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South Africa captain Aiden Markram hailed his side's adaptability and quick assessment of conditions on offer after securing a comprehensive 76-run victory over India in the Super 8 clash of 2026 Men's T20 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday. On a slow black soil pitch, David Miller top-scored with 63 while Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs hit 45 and 44 not out respectively as the Proteas recovered from 20/3 to post a challenging 187/7 in 20 overs. In reply, the South African bowlers, led by Marco Jansen's 4-22, then delivered a tactical and execution masterclass to bundle out India for 111 in 18.5 overs.
"Great performance. Very different type of wicket to what we've had here, so great to see the boys assess that pretty early and adapt their skills to execute their plans. We're really pumped for the bowling group. They've been working hard, started the comp a bit tough, but the way they rocked up tonight was a great effort," Markram said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
He credited the 97-run partnership between Miller and Brevis for steadying the innings after early setbacks. "I think first and foremost was that partnership. The guys were great, put that together for us, steadied the ship and kept us in the game," he added.
Markram said the team's batting through the middle overs, thanks to Miller and Brevis, proved to be decisive. "Conversations towards the back end were that the ball was travelling tonight, felt almost a bit spongy, so it was about finding space where we could run hard, drop the ego and take as much as we could at the back end. They bowled well up front and at the death as well, but I thought our batting through the middle was probably the difference."
He also praised the fielding effort and the role of pacer Lungi Ngidi. "Good effort in the field. We put two down but not for lack of effort. Against UAE we probably weren't as connected as we'd like, but that presence and connectedness was much better today. We're going to make mistakes, we don't mind that as a group, so we'll brush those aside. We feel like Lungi is a threat whenever he bowls and that he can take wickets for us in that middle phase," said Markram.
Looking ahead to their next clash against the West Indies, Markram said, "I think it's the same for both teams having played each other recently. They're a dangerous T20 side playing good cricket, so we'll enjoy this tonight, park it, and get our minds sharp for that West Indies clash. It's a big game for us and we don't want to take confidence or good vibes for granted. Important to rock up on the 28th and take it on full steam ahead."
Miller, named Player of the Match, said his approach was about sticking to his strengths and maintaining aggression. "Just about making sure you stick to your strengths and don't go into your shell. During the powerplay, all fielders were in the ring so thought of going over. Trying to get a partnership as much as we could, and trying to rotate strike," he said.
He explained his scoring areas at the venue. "With the nature of this ground, you want to look straight. Smaller there than square. Want to shape up to hit straight and then react. Looking to be nice and aggressive against the spinners. They have world-class bowlers. Have played against them a lot, trying to put them under pressure and about putting yourself in the position to do that."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Russia's SVR foreign intelligence agency has taken over mercenary group Wagner's influence operations in Africa after the death of its founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, according to a new investigation.
Wagner, whose brutal methods have been denounced by rights organisations, was Russia's best-known mercenary group.
It had a widespread presence in Africa, deploying fighters alongside the armies of countries including Libya and Mali, and also conducted vast disinformation and destabilisation campaigns.
After Prigozhin died in a plane crash in 2023 following a short-lived mutiny against Moscow, the Russian defence ministry has sought to replace Wagner in Africa and coordinate security operations through an umbrella group known as the Africa Corps.
But it is the SVR that has taken over Wagner's influence operations, aimed at pushing Moscow's political and economic interests, conducting disinformation campaigns and eliminating competition in Africa and beyond, according to an investigation by a consortium of investigative and media outlets, including Forbidden Stories and All Eyes On Wagner.
"The SVR has now taken over the most effective tool of the Wagner Group," said the investigation, which also involved Dossier Center, openDemocracy and iStories.
Nearly 100 consultants work for Wagner's influence branch, called Africa Politology or The Company, the investigative outlets said.
Between 2024 and 2025, the outfit deployed teams across numerous countries, including Angola, Argentina, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Chad, Ghana, Libya, Mali, Niger and Sudan, the investigation said.
Teams have also been active in Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Cameroon, Benin and Namibia.
- 'Influence and disinformation' -
"The SVR provides a layer of intelligence with information on specific topics, recruits sources, opens access and places key agents of influence in strategic roles," the consortium said.
