Heavy rains lash parts of Karnataka
Bengaluru(PTI): Several parts of Karnataka received heavy rains on Wednesday, with Bengaluru, Belagavi, Kodagu and Udupi recording significant showers, according to data from the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC).
According to official data, Varanga in Udupi district recorded the highest rainfall at 58.5 mm, followed by Birunani (Kodagu dt, 56.5 mm). Savasuddi in Belagavi district recorded 55.0 mm rainfall while Chandapura and Doddathoguru in Bengaluru Urban recorded 53.0 mm rainfall between 8.30 am and 8.45 pm.
The KSNDMC said that Bengaluru reported 33 mm of rain at the city station, 15.2 mm at HAL Airport and a trace at Kempegowda International Airport.
Gopalnagar in Bengaluru Urban recorded 49 mm between 8.30 am and 8.30 pm.
Meanwhile, Agumbe in Shivamogga district received 37.5 mm, Mudigere in Chikkamagaluru district received 10.5 mm, Gonikoppal in Kodagu 10 mm, and Mangaluru (Dakshina Kannada) 5 mm during the same duration till 8.30 pm.
Light showers were also recorded in parts of Chikkaballapura (1.5 mm), Hassan (1 mm), Hunsur in Mysuru (0.5 mm) and Ganagapura in Kalaburagi (0.5 mm). Vijayapura recorded 8 mm and Shakthi Nagar in Mangaluru 4.1 mm during the day, the data added.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
