Hardik Pandya didn’t try to hide Mumbai Indians’ biggest problem after another crushing defeat, making their already poor IPL 2026 campaign even worse. The MI skipper admitted that the franchise’s repeated fielding failures throughout the season have badly affected the team, adding that frequent dropped catches have left Mumbai “chasing the game.”

Mumbai Indians suffered another defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on 20 May, a result which summed up their poor season. After securing just four wins from 13 matches, MI are now second-last IPL 2026 points table with only eight points and already out of the race for the playoffs.

IPL 2026, KKR vs MI: highlight | Achievement:

Speaking after the defeat, Hardik openly admitted that Mumbai’s fielding standards have fallen far below the level required to compete consistently in the IPL.

Hardik Pandya said, “I think we have been very bad in the field throughout the season. I think we have dropped a lot of catches, obviously no one wants to do that. But in that part of the game, I think there is no point in hiding. I think if you get chances, if you want to win the game, you have to take all the chances, even half chances.”

“But yes, when you give up chances that can change the game, it always happens that you are chasing the game,” said the embattled Pandya.

After posting a below par score of 147/8, MI still managed to create moments during KKR’s chase where they could have pulled themselves back into the contest. But once again his fielding disappointed him badly.

The most disappointing moment came in the 10th over.

Rovman Powell hit a pull shot off Hardik Pandya and what should have been a simple catch turned into complete confusion between Deepak Chahar and Robin Minz. Both fielders hesitated, neither committed properly and the ball eventually fell safely between them.

It was exactly the kind of moment that had haunted Mumbai throughout IPL 2026.

Fielding errors sum up MI’s horror season

Mumbai’s catching problems have haunted them almost the entire season.

The franchise dropped five catches in a single game against Punjab Kings at the start of the tournament, while missing chances in the field resulted in several matches being lost.

For a side that once built its dominance on discipline and ruthlessness, the decline in standards is obvious.

And the contradiction against Kolkata Knight Riders during the Eden Gardens clash made things even tougher for MI.

While Mumbai maintained chances, KKR once again looked to be one of the fastest fielding teams in the competition.

Much of the credit for that improvement has been internally given to fielding coach Dishant Yagnik, who has turned Kolkata into the best catching team of IPL 2026. The clearest example of this came during Cameron Green’s brilliant catch to dismiss Rohit Sharma during the match.

That sharpness ultimately became one of the biggest differences between the two teams.

KKR kept their chances, handled the pressure better and ultimately chased down the target patiently under the leadership of Manish Pandey and Rinku Singh.

Meanwhile, Mumbai’s season is now heading towards its conclusion with only one match left against Rajasthan Royals.

And after a campaign filled with inconsistency, poor fielding and constant pressure, MI now enter IPL 2027 with far bigger questions than answers.

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A Tennessee man who spent more than a month in jail over Facebook posts about the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk will get $835,000 after settling a lawsuit against local officials.Larry Bushart, 61, is a retired police officer and was jailed for 37 days before prosecutors dropped the felony charge related to social media memes he posted after Kirk’s death.Tennessee officials will now pay $835,000 to settle Buschart’s federal lawsuit against Perry County, the local sheriff and an investigator involved in obtaining the arrest warrant.Bushart said the time spent in custody had a personal and financial impact. He lost his job after retirement, missed his wedding anniversary and the birth of his granddaughter while behind bars.“I am pleased that my First Amendment rights have been vindicated,” Buschert said in a statement announcing the settlement Wednesday.He said: “People’s freedom to engage in civil discussion is vital to a healthy democracy. I look forward to moving on and spending time with my family.”Buschart was arrested in September after refusing to remove Facebook memes that referenced Kirk’s murder, sparking outrage among the conservative activist’s MAGA supporters. Officials said the post has caused concern in the local community.A meme shared by Bushart read, “We have to get over this,” along with an image of President Donald Trump. The image references Trump’s 2024 comments following a school shooting in Iowa. The meme stated that this quote was given “a day after” the incident.Bushart added the caption: “It still feels relevant today…”Controversy escalated when some residents misinterpreted the post as a potential threat to a local school with a similar name in Tennessee. Police later confirmed that the meme was not referring to the Tennessee school shooting, but to the Iowa school shooting.Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems said at the time that most of Bushart’s posts were protected speech, but the specific meme created concern in the community.“Investigators believe that Bushart was fully aware that his posts would instill fear and that he deliberately tried to create hysteria within the community,” Weems said in a statement to The Tennessean last year.Bushart was initially held on $2 million bail before being released as the case attracted scrutiny over free speech protections.Charlie Kirk was assassinated on September 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, when a gunman using a sniper from the rooftop about 140 meters away during a public event fired a single shot, killing him. His wife Erica Kirk later made emotional public comments, while Turning Point USA continued operations after his death.