The investigation was launched after internal documents from the network were anonymously sent to the editor-in-chief of the award-winning pan-African media outlet The Continent.
These files -- comprising more than 1,400 pages in Russian -- include strategic plans, staff biographies, operational reports, accounting records and summaries of disinformation campaigns carried out between January and November 2024.
The investigation confirmed the authenticity of the 76 documents and their content.
"The documents show that these operations combine political influence, disinformation and close ties to security services, going far beyond the usual practices in the sector," it said.
Sometimes, the SVR intelligence service competes with the Russian defence ministry, which oversees the GRU military intelligence, or has to coordinate with it, according to the investigation.
While the Russian defence ministry took over Wagner operations in countries such as Mali, it did not bring the Russian private military contractors under its control in the Central African Republic.
"In the Central African Republic, the SVR is called upon to help the defence ministry avoid hindering the activities of Wagner," investigators said.
- 'Political win' -
The investigators reveal the nearly systematic involvement of the SVR across Africa.
"In Mali, the SVR is tasked to provide intelligence to Africa Politology regarding the military and political plans of France and the United States in the Sahel," the consortium said.
"It is also missioned to provide diplomatic support for the creation of a new military-political union to Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and the Republic of Guinea."
After successive coups in 2021, 2022 and 2023, junta-run Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have turned their back on former colonial power France, drawing closer to Russia.
They broke ties with west African regional bloc ECOWAS and launched a rival group, the Alliance of Sahel States, or AES, in 2023.
"Russia's strategy manifested with the creation of the Alliance of Sahel States," the investigation said.
"That's a significant political win," Lou Osborn, co‑author of the investigation, told AFP, adding that Russians were particularly successful in the "unstable, vulnerable" Sahel countries.
She said she found the network's lobbying efforts in Africa "fascinating".
"They have so many lawyers, and they really try to influence laws," she added.
The journalists identified a network of companies used to send funds from the SVR to The Company.
According to their calculations, the budget for the influence operations between January and October 2024 amounted to nearly $7.3 million, or about $750,000 per month.
Despite their budget and efforts, Russia did not have much to show for its efforts, the investigators said.
"Russia is playing the long game but the results are not always quick to materialise," they said.
"On the African continent, Russia is signing a lot of memorandums of understanding but fails to convert these non-binding agreements into money-making businesses."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Britain's royal family was thrown into crisis Thursday after former prince Andrew was arrested by police and held for hours, in an unprecedented move against the monarchy in modern British history.
The disgraced royal was detained early Thursday on suspicion of misconduct for his links to late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with some analysts pointing back centuries to find another such example.
As Andrew marked his 66th birthday on Thursday, police swooped on his new home on the remote royal eastern Sandringham estate around 8:00 am (0800 GMT).
King Charles III, who has promised police the full support of Buckingham Palace, swiftly issued a rare personally signed statement insisting "the law must take its course".
It was a humiliating new blow for Andrew who was last year stripped of his titles, and ousted from his Windsor residence of more than two decades.
Thames Valley Police said in a statement late Thursday that "the arrested man has now been released under investigation".
A photograph published by media showed Andrew slumped in the back of a car, staring wild-eyed ahead.
While the earlier police searches in Norfolk "have now concluded," they were still searching a property in Berkshire, police added. It is believed that is Andrew's former residence, Royal Lodge.
"It's a hugely significant moment for the British monarchy, and indeed the nation," royal expert Ed Owens told AFP.
"We are witnessing a monarchy, I think, shaken by recent events."
In the sleepy village of Sandringham near the royal estate, an off-duty police officer said he was "very satisfied some formal action was taken".
"It shows that we are taking steps... I think it's very reassuring to the members of the public," the officer, who did not want to be named, told AFP.
Thames Valley police said it had arrested "a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office," without naming the suspect, as is common UK practice.
Moment of crisis
Andrew's arrest follows new revelations last week that the ex-prince appeared to have sent Epstein potentially confidential documents while serving as a UK trade envoy.
In a November 2010 email seen by AFP, Andrew appeared to share with the US financier reports on his visit to several Asian countries.
