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SINGAPORE: China landed an uncrewed spacecraft on the far side of the moon on Sunday, a landmark mission which aims to retrieve rocks and soil from the lunar surface, China's space agency said. The landing elevates China's space power status in a global rush to the moon, where countries, including the United States, are hoping to exploit lunar minerals to sustain long-term astronaut missions and moon bases. The Chang'e-6 craft successfully landed in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the back of the moon at 6:23 a.m. Beijing time (2223 GMT), the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said in a statement on its website. "The Chang'e-6 mission is the first human sampling and return mission from the far side of the moon. It involves many engineering innovations, high risks and great difficulty," CNSA said. "The payloads carried by the Chang'e-6 lander will work as planned and carry out scientific exploration missions," CNSA said. The successful mission is China's second on the far side of the moon, a region no country has landed on before. The back of the moon perpetually faces away from the Earth, making communications challenging. The Chang'e-6 probe landed nearly a month after it was launched by a Chinese Long March-5 rocket from Wenchang Space Launch Center on the southern island of Hainan.

For ever and a day, the cricket world has viewed the United States of America as its final frontier. Here was the last untouched market. A South Asian diaspora with a love of the game and dollars to spend, bolstered by significant others from around the Commonwealth.There are enough people of English, Irish, South African and Caribbean origin in the USA to take the bat and ball game from the Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans and Bangladeshis and run with it. And yet, it has never quite happened. Most cricket lovers don’t know this, but the first international match was played between America and Canada in Bloomingdale Park, Manhattan, a good 33 years before England and Australia met in 1877. That encounter was not even classed as an international match at the time, but history tells us that it happened. Now, the International Cricket Council, in all its wisdom, has taken the Twenty20 World Cup to the United States of America and the Caribbean.“Honestly, I never thought we would be playing cricket in any form in the states (USA), but now it’s a reality. That tells you about the growing impact of the sport in the world and the United States is more than willing to accept the change and be probably the first ones on a global scale to accept it, in a way, with the World Cup,” Virat Kohli, India’s shining light and probably the biggest name in the game, said in a video shared on social media by the US consulate in Mumbai.“It’s a great start. It’s the ideal way to begin and it’s going to have a huge impact. In starting off, a kind of a domino effect and I hope it carries on for a long period of time.” For the tournament to taste any kind of success, though, India will have to do well and go deep. On paper, this should not be difficult. In the first round India are up against Canada, Ireland, Pakistan and the United States of America. Even a loss to arch-rivals Pakistan should ensure safe passage to the next round if India win the games they are expected to. And, yet, the tournament’s success is far from guaranteed. Australia, the West Indies, England and South Africa all have teams that can power through. But, all eyes will be on India, at least initially.110627498110627499110627503Rohit Sharma leads a strong team that includes Virat Kohli, the man who was the cynosure of all eyes at the recently concluded IPL. Kohli has runs to his name and has batted more adventurously than at any time in his career.But, questions remain over India’s approach to the shortest format. Several young guns, notably Rinku Singh, the finisher extraordinaire, are not in the mix.It’s also not clear how India will fit the free-hitting Shivam Dube and Yashasvi Jaiswal into a packed eleven. Dube is the best hitter against spin and Jaiswal is the most uncrowded of India’s young players.But, if Jaiswal is to play in his customary opening slot, one of Rohit or Kohli must drop down the order and this is unlikely. In the event this does happen, there is no room for Dube in the middle-order, even though he can hold one end up with his medium-pace.India have chosen to go into this tournament with four frontline spinners and Rohit proclaimed at the time of selection that all will be revealed in due course. It’s clear that India are expecting to play on slow, low pitches in their morning games in the early part of the tournament, but this should not shape their overall strategy.In the last few outings, India have been strong in global tournaments without going the distance. If anything, this Indian team has fallen short of winning the big prize, even when being favourites. There is no silverware in the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s offices since the 2011 World Cup. At the World Cup, Jasprit Bumrah will be the main man, even if he does not walk away with all the laurels. His bowling will be critical, his overs devastating. And then there is Kuldeep Yadav with his left-arm all sorts. Neither of these names top the charts and yet they are integral to India’s chances. This World Cup may not take the game to the United States of America, but it can be useful in reminding the world that protecting what you have may be as valuable as scoping new horizons.

Two days after the Southwest Monsoon made an early onset over Kerala, widespread rains lashed several parts of the state triggering landslides, uprooting trees and leading to waterlogging. Kottayam, Idukki and some parts of Ernakulam have been witnessing intense downpour since Friday night.Southwest monsoon is likely to arrive in Madhya Pradesh by June 15, two days before its usual onset in the state. Landslides and trees getting uprooted were reported at Poochapra and Kolappra areas, located in the interiors of hill district Idukki last night. Some houses and vehicles were damaged in the landslip, but no casualties were reported, locals said. Traffic restrictions were put in place along Thodupuzha-Puliyanmala state highway due to the possible threat of mudslides. As five shutters of the Malankara Dam in Idukki were raised, district authorities advised those living on the banks of Thodupuzha and Muvattupuzha rivers to exercise caution. With various parts of the neighbouring Kottayam district receiving downpour, people living close to Meenachal and Manimala rivers were also urged to remain vigilant. Incessant rains that battered several parts of Kottayam for hours since last evening caused waterlogging and traffic snarls. While Vadavathoor region received 100 mm rainfall on Friday night, the urban areas of Kottayam got 99 mm, authorities said. ALSO READ: Southwest monsoon sets over Kerala, advances into most parts of northeast India: IMDThough the port city of Kochi received moderate rains, Aluva region of Ernakulam experienced intense rains since May 31 night. As per the latest update of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), thunderstorm with light to moderate rainfall and gusty winds reaching upto a speed of 40 kmph is likely at one or two places in Ernakulam,Thrissur and Malappuram districts in the morning. Moderate rainfall is expected at one or two places in Kollam, Pathanamthitta,Alappuzha and Kottayam districts. Light rainfall is likely to occur at one or two places in Thiruvananthapuram, Idukki, Kozhikode and Kannur districts, it said. Southwest monsoon made an early onset over Kerala and northeastern region on May 30, setting the stage for the four-month rainy season crucial for India's agriculture-based economy. According to weather scientists, cyclone Remal, which ripped through West Bengal and Bangladesh on Sunday, had pulled the monsoonal flow to the Bay of Bengal, which could be one of the reasons for early onset over the northeast. MP Monsoon forecastThe simultaneous onset of monsoon over Kerala and the northeast is quite rare and has happened on four occasions earlier — in 2017, 1997, 1995 and 1991.Talking to PTI, Pramendra Kumar, meteorologist of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) Bhopal Centre, said, "Monsoon is likely to set over Madhya Pradesh around June 15 or a day or two ahead of its normal schedule."The state is expected to receive more than its normal rainfall this season, he said, adding that the average rainfall of the state was 949 mm.Last year, monsoon arrived in Madhya Pradesh on June 25 but covered the entire state in a short time, he said.Another meteorologist of IMD's Bhopal Centre, Prakash Dhawale, said that the southwest monsoon has made an early onset over Kerala.Best national parks in India to visit before monsoo