Jasprit Bumrah reached the peak that no Indian pacer could reach in the history of Test cricket. He becomes the first Indian pacer to top the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test rankings. Bumrah is currently the number one Test bowler in the world in the latest rankings released by the ICC. Earlier, Indian spinners were seen wearing the crown of Test bowlers. This time Bumrah wrote the history. Jasprit Bumrah secured the top place in the ICC Test Bowling Rankings after an outstanding performance in the second match of their ICC World Test Championship series against England in Visakhapatnam. However, In February 2018, he became the world's best in ODI cricket for the first time. In addition, in November 2017, Bumrah wore the crown of the world's number one bowler for the first time in T20 cricket.  

The Election Commission (EC) has updated the voter list where the total number of voters in the country currently stands at 12,17,75,450. Of them, 6,20,90,137 are male voters while 5,96,84,389 are female and 924 members of the third gender community.   EC Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath on Sunday unveiled the draft of the voter list at a press conference at the Media Centre of Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital’s Agargaon.   Ashok said, "The final voter list will be published on March."   He told the number of the voters has been increased by 20,86,161 after the 12th national parliamentary election.  Among them, 13,20,396 are male voters while 7,65,690 are female and 75 members of the third gender community.   He also said, the number of voters throughout the country before the election was 11,96,89,289. Of them, 6,07,69,741 are male voters while 5,89,18,699 are female and 849 members of the third gender community. Director General of National Identity Card (NID) Registration Division AKM Humayun Kabir was present, among others, during the press conference.

China’s battle against corruption set new records last year, with the ruling Communist Party’s anti-corruption watchdog launching probes into 45 senior officials, according to a tally by the South China Morning Post. The record number of investigations came five years after Chinese President Xi Jinping declared a “crushing victory” in his war on corruption, a sweeping crackdown that was launched in 2013. The ongoing probe signals that he has little interest in letting up on an effort to clean up China’s officialdom while pushing authorities ever harder to implement his policies. The number of senior-level investigations launched in 2023 jumped by 40 per cent compared with 2022, when the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) – China’s top anti corruption agency – recorded 32 investigations into high-ranking officials, based on official announcements by the CCDI. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. China’s disciplinary enforcers add ‘bad’ books, sex, drugs to serious offences Most of the subjects who were placed under investigation – sometimes referred to as “tigers” – belonged to a pool of officials known as “centrally managed cadres”, meaning they held ranks at the deputy ministerial level or above. A smaller number of them held slightly lower ranks but occupied key positions in important sectors. Unlike their subordinates who are managed and supervised by the local branches of the party’s organisation and disciplinary agency, the group of senior officials are under direct management of the Communist Party’s Central Organisation Department, its top personnel body. If any wrongdoing is found, they would face top level investigations from the CCDI. Twenty-seven of the 45 senior cadres who had faced detention by the disciplinary watchdog were found to have retired from their positions when they faced investigation, according to further research. Deng Yuwen, a former deputy editor at the Study Times, official newspaper of the Central Party School where cadres are trained, said the fact that most of the CCDI’s investigations focused on retired officials signalled that the probes uncovered more misconduct before Xi took power, and that such retirements would not allow the individuals to avoid further investigation. “Among the officials arrested in recent years, not many were caught for corruption in their current positions. Most of the problems occurred in the past few years, or even more than 10, 20 years ago. The CCDI is no longer following the previous unspoken rule that retired officials will be spared from investigation,” he said. “Now, no one is safe. As Xi digs deeper, he just finds more problems that accumulated over the past three decades due to rapid economic development and lax party discipline. And there is no sign of him stopping the digging.” A total of 294 senior officials have been sacked by the CCDI in the 11 years since the anti-corruption campaign was launched, according to the Post’s count. However, this number does not include most of the corruption probes in the Chinese military, which conducts its own investigations through the Discipline Inspection Commission. The agency, which operates within China’s top military command – the Central Military Commission (CMC) – led by Xi, operates under extreme secrecy. Beijing announces such cases very selectively, as it did for the investigations of former CMC deputy chairmen Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong during Xi’s first presidential term. They were the highest ranking officers in the People’s Liberation Army to be targeted since the anti-corruption drive began. Before 2023, the most senior officials investigated in a single year by the CCDI had been in 2014, when 38 individuals were targeted. In 2020, 18 officials were placed under investigation. But since then, the annual tally has been rising: 25 high ranking officials were investigated in 2021, and 32 in 2022. On Saturday, the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislative body, announced the dismissal of nine generals. Five of the officers were either past or current top commanders in the PLA Rocket Force, a key component of the country’s nuclear arsenal. They included Li Yuchao, who had commanded the rocket force from January last year until he was replaced in July, and his former deputy, Zhang Zhenzhong. Beijing has not confirmed if any of the nine men were under investigation for alleged corruption, although some were reportedly being probed earlier last year. A political researcher at Peking University said there were many obvious signs that suggest that China’s “tiger hunt” will expand even further in 2024. “We have the removal of [former foreign minister] Qin Gang and [former defence minister] Li Shangfu. We also saw the National People’s Congress just officially dismiss nine PLA generals, indicating a sweeping investigation in the military has got preliminary results,” said the researcher, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.   China, Vietnam pledge cooperation against corruption for ‘clean Silk Road’ No reasons have been provided for the dismissals of Qin and Li, who were both stripped of their positions last year. “I suspect only a tiny amount of information regarding these cases will be released to the public, just for minimal formalities.” The CCDI will begin its third plenum from next Monday to lay out the work priorities in the new year for tens of millions of discipline inspectors across the country.  

