India women’s national under-17 football team’s historic FIFA World Cup dream ended on Monday after a 0-3 defeat against hosts China women’s national under-17 football team in the quarter-finals of the AFC Under-17 Women’s Asian Cup. India fought hard for large parts of the contest, but China’s quality and relentless pressure ultimately proved too much in a game which the hosts dominated from start to finish.

The Young Tigresses entered the quarter-finals knowing that a win would secure India’s first FIFA World Cup qualification on qualification. Instead, the defeat brought an end to a memorable campaign that had already seen India reached the knockout stage of the tournament for the first time.

However, for 38 minutes India managed to frustrate one of the strongest young teams in Asia.

Goalkeeper Basnet and defender Munni stood out during a disciplined defensive effort as China dominated possession and repeatedly pushed India into their own half.

But the breakthrough finally came in the 38th minute.

A sharp passing move from the left left India’s defense wide open, before Huang Qianyi finished from close range to give China the lead.

Things got even tougher for India in the stoppage time of the first half when China won a penalty and Liu Yuxi calmly converted it before the break to make it 2-0.

How did China dominate India in the quarterfinals?

The match statistics reflected China’s dominance throughout the contest.

The hosts enjoyed nearly 75 percent possession and finished the game with 28 shots, compared to India’s single effort.

China barely gave India a chance to play the ball and forced the Young Tigresses to constantly defend in their own final third.

Even after taking the lead, China continued to attack with intensity and never allowed India to stay in the game.

Ultimately, Li Qixian scored the third goal in the 90th minute to secure China’s place in the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, India struggled to create attacking opportunities as the hosts’ physicality, movement and pace continued to stretch the defense throughout the match.

India’s World Cup dream is over, but not the promise

Although the defeat ended India’s hopes of reaching the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, the campaign still marked a major step forward for the team.

India had already created history in the tournament by reaching the knockout stage of the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup for the first time after an impressive 4-0 win over Lebanon.

This was the first time since 2004 that an Indian women’s team had reached the knockout stage of an AFC tournament.

Despite a tough quarterfinal against one of the strongest teams in Asia, players like Basnet and Munni showed a lot of potential during the tournament.

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New Delhi: The West Bengal government on Monday appointed Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal, the top state official responsible for overseeing and conducting elections, as the Chief Secretary of the Suvendu-led government.The Chief Secretary is the top bureaucrat of the state government and the senior most IAS officer, responsible for coordinating all departments and advising the Chief Minister.Forty-eight hours after he was relieved as special observer by the Election Commission on May 7, Gupta had already been appointed advisor to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday. The appointment order came within hours of the officer taking oath as CM at a ceremony at the Brigade Parade Ground.The state also appointed IAS officer Shantanu Bala as private secretary to the CM. Bala, a 2017 batch IAS officer, previously served as the additional district magistrate of South 24 Parganas.The notification regarding Gupta’s appointment issued from Nabanna states that the appointment has been made “in the interest of public service” and will remain effective until further orders.On Gupta’s appointment, CM Adhikari said, “In the previous government, efficient and impartial officers were not given any work and they had to leave the state (for central deputation). We want to give these efficient officers a chance to work for the people. We want to bring these officers back.”Gupta was earlier appointed as a special role observer by the Election Commission during the SIR exercise. Following the Election Commission’s satisfaction with his role during the SIR, he was later assigned responsibilities as a special observer for the assembly elections. The 2026 assembly elections were largely peaceful, with no deaths reported during the election process and no major allegations of booth capturing or large-scale electoral violence.Sources said the officer met Gupta after the completion of the election process and had extensive talks with him. Sources said that during the meeting the officer offered him the post of advisor.Gupta, who has a PhD from IIT-Kharagpur, served as DM of Jalpaiguri and Burdwan. He also served as an executive director and later MD in WBIDC from 2007 to 2011, a period marked by Tata Motors’ unceremonious exit from Singur.

Punjab Class 10 board exam toppers shine with excellent performance: Harleen Sharma leads with 99.38%, followed by Manimahesh Sharma and Rhea Rani both score 99.23%, showcasing exceptional academic excellence across the state.

