Derek Underwood, England and Kent's legendary spinner, dies aged 78 | ESPNcricinfo espncricinfo.com/story/derek-un…

Frank Gardner: Iran's position is along the lines of:
'Account settled, that is the end of the matter, do not hit back at us or we will mount a much stronger attack against you that you will not be able to ward off.' bbc.com/news/world-mid…

⁦Mukul Kesavan⁩: The moment the middle class feels it has no access to a public good, it does everything it can to subvert or devalue it. We can see this happening in real time to India’s public universities. telegraphindia.com/opinion/in-mem…

‘Summer holidays were an endless triumph of imagination over possession. We had nothing. But it is only in looking back…that I realise that perhaps, we had everything.’
⁦Veena⁩’s evocative piece on the charms of 80s summer vacations. thehindu.com/society/charm-…

✅65% of India’s elite footballers come from 5 states - Manipur, Mizoram, Bengal, Punjab and Goa
✅90% hailed from nine states and one city, including Kerala, Meghalaya, Sikkim, TN, Greater Mumbai.
✅20% of population contributes 90% of best footballers
indianexpress.com/article/sports…

‘The court was to hear the murder case of Congressman LN Mishra in the 1970s on a daily basis. It took 39 years to reach a guilty verdict. The accused and Mishra’s grandson have now filed an appeal in the Delhi Court, almost 50 years after the murder.’ timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/sc-shoul…

⁦Samanth Subramanian⁩: Cricket’s initial conception of itself: a game for amateurs with quirks, rather than professionals milled from the same machine, a game so unhurried it is almost anti-efficiency. on.ft.com/43ZHUDT

India said 17 of its nationals were on board the Aries. “We are in touch with the Iranian authorities through diplomatic channels, both in Tehran and in Delhi, to ensure [the] security, welfare and early release of Indian nationals,” an official said. on.ft.com/3vSJY42

Terrific piece by ⁦Uday Bhatia⁩ on Hindi cinema’s ’crisis of confidence’
lifestyle.livemint.com/news/big-story…

Last stage of cancer is often very painful, both for the patient and the family. The best one can do is to reduce the pain and provide quality life in those last few weeks or months.

Bagchi Karunashraya Palliative Care Centre, Bhubaneswar has started its in-patient services…

Findings reveal 79% of respondents support the idea that India belongs to all religions equally and not just Hindus; that it must remain a country where people following different religions can live and practice their faith freely. ⁦Lokniti-CSDS⁩ thehindu.com/elections/lok-…

India’s heat action plans aren’t working well. Most weren’t built for local context. Only 10 of 37 plans establish locally defined temperature thresholds, although it’s unclear whether they took humidity into account while declaring a heatwave. My piece. bbc.com/news/world-asi…

About 1m Indians apply each year for 1,000 slots, making it one of the most selective bureaucracies. Yet India has just 16 public employees per 1,000 people, one of the world’s lowest. Officials hop across government, moving every 15 months on average. economist.com/finance-and-ec…

Naseem Shah is outstanding in this, a new Pepsi ad but actually the coronation of a new superstar

youtu.be/PIiwHqISEI0?si… via YouTube

✅Half of the respondents cited unemployment and rising prices as crucial election concerns
✅Over two-thirds found securing jobs increasingly challenging
✅Nearly two-thirds noted a significant price rise compared to five years prior.
Lokniti-CSDS
thehindu.com/elections/lok-…