India has surpassed China with the highest number of universities listed in the QS Asia University Rankings 2024 released on Wednesday. The rankings show the highest number of 37 new entrants from India. Seven Indian universities are among the top 100 Asian universities. India is now the most represented higher education system with 148 featured universities, according to the QS Asia University Rankings 2024. Compared to 148 Indian institutions, the number from China is 133 and Japan is 96. IIT Bombay is the highest-ranked Indian institution and is placed 40th in Asia in the Quacquarelli Symonds University Rankings 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been laying thrust on the higher education system both in terms of its reach and quality and has said that the institutes in the country are making progress in terms of quality education, student-faculty ratio and reputation. "Our education institutes have created an identity for themselves in the world. Our institutions are making rapid improvement in terms of quality education, student-faculty ratio and reputation," he said earlier. There has been a significant improvement in India's presence in the QS rankings over the past nearly 10 years during the rule of the Modi government. While 16 Indian institutions featured in QS Asia University Rankings in 2014, the number significantly expanded to 148 in 2023. Even the past year has seen a significant improvement. The QS Asia University list featured 111 Indian institutions in 2023 and the number has gone up to 148 in 2024. In a speech at Delhi University in June this year, the Prime Minister emphasized that education is not merely a process of teaching but also a way of learning. He talked about the flexibility in the new National Education Policy for selecting subjects and mentioned about the National Institutional Ranking Framework which is motivating the institutions to improve quality while also fostering a spirit of competitiveness. The Prime Minister said that due to the futuristic educational policies and decisions, recognition of Indian universities is increasing and gave credit to the youth for the transformation. According to QS Asia University Rankings 2024, IIT Bombay received an overall score of 67.2 out of 100, excelling in academic reputation (83.5) and employer reputation (96). In terms of faculty-student ratio, the score was 14.8, staff with PhD (100), and papers per faculty (95.7). IIT Bombay's staff with a PhD stood out as its strongest indicator. According to the rankings, IIT Delhi is ranked 46th, IIT Madras holds the 53rd position, and IIT Kharagpur is positioned 59th. IISC Bangalore has secured the 58th rank. QS World University Rankings is a portfolio of comparative university rankings compiled by global higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds.   Source: Beijing Bulletin

India have become only the second team in men's cricket history to occupy the number one spot across all three formats after defeating Australia in the first ODI on Friday. The Indian team moved past arch-rivals Pakistan to take the top position in the one-day rankings as a result of their latest victory, just before they host the World Cup. They were already number one in Tests and T20 internationals. (BSS Reports) Only South Africa in 2012 have previously achieved the feat, according to the International Cricket Council. India's five-wicket victory over Australia in Mohali took them to 116 rating points, one ahead of Pakistan. But the hosts could slip down the table if Australia -- on 111 points -- win the remaining two matches in the series, a warm-up for the World Cup. If India win the series, they will head into the showpiece tournament as the world's top-ranked ODI team. India, who last week won their eighth Asia Cup title by thrashing Sri Lanka in the final, were in top form as they registered a comfortable win over Pat Cummins's team. Mohammed Shami claimed five wickets to restrict Australia to 276 before half-centuries from Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav sealed the win for the home side.