New Delhi: Portmanteau wrote itself. Now, it has a ring that can launch a thousand candy commercials. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Italy early Wednesday, welcomed his counterpart Georgia Meloni and handed her a packet of ‘Melody’, much to the delight of political journalists. Interestingly, the name of Parle Toffee matches the name of the friendship between the two Prime Ministers that has been trending on the internet for three years. The 12-second video of the ‘chocolate’ exchange between PM Modi and Meloni was viewed more than 10 crore times within a few hours. “PM Modi has brought us a gift – a very, very nice toffee: Melody,” Meloni said as Modi picked up the packet, before both burst into a hearty laugh. “Thank you for the gift,” she later posted on X. The ‘Melody’ tag has been a major part of online trends whenever the two have met. It got something close to official endorsement when Meloni used it as a hashtag on a selfie with PM Modi posted during the COP28 meeting in the UAE in December 2023. PM’s toffee diplomacy in Rome sent the opposition back home. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the Prime Minister was “busy distributing sweets in Italy” while “there is an economic storm going on in the country”. “Farmers, youth, women laborers and small traders are all shedding tears – the PM is laughing and making reels, while BJP people are clapping. This is not leadership, this is a farce,” he said. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also targeted the PM. “Modiji wants the public to enjoy the ‘melody’ of his speeches while being spared the ‘sorrow’ of his government’s loot!” Citing domestic LPG prices, he said that it has increased by 121%. “Every aspect of the economy is suffering, but Modiji continues his public relations campaign and exhorts citizens to shoulder the burden of this severe economic storm,” Kharge alleged. Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal expressed his views on the toffee discussion, though without mentioning Melody the Sweet or Melody the Pair. He wrote on Later, responding to Rahul’s criticism of Modi’s choice of gift for the Italian PM, Goyal wondered why he had so much “hate” for India and Indian products. “India has become a trusted destination for the world through its ‘Made in India’ and ‘Local Goes Global’ initiatives, but Congress can only find problems in every Indian achievement,” he said, alleging that Rahul is unable to digest the country’s “rising stature under PM Modi’s rule”. The Prime Minister was in Italy on the last leg of his five-nation tour. Meloni hosted him for dinner and accompanied him on a tour of the Colosseum.

Salman Khan Recently, she was seen apologizing to the paparazzi after expressing anger over the alleged invasion of privacy during a hospital visit. The incident took place at Raja Shivaji’s success party in Mumbai on Wednesday, where the photographers apologized to the actor for their behavior the day before.As soon as Salman arrived at the event, he was surrounded by the paparazzi, who repeatedly said “sorry” while trying to welcome him. Hearing the commotion, the actor leaned forward and gestured to ask what had happened. Once he understood that he was apologizing, Salman accepted him and indicated that everything was fine.Many celebrities attended the success party Ritesh DeshmukhGenelia D’Souza, Siddharth Jadhav, Mahesh Manjrekar, BhagyashreeFardeen Khan, Sachin Khedekar, and Jitendra Joshi among others.