Epstein had been convicted in the United States in 2008 of procuring a child for prostitution.
Charles last year stripped his brother of his titles and ordered him to leave his Windsor mansion -- though he does remain eighth in the line of succession.
"Let me state clearly: the law must take its course," the king said in his statement.
In an apparent bid to project an air of business-as-usual, Charles carried out several public duties Thursday, including opening London Fashion Week.
In the Norfolk village of Dersingham, local pub owner John Higginson said he hoped the issue would be "resolved".
"I just feel sorry, to be quite honest, for people like William and Kate," he added, referring to the heir-to-the-throne and his wife.
Royal commentator Katie Nicholl told Sky News: "Let's make no bones about it. This is a moment of crisis for the monarchy, possibly the greatest crisis since the (1936) abdication. No one quite knows how this is going to pan out."
The scandal has been gathering pace since one of Epstein's accusers, Virginia Giuffre, last year claimed in her posthumous memoirs that she had been trafficked three times to have sex with Andrew when she was a teenager.
The Giuffre family welcomed Andrew's arrest Thursday, saying: "Our broken hearts have been lifted at the news," adding that he was "never a prince".
Wide probe
Andrew has previously denied any wrongdoing in his associations with Epstein.
He settled a US civil lawsuit in 2022 brought by Giuffre while not admitting liability.
The ex-prince served as a British trade envoy for a decade from 2001.
Official guidance stipulates trade envoys have a duty of confidentiality over sensitive commercial or political information related to their official visits, the BBC has said.
Misconduct in public office carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.
At least nine UK police forces have confirmed they are assessing claims stemming from the Epstein files, many related to Andrew.
It follows the US justice department's latest release of millions of files from its investigation into the US financier.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
A 19-year-old man has been arrested by Gurugram Police after a biotechnology student was allegedly brutally assaulted by her live-in partner at a paying guest accommodation in the city.
The accused, identified as Shivam, a resident of Delhi, was taken into custody following a complaint received by the Badshahpur police station.
According to police, the case came to light after the victim's mother called the police, alleging that her 19-year-old daughter had been severely assaulted by her live-in partner, who had reportedly become suspicious about her character.
Police teams rushed to the Great PG, a rental accommodation in Sector 69, Gurugram, where the incident took place, and detained the accused before beginning an investigation.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Hitesh Yadav said the victim, a resident of North Tripura and a biotechnology student at GD Goenka University, was admitted to a government hospital in Gurugram late at night in critical condition.
Due to the seriousness of her injuries, doctors later referred her to AIIMS in Delhi for advanced treatment.
Hospital authorities confirmed that the victim had multiple serious injuries on her body.
Police said the victim and the accused had met in September 2025 and were living together. Discussions regarding their marriage had reportedly taken place between the two families.
Officials said an argument broke out between the couple late at night, which escalated into a violent altercation. During the dispute, Shivam allegedly assaulted the victim.
The police have registered a case and arrested the accused. Further investigation is underway to determine the exact sequence of circumstances leading to the assault.
Ever since he was ousted as the head of Ukraine's army in 2024 and appointed as the country's ambassador to Britain, Valerii Zaluzhnyi has widely been seen as the top political rival to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zaluzhnyi, 52, refuses to discuss his political ambitions, saying he doesn't want to risk harming national unity during a war with Russia that is approaching its fourth anniversary. Yet in a sign of his possible desire to run for the presidency - after the war is over - Zaluzhnyi spoke publicly for the first time about a deep rift between himself and Zelensky in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
Tensions emerged soon after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, and tempers often flared between the two men over how best to defend the country, Zaluzhnyi said. The strained relationship reached a boiling point later that year, when dozens of agents from Ukraine's domestic intelligence service raided Zaluzhnyi's office, he told the AP.
Zaluzhnyi alleges that the previously unreported incident was an act of intimidation.
Ukraine's security service, known as the SBU, said that no search was ever carried out at Zaluzhnyi's office, though it acknowledged that the address was part of an investigation unrelated to him. Zelensky's office declined to comment for this story. The AP could not independently confirm Zaluzhnyi's account of the raid.