More than 2,900 people have been killed in the earthquake in Morocco as of Tuesday evening. The number of injured people has doubled to over 5,500, while many more are still missing. Morocco's state news agency MAP reported that King Mohammed visited a hospital in Marrakech to check on the injured and to donate blood. Meanwhile, frustration among survivors mounts as they have to endure difficult conditions, after four nights in improvised shelters.  France's Macron offers humanitarian aid French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the Moroccan public in a Tuesday video message. "I wanted to address Moroccans directly to tell you that France was devastated ... by this terrible earthquake," he said. "We will be at your side." "We have the possibility to provide direct humanitarian aid," Macron said. Rabat has so far ignored Paris' offers to provide aid. "We are at the disposal of their sovereign decision," Macron said, referring to King Mohammed and the Moroccan government. Red Cross makes urgent aid appeal The Red Cross launched an emergency appeal on Tuesday to raise 100 million Swiss francs (€104 million, $112 million) to support victims of the earthquake. "In this appeal, we are seeking 100 million CHF to be able to deliver on the most pressing needs at this time," including water, sanitation and shelter, Caroline Holt, global director of operations at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), told reporters in Geneva. "We need to make sure that we avoid a second wave of disaster." The 6.8-magnitude quake struck in the High Atlas mountains on Friday night, flattening entire villages and blocking access roads. Four days on, rescue teams are still searching for survivors in the rubble, while health workers scramble to treat the thousands of people with injuries. "This emergency response, as with many earthquakes, is a marathon," Holt said. "The people affected by the earthquake will need support for the weeks and months to come, and we will need to continue to show that solidarity and support not only now but in the future." Rescue teams race against time Rescue teams from Spain, Britain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have arrived in Morocco to assist local teams. Many other nations have also offered help. "The big difficulty is in zones remote and difficult to access, like here, but the injured are choppered out," Annika Coll, who heads the Spanish team, told AFP news agency from the quake-hit community of Talat Nyacoub. Spain sent additional help of five canine rescue teams comprising "31 specialists, 15 search and rescue dogs and 11 vehicles," which was expected to arrive on Tuesday. Khaled Abdellah Alhumaidi, an aid worker from Qatar, told DW it's a painstaking operation. "These rescue missions always take a lot of time," he said. "You can't do it in 2-3 hours, it can sometimes take 12 hours or more, so we usually work in shifts." Steve Davis, deputy team leader of the UK crew, said there was still hope of finding survivors, even four days on.  "We never give up. (After the earthquake) in Turkey, we were still able to rescue survivors after seven or eight days. We stay until we're convinced there's really nothing more we can do," he told DW. Locals say efforts not enough Despite rescue and search efforts, some citizens say they feel abandoned by authorities, with little aid reaching some remote areas. Mohammed Bouaziz, from the village of Moulay Brahim south of Marrakech, one of the hardest-hit areas, told AFP news agency, "We have received some help... but it's not enough." He is part of a local group attempting to address the needs of over 600 homeless residents. The group, known as Intikala, has established nine makeshift camps and has tried to salvage items such as mattresses, blankets, and cooking utensils from remains of homes. A number of unofficial groups have sprung up to help with the rescue effort and to provide survivors with basic necessities. Citizens have also been lining up at health care facilities to donate blood.  The quake was Morocco's deadliest since a 1960 earthquake on its Atlantic coast that killed more than 12,000 people.

The authorities have recorded the highest number of dengue positive cases outside Dhaka in August this year meaning the mosquito disease gripped the entire country.  Dhaka city witnessed 53,489 dengue positive cases between January 1 and August 26 this year while 58,695 cases were reported outside Dhaka during the same period," a statement of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said.  Reports BSS. According to the health experts, since the outbreak of dengue in 2000, Dhaka recorded highest number of dengue cases and initially the vector-borne disease spread in the capital city.  But the dengue disease is gradually spreading across the country, they said adding 64 districts of the country have witnessed dengue positive cases.  According to the statistics of DGHS, August is being considered as deadliest month this year as the authorities logged 65,010 dengue cases and 305 deaths till today (August 28).  Dhaka saw 30,331 dengue positive cases between January 1 and August 1, 2023 while 24,085 cases were recorded outside Dhaka during the same period.  Bangladesh has been grappling to stem dengue outbreak as August was the deadliest month since detection of the mosquito-borne disease in 2000 while experts predicted the dengue situation may prolong this year, if the authorities fail to take prompt and effective measures to control the disease.  July alone recorded 43,854 dengue positive cases with 204 deaths, the DGHS statement read. 