Salman Khan had expressed his anger on online paparazzi

The apology comes after Salman publicly criticized a section of the media and paparazzi for allegedly creating chaos during his hospital visit and invading his personal space at a sensitive moment.Salman expressed his disappointment in a strongly worded post on social media early on Wednesday morning. “If I see any press enjoying my pain in the hospital. The press I stand for has taken care that they also earn their livelihood. But if they want to make money from my loss, then keep quiet, don’t enjoy. Bhai bhai matribhoomi picture ki maa ki aankh, picture imp hai ya zindagi,” he wrote.The actor also warned against insensitive behavior by photographers. “I will burn a hundred like this. Next time try with me on the grief of a brother. Just try…whenever one of yours is in the hospital, will I react like this?” Salman added.In another post, the actor wrote, “I have become a year old but don’t forget to fight, remember this, put me in jail ha ha.”

Fans express concern over Salman’s emotional post

Salman’s posts quickly went viral on social media, with fans and celebrities reacting strongly to his emotional outburst. While many users supported the actor and criticized the aggressive paparazzi culture, a section of netizens also appeared confused and concerned by the tone and wording of his caption.However, the superstar’s latest appearance at Raja Shivaji’s success party suggested that tensions had subsided after the paparazzi personally apologized to him.

Plastic pollution, biodegradable materials and sustainable manufacturing are becoming major priorities for scientists around the world, and researchers in the United States have found a breakthrough solution. Scientists at Rice University and the University of Houston have created a new supermaterial developed from bacteria using bacterial cellulose that is strong, flexible and environmentally friendly. Published in Nature Communications, the research shows how aligned cellulose nanofibers could produce high-performance materials capable of replacing plastics in packaging, electronics and manufacturing. Researchers believe the innovation could help reduce microplastic pollution by transforming green manufacturing, bioengineering and sustainable industrial design across many industries.

How did scientists create a new bacteria-derived supermaterial?

The main aspect of the innovation relates to bacterial cellulose, a natural biopolymer produced by special types of bacteria. Although cellulose is present in plants, bacterial cellulose is known to be one of the purest forms in nature. Scientists have invented a rotating bioreactor that helps direct the movement of bacteria in a certain direction while generating cellulose fibers.As noted in the paper titled ‘Flow-Induced 2D Nanomaterials Intercalated Aligned Bacterial Cellulose,’ Alignment significantly increases content performance. Specifically, the artificial cellulose sheets were able to withstand tensile forces of up to 436 megapascals, making them as strong as metals and glass but also lighter, flexible, and transparent. “Bacteria move in all directions; we tell them to move in a certain direction,” said MASR Saadi, lead author of the research. The scientists also introduced boron nitride nanosheets to boost the material’s performance. As a result, the improved material was able to dissipate heat three times faster than traditional cellulose sheets.

Why could bacterial cellulose replace traditional plastics?

Scientists have reported that traditional plastics continue to cause serious environmental challenges as they decompose into microplastics and emit toxic compounds such as BPA and phthalates. Unlike petroleum-based plastics, bacterial cellulose is biodegradable and derived from natural sources.Muhammad Maqsood Rehman, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of Houston, said the team envisions “strong, multifunctional and eco-friendly bacterial cellulose sheets becoming ubiquitous”.The material’s potential is being addressed by researchers due to its unique blend of properties. It is strong like industrial materials, light like plastic and eco-friendly at the same time. Scientists believe it could be used in the future for food packaging, flexible electronics, textiles, thermal management systems and energy storage devices.The global research community is increasingly looking for biodegradable alternatives to plastics. Bio-based structural materials are becoming increasingly important to reduce dependence on fossil fuel plastics.

Could sustainable supermaterials transform modern manufacturing?