The revelation threatens to polarize public opinion in Ukraine at a critical moment in the war. Russian forces are making slow, steady gains across Ukraine's eastern front, and both sides are clinging to incompatible demands as the U.S. presses them to reach a peace deal.
Zaluzhnyi said that during the 2022 raid on his office he called Zelensky's chief of staff warning him he was prepared to call in the military to stop it and protect the command center: "I will fight with you and have already called in reinforcements to the center of Kyiv for support."
While that near crisis early in the war passed, disagreements between Zaluzhnyi and Zelensky over how to defend their country persisted, according to Zaluzhnyi.
A dispute over a counteroffensive in 2023 that ultimately failed was particularly contentious, the former general said. Zelensky dismissed him as army chief in February 2024, and later announced he would be headed to London.
The move was widely seen by political analysts as an effort by Zelensky to limit Zaluzhnyi's potential as a political rival.
While a deal to end the war remains elusive, Zelensky has agreed in principle to a plan laid out by U.S. President Donald Trump that calls for elections once the war is over and security guarantees are in place.
One evening in mid-September 2022, Zaluzhnyi emerged from a tense meeting at Zelensky's headquarters and headed back to his office in Kyiv.
Hours later, dozens of agents from Ukraine's security service showed up at Zaluzhnyi's office to search the premises, Zaluzhnyi said. He says he prevented them from rifling through documents and computers.
The raid was clearly a threat, Zaluzhnyi said.
Later, he learned that Ukraine's security service had sought a search warrant from a district court in Kyiv two days earlier to inspect the address where Zaluzhnyi's office is located. The agency was seeking to search a strip club allegedly run by a criminal organization, according to a court document obtained by AP.
But the strip club named in the filing had been closed at that location since before Russia's full-scale invasion, two employees who work at the club's new location told the AP.
The SBU said it was looking into several addresses as part of an investigation into organized crime - unconnected to Zaluzhnyi.
Zaluzhnyi believes the agency could not plausibly have mistaken the location of the country's main war command center.
The 2023 counteroffensive drew widespread criticism from military experts for being too ambitious and coming too late, giving Russian forces time to fortify positions.
Zaluzhnyi says the plan he had crafted with help from NATO partners failed because Zelensky and other officials wouldn't commit the resources it required.
The original plan was to concentrate enough forces into a "single fist" to retake the partially occupied region of Zaporizhzhia - home to a vital nuclear power plant - and then have them advance south to the Sea of Azov. This would sever a corridor of land the Russian army had been using to resupply Crimea, which it illegally annexed in 2014. Success required a large, concentrated buildup and tactical surprise, Zaluzhnyi said.
What happened instead, he said, was that forces were dispersed over a wide area, diluting their striking power.
His account of how the counteroffensive diverged from the original plan was corroborated by two Western defense officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they aren't authorized to speak publicly to the media.
Zaluzhnyi's key criticisms of Ukraine's war strategy are that it depends on an unrealistic number of troops and is not organized well in how it develops and deploys new technologies to the battlefield. He watches developments closely, but says he has not been involved with military decision-making since Zelensky pushed him out. Zaluzhnyi said he and Zelensky had "absolutely friendly" conversations on the two occasions they met since then.
Some analysts say Zaluzhnyi's lack of involvement in Ukraine's day-to-day political affairs could weaken his popularity.
Still, an Ipsos poll published last month showed support for Zaluzhnyi in a hypothetical future election at 23%, compared with Zelensky's 20%, making him the president's top competitor.
Many Ukrainians see him as a figure capable of changing the system, said Volodymyr Fesenko, a political analyst based in Kyiv. "People will vote not only for Zaluzhnyi but also against Zelensky - blaming him for the failures of his presidency," he explained.
Zaluzhnyi avoids discussing politics, he says, for fear of fomenting division among Ukrainians. "Until the war is over or martial law ends, I am not discussing this and have done nothing toward that," he said.
Tarique Rahman will take the oath as the new Prime Minister of Bangladesh on Tuesday after leading his party to a forceful victory in the crucial general elections.
