close watch on the network and directed Indigo to normalize the operations at the earliest. In... pic.twitter.com/ZdqFXPOAvM

— Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu (@RamMNK) December 4, 2025

Crew requirement data presented by the airline showed that after Phase 2 implementation, required staffing levels rose noticeably, particularly for night-time operations, where slot availability is limited and pilot duty time restrictions are tighter.

The new rules, designed to improve fatigue management and pilot safety, have significantly altered crew rostering patterns. 

DGCA Issues Strict Compliance Orders

According to the regulator, IndiGo has been cancelling 170 to 200 flights a day, a sharp spike well above normal levels. It has issued a series of directives to IndiGo, including submission of a crew recruitment and aircraft induction roadmap, a revised plan to stabilise operations, fortnightly progress reports on improvements in crew availability and scheduling, and details of all FDTL relaxations needed to restore normal operations.

The DGCA said it will continue real-time monitoring of IndiGo's network performance and passenger-handling systems in the coming days.

DGCA Flags Inadequate Staff At Delhi Airport

As disruptions escalated, DGCA teams conducted on-ground inspections at major airports, including Delhi's Terminal 1, which saw the highest passenger impact. Inspectors found that IndiGo's passenger-handling staff was insufficient to manage the surge in stranded travellers, leading to overcrowding and delays in assistance.

The airline has now been instructed to immediately increase staff and strengthen support services across all affected terminals. 

Government Orders Monitoring of Airfares, Passenger Support

The Civil Aviation Minister directed AAI to ensure all airports provide continuous support to stranded passengers. MoCA has asked DGCA to keep a close watch on airfares during the disruption period to prevent any sudden or unfair spikes.

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Maharashtra's 'Car In Sea': A Rolls Royce Boat Turning Heads At Juhu Beach

Maharashtra's coastline has a new attraction making waves, quite literally. A Rolls Royce-shaped vessel cruising through the Arabian Sea is drawing crowds at Juhu beach, rapidly becoming one of the beach's most talked-about tourism innovations.

The unique watercraft, popularly dubbed the "car in the sea," offers locals and tourists a luxury-themed marine experience that would otherwise require travel abroad. And behind this spectacle is Pramod Pawar, who turned an idea he once saw on a Dubai beach into a homegrown adventure for Maharashtra.

A Dubai Dream Recreated At Home

Pawar says the concept struck him during a beach trip in Dubai, where similar luxury-themed boats are a staple. With a renewed vision, Pawar returned with sketches, observations, and a resolve to build something suited to local waters.

Inside Maharashtra's viral ‘Car In The Sea' ride. @AnujRayate speaks to Pramod Pawar, the man who designed and built the unique “car-boat” after spotting a similar concept in Dubai. pic.twitter.com/NhUkZc8Kfi

— NDTV (@ndtv) December 2, 2025

The team then modified the vessel extensively to withstand the specific conditions of Maharashtra's coastline, from tidal behaviour to safety norms. The result is a premium-looking boat that seats five people and travels up to 1.8 nautical miles into the sea.

The boat comes equipped with onboard music, plush interiors, and even a shower facility for visitors returning from the salty spray.

A Push Toward 'International-Level' Tourism

Maharashtra already hosts most of the water sports available internationally, from jet skiing to parasailing. But with attractions like the "car boat," officials and operators say the goal is to scale up to 100% international standards.

The team behind the Rolls Royce vessel plans to expand further with new offerings, including flyboarding and Ferrari and Lamborghini-inspired boat variants.

"We want people to feel like they're getting a true international experience right here," said Vijay, the manager.

More Than A Gimmick, A Sign Of What's Coming

Pawar was very clear in his resolve that this is not a one off, but a start to a newer trend. "We do not wish to stop here, we want to bring as many newer sports to our waters as possible," he said.

He also stressed on the need for the government to encourage such experiments at home and make it hassle free.

"I was able to bring it home because I happened to be in Dubai and saw it, but not every one of us can do that, hence their chances of expanding become limited. The government should encourage more of such sports for greater footfalls."

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