Chandigarh: Punjab has recorded an overall pass percentage of 94.52% in the Class 10 board exams, with rural students outperforming their urban counterparts in this year’s results, according to data released by the state education department.A total of 2,69,505 students appeared for the exam, out of which 2,54,744 passed the exam. The results indicate a strong overall academic performance across the state.rural vs urban performanceThe pass percentage in rural areas was recorded at 95.35%, with 1,66,830 students passing out of 1,74,958 students who appeared. In comparison, the pass percentage in urban areas was recorded at 92.98%, where 87,914 students out of 94,547 candidates passed the exam. Officials noted that this marks a change in performance trends compared to previous years, where urban centers were generally ahead.Toppers of PunjabHarleen Sharma of Saraswati Senior Secondary School, Jaito (Faridkot) topped the state with 646 marks out of 650 (99.38%). The second position was jointly won by Manimahesh Sharma of Government Senior Secondary School, Chanauli Bassi (Rupnagar) and Riya Rani of Shri Guru Harkrishna Public School, Chief Khalsa Dewan, Model Town (Hoshiarpur), both scored 645 marks out of 650 (99.23%).Official statements and trendsPunjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said the rural-urban gap is now more than 2.3 percent. He described the results as reflecting wide variation in academic performance patterns across the state. The education department linked the overall improvement to ongoing system reforms, including infrastructure development in government schools, increased digital learning access and regular teacher training programmes.Officials also said that consistent monitoring and academic support initiatives initiated in previous academic cycles have contributed to better results, especially in rural districts.

A historical formation located in the depths of Loch Bhorgastell provides information about human existence more than 5,000 years ago. This structure, which nowadays appears to be a small island made of stone, used to be a wooden structure carefully built by Neolithic people. The age of this ancient structure makes it older than other famous sites like Stonehenge. This structure challenges traditional views of the engineering skills and settlements of early societies.When seen from outside this structure does not appear to be anything extraordinary. Yet, beneath the surface lies evidence of the meticulous nature of its construction, multiple uses throughout history, and changes throughout the prehistoric era. According to archaeologists, this structure is the best example of human ability to shape the environment in ancient times.

Scientists discover a lost Scottish island created by humans 5,000 years ago

This particular site is of the type called a crannog, which can be described as a man-made island in lakes and wetlands. Crannogs were mostly associated with the Iron Age and later periods. However, recent discoveries indicate that there may have been some crannogs that appeared in an earlier period.According to the study conducted by experts from the University of Southampton and the University of Reading, this particular crannog was built between approximately 3800 and 3300 BC. This means that its building dates back to the Neolithic period when Stonehenge was not even built.As preliminary analysis has shown, the crannog initially consisted of a round-shaped wooden platform approximately 23 meters in diameter. Its construction consisted of several layers of timber, brushwood and stones, which were used to secure the foundation of the island. Later, the island was expanded and improved. Evidence of constructions that took place during the Bronze Age and then the Iron Age has been discovered.

What do pottery fragments tell us about Neolithic activity at the lake

Archaeological surveys have uncovered large quantities of Neolithic pottery fragments around the site. Some of these pots have traces of food residue, indicating cooking or food preparation activities.This description changes the way the site is interpreted. It may not have been entirely symbolic or defensive. Instead, it may have served as a gathering place where people met, shared food, and carried out communal activities. Experts suggest that it may have had both practical and social significance.The idea of ​​people building and using a wooden island in the middle of a lake seems unusual today. Yet in the Neolithic world, such places would have created a sense of isolation from everyday land-based life. Water boundaries often held meaning in ancient cultures, possibly marking transitions between different social or ritual realms.Still, much of this remains speculation. The evidence provides clues, but not complete answers.

How scientists discovered a hidden passage to the crannog

Among the most interesting discoveries are the underground stone passageways connecting the island to the mainland. These indicate that initially, there may have been some easy and perhaps even managed access to the island.Throughout the millennium of water level fluctuations, part of the structure would have been flooded, thus breaking apart what was previously a contiguous landscape.Investigating such landscapes has its own challenges, one of which arises from the fact that between dry land and deep water there is an area where traditional land-based surveys cannot be conducted, and underwater methods are also not efficient enough.To address this, the scientists combined underwater photography, photogrammetry using drones, and GPS measurements to overcome the shortcomings of the individual techniques and produce an accurate 3D reconstruction of the area, including both dry land and submerged portions.