Rahman's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has bagged 209 out of 297 seats, while right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami secured 68 seats in the 13th Parliamentary elections. Deposed premier Sheikh Hasina's Awami League was barred from contesting polls.
Breaking with a long-standing tradition, the swearing-in ceremony of the 60-year-old BNP chairman would be held at the South Plaza of the Parliament Complex instead of Bangabhaban. President Mohammed Shahabuddin will administer the oath to the new cabinet members at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad on Tuesday afternoon, state-run BSS news agency reported on Monday.
"The Parliament Secretariat is set to hold the oath-taking ceremony of the new cabinet members at 4:00 pm tomorrow," Secretary of the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat Kaniz Maula said.
Earlier Tuesday, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin would administer the oath to all newly elected members of the parliament.
All 297 newly elected lawmakers of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) will "first take oath as the members of parliament (MPs) and then as the members of the Constitutional Reform Council," said a press release of JS Secretariat. BNP has called a parliamentary party meeting at the Parliament Building at 11:30 am to elect the parliamentary party leader.
"As the leader of the majority party, our party chairman, Tarique Rahman, will be the Prime Minister," said Salah Uddin Ahmed, a member of the standing committee of the BNP.
The Constitutional dictates - immediately after their swearing-in, the BNP MPs will elect their leader who will be invited by the President to form the government, a Bangabhaban presidential palace official said on Monday.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will represent India at the swearing-in ceremony of Rahman. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Secretary-General of Lok Sabha Utpal Kumar Singh are also likely to accompany Birla.
Rahman would become the prime minister for the first time. He will replace the interim government chief Muhammad Yunus, under whose tenure Dhaka's relations with New Delhi witnessed a significant downturn.
Yunus took charge in August 2024 after the collapse of Hasina's Awami League regime following the massive anti-government protests.
After his party's victory, Rahman visited the homes of his political rivals, including Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman and National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam, where he exchanged greetings and held cordial discussions.
In a post-election press conference, Rahman called for “national unity” and “peace” in the national interest, warning that divisiveness would undermine democracy. He said the country faces a fragile economy, weakened institutions, and a deteriorating law and order situation.
“Our paths and opinions may differ, but in the interest of the country, we must remain united. I firmly believe that national unity is our collective strength, while division is our weakness,” he said.
He said the new government faces two major challenges - tackling the economy and ensuring good governance.
Rahman, the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and BNP's founder, late President Ziaur Rahman, returned home two months ago after 17 years of self-exiled life in London. His principal credentials are dynastic, but he has not held any public office so far. Analysts say the family background earned him a sort of political acumen.
When a journalist asked how he would reconcile with the millions of Awami League supporters, Rahman answered, "By ensuring the rule of law".
In response to a related question, he said there was "no room for politics of vengeance", warning that attacks based on political affiliation or differing opinions would not be tolerated.
The BNP has invited about 1,200 domestic and foreign guests to the event.
Maldives President Mohammed Muizzoo, Turkish Undersecretary Beris Ekinci and Sri Lanka's Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr Nalinda Jayatissa would be among those attending Rahman's oath ceremony.
Bangladesh held the significant 13th parliamentary election on February 12 after a period of tumultuous political vacuum, instability and fragile security situation, including widespread attacks on minorities after the fall of the 15-year rule of Hasina.
Four candidates from minority communities, including two Hindus, all from the BNP, won in the elections.
Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, a member of the BNP's highest policy-making standing committee, and Nitai Roy Chowdhury, one of the vice presidents of the party, won their seats.
The third minority MP-elect is Saching Pru, a senior BNP leader and follower of the Buddhist faith, while the fourth minority candidate, Dipen Dewan, belongs to the Buddhist majority Chakma ethnic minority group.
Hindus comprise approximately eight per cent of the population in the Muslim-majority country of 170 million people.
Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General and coordinator of the liaison committee of the 11-party alliance, AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, has said that they want to play a constructive role as an opposition party.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The Budget Session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly began on a stormy note, with sharp differences surfacing between Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and the state government over the contentious issue of Revenue Deficit Grant or RDG. In a rare development in parliamentary practice, the Governor wrapped up his customary address in just 2 minutes and 1 second, significantly cutting short what is typically a detailed outline of the government's policy roadmap.