Perhaps the most important aspect of search is its scalability. It is often difficult for eco-friendly materials to move from experimental tests to practical applications due to their high manufacturing costs. However, according to the researchers, this bacterial cellulose process can be implemented in just one manufacturing step and scaled up to industrial scale.While the sustainability of the material is praised, doubts have been expressed about its economic feasibility compared to cheaper petroleum-based plastics.Nevertheless, scientists hope that this experiment will prove to be an important milestone towards green manufacturing. Instead of making the material from crude oil, we may be able to produce the material with the help of bacteria in the future.Plastics have always been the preferred choice for manufacturers because they are cheap and easy to manufacture. But it appears that the future of manufacturing lies in developing supermaterials using bacteria.

The US indictment of Raul Castro in the 1996 shooting down of civilian planes has heightened tensions between Washington and Havana, with some analysts warning that the move could take the two Cold War rivals closer to open conflict.Charges against the 94-year-old former Cuban president were announced this week in Miami, where Cuban exile groups welcomed the verdict as they awaited long-awaited justice for the deaths of four Cuban Americans when Cuban fighter planes shot down two planes operated by Brothers to the Rescue in 1996.But in Cuba, Raul Castro is still seen by supporters as one of the main symbols of the communist revolution he founded along with his revolutionary brother Fidel Castro.“He is the living embodiment of the revolution,” former US diplomat Ricardo Zuniga told CNN.Zuniga was involved in secret talks that restored diplomatic relations between the US and Cuba during the Obama administration. He warned that the indictment could cut off communications between the two governments and make tensions even more dangerous.“Ultimately, frustrations on both sides could lead to conflict as Washington cuts off communications with the Cuban government through this indictment,” he said.The allegations come at a time when Cuba is already facing one of the worst economic and humanitarian crises in decades. Fuel shortages, food shortages and lengthy power outages have fueled growing despair across the island, while new US sanctions and embargoes have increased pressure on Havana.US President Donald Trump has criticized the Cuban government in recent months and has also suggested he is open to a possible deal.“Whether you change the regime or not, I can (make the deal). It’s been a harsh regime and they killed a lot of people,” Trump said Tuesday.POTUS said: “But this is a country that really needs help. They can’t turn on the lights, they can’t eat. We don’t want to see that.”At the same time, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Cuban-American and longtime critic of the Castro family, has taken a much tougher stance. He believes that the current Cuban leadership should be removed from power.The indictment has emboldened anti-Castro groups in Miami, many of whom believe Cuba’s communist government is weakening and could eventually collapse under the pressure.“Castro’s time is over,” Cuban-American congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar said on X.For Cuban exile communities, the 1996 shootings remain one of the most painful chapters in US–Cuba relations. Brothers to the Rescue aircraft were flying missions involving Cuban refugees and had previously dropped anti-government leaflets in Havana. Cuban officials at the time insisted that the planes violated Cuban airspace and called the attack an act of national sovereignty.Now, if the US attempts to pursue Castro more aggressively, the impeachment could lead to a direct confrontation. The charges could theoretically provide a legal basis for extradition efforts or further action against senior Cuban officials.Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has responded boldly, accusing Washington of trying to impose political change on Cuba. The Cuban military has stepped up exercises across the country, CNN reports, while a state message warned citizens to prepare for possible aggression.Diaz-Canel also warned that a “blood bath” would await any attacking force.Analysts say that despite Cuba’s weak military position, any military conflict would carry enormous risks. Unlike Venezuela, where the US has recently increased pressure on the government of Nicolas Maduro, Cuba’s political and military leadership has been tied for decades to the revolutionary system created by Fidel and Raul Castro.Even though Raul Castro officially stepped down from power several years ago, he still holds tremendous symbolic influence within Cuba. He is regularly referred to as the leader of the revolution, and senior officers continue to consult him on major decisions.Zuniga warned that completely isolating Cuba’s leadership could make the situation more unstable rather than less.“By cutting off communications, they may fail to understand on the Cuban side that the next step could be some type of attack from the United States,” he said.He added: “But there is nothing to destroy that is not already in disrepair.”