About Us Contact us Kannada

Bucharest: Au revoir France, this summer belongs to Yann Sommer. The Switzerland goalkeeper, who left in the middle of the European Championship's group stage to be with his wife for the birth of their second daughter, made the biggest save of his life against one of the best players in the world.

That gave the Swiss a 5-4 penalty shootout victory over World Cup champion France on Monday and a spot in the quarterfinals of a major soccer tournament for the first time in 67 years. The match had finished 3-3.

Sommer dived to his right to save the final penalty by Kylian Mbapp , the young France forward who became a superstar at the last World Cup by scoring in the final.

I think that everything we had in us, we left out on the field, Sommer said. I'm unbelievably proud of this team, how we've done it this evening.

Sommer, who flew back to Germany after the team's 3-0 loss to Italy to be home when his daughter was born on June 16, made the decisive save on the 10th penalty after the previous nine had all been successful.

What an evening of football, Sommer said.

"It was our chance to finally go through the round of 16, because we never made it before. It's incredible. We played with heart and with character. It's amazing.

The Swiss haven't reached the quarterfinals at a major tournament since they hosted the World Cup in 1954. This team also ended a run of three consecutive exits in the round of 16. They were knocked out by Poland after losing a penalty shootout 5-4 at Euro 2016.

We made history tonight, Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka said.

"We are all very proud.

The Swiss will next play Spain in the quarterfinals on Friday in St. Petersburg. It was the third game in the round of 16 at Euro 2020 to go to extra time but the first to be decided by penalties.

Haris Seferovic put Switzerland in the lead with a header in the 15th minute as France struggled to work itself into the game. But that all changed early in the second half when the Swiss were awarded a penalty.

France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, the team's captain, saved Ricardo Rodr guez's spot kick in the 55th minute and that seemed to wake up his teammates. Karim Benzema scored moments later in the 57th, and then again in the 59th to give France the quick-turnaround lead.

We went through every emotion possible and honestly that was football the way we like it," Lloris said.

"The two goals we conceded in the last quarter of an hour really hurt us.

Paul Pogba made it 3-1 in the 75th with a right-foot shot from 20 meters and it looked like the game was out of reach. But just as quickly as France had taken over the match, they let it go again.

Seferovic scored another header in the 81st minute and substitute Mario Gavranovic made it 3-3 with only seconds remaining.

France had been trying to win back-to-back major titles for the second time. The French won the World Cup in 1998 and followed that up with the title at Euro 2000. Five years ago, France lost in the Euro 2016 final, but then won the 2018 World Cup.

Mbapp was only 19 when France won that title in Moscow, and he became youngest player since Pele in 1958 to score in a World Cup final.

The Brazilian great was quick to offer his support after the heart-breaking miss in Bucharest.

Keep your head up, Kylian! Tomorrow is the first day of a new journey, @KMbappe, the Brazil great wrote on Twitter.

France coach Didier Deschamps played on those winning teams more than 20 years ago, and was trying to become the first man to achieve the feat as both a player and a coach.

It hurts but we have to accept it, Deschamps said.

It's football. Everyone is really disappointed. Everyone's sad in the locker room. But the whole squad is still united in this difficult moment. (AP)

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.

Comments

Noida: India TV editor-in-chief Rajat Sharma has drawn sharp criticism on social media following remarks he made on air attributing Delhi’s air pollution partly to its geographical location and the Aravalli hill range.

Speaking during a recent episode of his prime-time show Aaj Ki Baat, Sharma said Delhi’s geography plays a major role in trapping polluted air.

“Geographical location is the main reason. Delhi is a big city and its shape is like a bowl, surrounded by the Aravalli hills on three sides. As a result, polluted air gets trapped and cannot disperse easily. Therefore, the problem of pollution in Delhi cannot be solved in one year or in any particular season,” he said.

His comments came amid a severe deterioration in air quality in the national capital. On Sunday morning, December 21, Delhi woke up to a thick blanket of toxic smog, sharply reducing visibility and causing widespread discomfort. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 390 around 7 a.m., placing it in the ‘very poor’ category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Dense fog and smog also disrupted flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA). As many as 110 flights were cancelled, while over 370 flights were delayed due to poor visibility. Of the cancelled services, 59 were arriving flights and 51 were departures. Flight-tracking website Flightradar24 showed that departing flights faced an average delay of around 26 minutes.

Netizens troll Sharma

One user wrote on X, “Rajat Sharma is saying due to the Aravalli hills, there is air pollution in Delhi. He is defending mining and destroying the Aravalli hills like this. How can these people call themselves journalists?”

Another user accused him of political hypocrisy, comparing his earlier criticism of the Delhi government with his current remarks, and wrote, “In 2023 he blamed Arvind Kejriwal for Delhi air pollution. In 2025, he is blaming the Aravalli hills because BJP is in power. Hypocrisy = 100%, Journalism = 00%.”

Others termed the comments an example of the “godi media” narrative, alleging that geography was being blamed instead of governance, industrial emissions, vehicular pollution, construction dust, and stubble burning. “When they fail to question power or policy, they conveniently shift the blame to nature,” another post read.

“Friends, what can one even say about today’s godi media? According to them, the reason for Delhi’s pollution is that the Aravalli hills surround the city from three sides, trapping polluted air inside. Seriously? So now Sudhir Chaudhary and Rajat Sharma want us to believe that nature itself is to blame? When they fail to question power or policy, they conveniently shift the blame to geography. Apparently, it’s not years of environmental destruction or administrative failure—it’s the Aravalli hills! Does this explanation make any sense at all?,” wrote another.

What is the Aravali issue?

The controversy arises over the Union government’s revised definition of what constitutes the Aravalli hills.

The decision has drawn protests involving environmental activists across Haryana, Rajasthan, and parts of the Delhi-NCR region, who have raised concerns that the new definition could weaken protection for one of the world’s oldest mountain ranges.

Under the revised definition, an “Aravalli hill” is described as any landform in designated Aravalli districts with an elevation of 100 metres or more above local relief, while an “Aravalli range” is defined as a cluster of two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other. Activists fear this could open the door for mining, construction, and commercial activities in previously protected areas.

Environmentalists argue that the Aravalli range serves as a natural barrier against desertification, dust storms, and pollution, and plays a vital role in maintaining ecological balance in the Delhi-NCR region.

They have demanded that the entire Aravalli range be declared a fully protected area with strict conservation measures.

Meanwhile, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has stated that the new definition, accepted by the Supreme Court based on a Centre-led panel’s recommendations, would not result in any relaxation of mining norms in the Aravalli region.

All Stories

Senior citizen duped of Rs 23.5 lakh on threat of digital arrest in Thane district
Senior citizen duped of Rs 23.5 lakh on threat of digital arrest in Thane district

 A 68-year-old man was allegedly cheated of Rs 23.5 lakh by cyber fraudsters who threatened him with digital arrest in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Monday.
Delhi's air quality 'very poor' in Delhi
Delhi's air quality 'very poor' in Delhi

Thick grey haze shrouded Delhi on Monday morning, with the air quality remaining in the 'very poor' category with a reading of 366, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Rupee rises 22 paise to 89.45 against US dollar in early trade
Rupee rises 22 paise to 89.45 against US dollar in early trade

The rupee appreciated 22 paise to 89.45 against the US dollar in early trade on Monday supported by foreign fund inflows and a positive trend in domestic equities.

Copyright © 2025. Vartha Bharati. All rights reserved