The flashpoint was the speech prepared by the government, portions of which allegedly questioned the functioning of the Centre and certain constitutional institutions. The Governor objected to these sections, saying pages 1 to 16 of the document contained remarks that were, in his view, against the "institutional framework".
Maintaining that he could not read out comments that undermine the dignity of constitutional bodies, he chose to read only the opening two paragraphs and the concluding portion.
He skipped paragraphs 3 to 16, the core section dealing with the Revenue Deficit Grant and the state's financial concerns. Before exiting the House, he asked members to read the remaining text themselves, triggering sharp political reactions.
Reacting to the stand-off, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu downplayed the Governor's move, saying it was "not an exception" and that Governors have skipped addresses in the past. However, he remained firm on the financial dispute. "This is not about the government. RDG is our right. Do not harm the rights of the state," he asserted.
The unprecedented brevity of the address has set the stage for a charged Budget Session, with the RDG issue likely to dominate proceedings in the days ahead.
RDG Withdrawal and its impact
*The Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) is a constitutional lifeline under Article 275 (1), designed to bridge the gap between a state's own revenue and its essential spending. For Himachal Pradesh, its discontinuation by the 16th Finance Commission from the 2026-27 fiscal year creates a fiscal crisis.
*The state is already struggling to pay Rs 8,500 crore in revised salary arrears and Rs 5,000 crore in Dearness Allowance (DA). Without the RDG, these payments face an indefinite freeze.
(With inputs from VD Sharma in Shimla)
A man in northern Sweden is suspected of helping more than 100 men buy sex with his wife, a prosecutor told AFP on Monday.
Sweden's law on prostitution bans the buying of sex but not the selling.
The man, who is in his 60s, was arrested in late October after his wife reported him to police and has been remanded in custody since then, prosecutor Ida Annerstedt told AFP.
"He is suspected of having facilitated, or profited financially from, the sale of the complainant's sexual services," Annerstedt said.
Annerstedt said the man had been remanded in custody suspected of the crime of "procuring".
She said police were looking into other suspected crimes but declined to give any details, citing the confidentiality of the ongoing investigation.
She also declined to say whether the woman, who is in her 50s, had been forced to sell sex or not.
The suspected crimes were believed to have occurred from January 2022 until the man's arrest last year.
Annerstedt said she expected to press charges on March 13.
The prosecutor said 120 individuals who were suspected of having bought sexual services had been identified but it was unlikely that all of them could be investigated as part of the main probe.
Separate investigations into the buyers could be launched after the case concluded.
Public broadcaster SVT reported that the man, who has denied the alleged crime, had previously been convicted of several offences, including assault and unlawful coercion.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Senior Congress leader in Assam, Bhupen Bora, on Monday announced that he has resigned from the party, ending his 32-year-long association with the grand old party.
Speaking to reporters here, Bora said he sent his resignation letter to the party's central leadership at around 8 a.m. “I have resigned from the Congress. I have already forwarded my resignation letter to the central leadership,” Bora said, adding that the decision was taken to protect his self-respect.
“I have quit the party for my own self-respect,” he asserted.
Expressing deep dissatisfaction with the functioning of the party, Bora alleged that the Congress leadership has failed to take timely and decisive calls on organisational matters.
“The party is unable to even decide who should attend its rallies and who should not,” he said, pointing to what he described as growing confusion and lack of coordination within the organisation.
Bora said he had devoted the prime years of his political life to the Congress.
“I gave 32 years of my life to the Congress party,” he said, underlining his long association and contributions at various levels of the organisation.
While refraining from naming specific leaders, Bora hinted at persistent internal issues and leadership paralysis that, according to him, made it difficult to continue in the party.
He said that despite raising concerns on multiple occasions, there was no meaningful response from the top leadership.
Asked about his future political course, Bora said he will take a decision after consulting his supporters and well-wishers. However, he made it clear that his resignation was final and not an impulsive move.
“This is not a sudden decision. I have thought about it carefully,” he said.
Bhupen Bora's exit is being seen as a significant setback for the Congress in Assam, where the party has been struggling to regain political ground ahead of the next Assembly elections.