Joy of sports is not just for the youth, the District Youth Services and Sports in Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir, has shown by conducting events for senior citizens as part of their Sports for Seniors Sports Week. About 45 senior citizens participated in football and Tug-of-War events held at GD College Baramulla, proving that age is just a number when it comes to enjoying sports. One of the participants, Abdul Rashid, expressed his delight at being part of the event. He said, “I never imagined that I would be playing football at this age, but I am so happy that I did. It was such great fun. I am grateful to the Department of Youth Services and Sports for organising such an event.” Another participant, Zareena Begum, shared her story saying, “I used to be a basketball player when I was young, but due to my age, I had to give up the sport. However, today, I feel young again. I thank the department for making me feel that way.” The event was a reminder that everyone, regardless of their age, can benefit from participating in sports. Bilal Ahmad, the organiser of the event, highlighted this point, saying, “We organised this event to encourage senior citizens to participate in sports and show that sports can bring joy and health benefits to people across ages.” Ahmad added, “The success of this event has encouraged us to organise more such events for senior citizens and continue promoting sports as an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.”

Kudrat Ullah is a young writer and journalist. He is Working as an entertainment journalist over a decade. He also involved in writing work. He writes some stories and dramas. Several dramas written by Kudrat Ullah have already been on aired the popular television channels of the country.  The drama 'Cabin Number 507' has recently been produced based on his story and screenplay.  He speaks up about his work with RTV Online. Here is his full conversation with RTV Online. How are you? Kudrat Ullah: Ya... All good. Trying to Cope up with the time. You have been working as an entertainment journalist over a decade. How did it start? Kudrat Ullah: obviously, I have been working for many years in this sector. Actually, I have a regular chitter-chatter with entertainment journalists, that's how I came into this profession. But still trying to give my best to it. I am still the process of learning the journalism. What is the difference between journalist and journalism? Kudrat Ullah: Actually, this answer is differentiate person to person.To me, Journalist means writing within a boundary. And journalism is open. Where there is no restriction on writing. There is a lot of opportunity of thinking. How you started your writing and screenplays besides jornalism? Do you have any pre-planned or not? Kudrat Ullah: Not exactly. While doing entertainment journalism, I often thought, Oh, I wish I could write. Because, I was more active behind camera than in front of the camera. I grew up watching light-camera-action. That's how things all started.  When did you start your story writing or screenplay journey? Kudrat Ullah: I started writing in 2018.  Recently, a drama titled 'Cabin Number 507' was shot based on your story and screenplay. We wanna know the thought process behind the story? Kudrat Ullah: I got the basic idea in a hospital. Where my mother had a surgery. The cabin next to my mother was after the operation, two women were discussing about the kidney disease. I was listening that conversation. That night, I wrote the story. 'Cabin Number 507' is a true story and a touch of fiction. All actors and producers related to this story have worked hard. Everyone will understand the rest when it will on air. Your book was published in the book fair? Will a new book be published? Kudrat Ullah: I am frightened to publish a book right now. I don't know why. I have a book named 'Tarokakar' that was published few days ago when Corona pandemic comes in. Now the situation of book market is not good. However, I have some short stories and novels. But, I will think about to publish these when the right situation comes in.

Rocky, a young man, who has just lost his job. Not only the job, but also lost his admirer. Rocky's mother is suffering from an illness and hospitalized. Urgently, She needs an operation. One lakh taka needed for this operation. In this situation, the main duty of a Son is to stay with his mother.  And so, despite having no money, Rocky asked his relatives for money. But, he did not find money from anyone. Among the many problems of people, Rocky's problem was not given much attention.  So he decided to sell his kidney to save his mother. With that decision, he began the process of selling his kidney.  But at the time of selling his kidney, he find out a secret thing. Based on that secret thing, Rocky's ex-lover Helen comes in again. Mysterious things happened one after another. So, will Rocky not be able to save his mother, or what will happen when he sells his kidney?  To know all the Mysterious things, Viewers have have to watch the drama 'Cabin Number 507'.  The drama 'Cabin Number 507' written by Kudrat Ullah and directed by Sakil Saikat.The drama is produced by Maizdeetainment, Cinematography- Nurunnabi Tarun.  Abdun Noor Shajal portrayed the character 'Rocky' and Farzana Ahsan Mihi portrayed the character 'Helen'.  Mili Bashar, Rezaul Ahsan Shikder Reza, Khairul Islam Palin, Sohail Masood Pathik, Nazneen Shabnab, Maisha Alvi, Zeki and many more also potrayed the different role. Recently, the shooting of the play has been completed in different locations of Dhaka. It will on-air a private TV channel very soon.