Pioneer in short
T20 WC: England survives Nepal
England held their nerve to edge Nepal by four runs in a thrilling T20 World Cup clash on Sunday, leaving their players “relieved” and “happy,” while Nepal’s Nandan Yadav expressed both “regret” and “pride.” England posted 184 for 7 batting first, but Nepal mounted a stirring chase, narrowing the deficit to just 10 runs off the final over. Sam Curran’s precise yorkers at the death proved decisive as England survived a scare to secure victory. “Full credit to Nepal. They were outstanding in the field and their running between wickets was excellent. They just kept coming,” Will Jacks said. “Relief and happiness. Job done,” he added, praising Curran for remaining calm under pressure. Nepal, buoyed by a 17,000-strong crowd, showed grit but faltered in the final overs, conceding 45 runs in the last three. “There is regret because we came very close, but also pride because we are improving,” said Nandan, highlighting the need to strengthen their death-over bowling. He vowed the team will learn from the experience and continue improving in future matches.
Minors held in firing incident
Three youths, including two minors, were apprehended on Sunday for two firing incidents-one inside a private hospital and another outside a shopping mall in Yamunanagar, police said. No casualties were reported. The accused were caught after a police encounter near the Kasanpur area on Sunday morning. Superintendent of Police Kamal Deep Goyal said the incidents appeared to be linked to extortion and an attempt to create fear. Sources said the hospital operator had earlier received extortion threats and informed the police. CCTV footage showed three masked youths entering the hospital late Saturday night and firing at the reception area before fleeing. Police said 13-14 rounds were fired at the hospital, followed by three to four rounds outside the mall. Two of the accused are minors from Karnal district, while the third, identified as Gurlal Singh, is from Kurukshetra.
New dragonfly species found
Researchers have identified a new dragonfly species, Lyriothemis keralensis, in the low-lying coastal plains of Kerala. Commonly called the Slender Bombardier, it was formally classified after more than a decade of investigation. First sighted in 2013 in Kothamangalam’s Varappetty region, the insect was initially thought to be Lyriothemis acigastra, a related species found in Northeast India. However, detailed studies revealed unique physical and behavioural traits, including a slim abdomen, distinctive tail and genital structures, and sexually dimorphic coloration-males with deep blood-red abdomens with black markings, females with yellow and black patterns.