His resignation comes at a time when the party is already grappling with internal challenges and leadership questions in the state.
Political observers believe Bora's departure could trigger further churn within the Assam Congress unit in the coming days.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The matches between India and Pakistan are undeniably the most lucrative in world cricket. The encounters between the two Asian rivals is the most profitable event for the International Cricket Council (ICC), with the commercial value of a game estimated to be around Rs 1,800 crore and Rs 2,200 crore (USD 200-250 million). The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) inevitably end up as the biggest benefactors, with India generating more than 70 per cent of cricket's global revenue. As such, the BCCI also enjoys the largest share in the ICC's annual revenue share.
In the ICC's ongoing four-year cycle, BCCI are set to earn nearly 40 per cent of the global body's revenue share between the years 2024 and 2027.
BCCI have a 38.50 per cent share of ICC's 2024-27 revenue, which is more than England, Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Bangladesh combined.
This equates to the BCCI getting approximately Rs 2,079 crore from the ICC's revenue.
On the other hand, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)'s share of the ICC revenue is 5.75 per cent, meaning they earn around Rs 310 crore.
However, given the magnitude, interest and revenue generated by an India-Pakistan clash, both teams are set to benefit from a financial standpoint.
When it comes to the on-field record, India boast a significant head-to-head advantage over Pakistan in recent history. Pakistan last won a T20I against India over three years ago.
In T20I cricket, India boast a staggering advantage, having won 13 out of 16 matches till date.
India overcame a tricky phase to defeat Pakistan in the previous edition of the T20 World Cup in 2024. Jasprit Bumrah was the star of the show, picking up three wickets and conceding just 14 runs as India defended a total of 119.
A 21-year-old man allegedly beheaded two of his neighbours with a sharp weapon during a religious ritual in Madhya Pradesh's Singrauli district early Thursday morning. Two others who tried to intervene were also brutally attacked and remain in critical condition.
The incident took place between 4 am and 5 am in Atarwa village. According to the police, the accused, Chhatrapati Singh, had invited his neighbours, Phool Kumari Singh (50) and Kemla Singh (65), to his home for a puja. However, shortly after they arrived, Singh allegedly attacked them in his courtyard.
Two other villagers, Sumitra Singh and Rambhajan Singh, rushed to the house after hearing screams but were also attacked. Both are currently being treated at a local hospital.
Initial investigations suggest the killings may be linked to 'black magic'. Police found that the accused's wife had recently suffered a miscarriage, leading Singh to believe that a deity was "angry" and required a ritual sacrifice to be appeased.
Days before the attack, Singh had built a mud platform outside his house and told neighbours he would be performing a special puja on Thursday morning. Investigators recovered ritual materials, including a coconut, from the crime scene.
Sub-Divisional Police Officer Gayatri Tiwari said that the bodies have been sent for post-mortem.
"Witchcraft and superstition are suspected in this case. Our forensic (FSL) team is on-site examining the evidence. A coconut and other puja materials were recovered," Tiwari said. "The accused and the victims belong to the same community and are believed to be distant relatives."
Chhatrapati Singh is currently in police custody. Investigators are trying to determine if the attack was premeditated or if the accused was suffering from a delusional episode fueled by his beliefs.
White-collar jobs and fixed monthly paychecks are often seen as the safest path to building wealth. However, owning even a small business can be just as financially rewarding. In today's world, success and income are not always proportional to formal education, as practical skills, risk-taking, and hard work often matter far more than degrees on paper.
An example of it was recently seen when an X user revealed that her local dry cleaner earns over Rs 2 lakh a month. Nalini Unagar shared the story on X, saying the owner and his wife run the business with two helpers. The dry cleaner's monthly revenue is around Rs 283,500, with expenses like Rs 6,000 for electricity and Rs 40,000 for helpers' salaries, leaving a profit of Rs 237,500.
"Yesterday, I was talking with the dry cleaning shop owner near my house, where I regularly go. He and his wife both work together, and they have two helpers on salary. I was shocked when they said they earn around ₹2,00,000 per month, which is equal to a 10+ years experienced software engineer in India," the tweet was captioned on X.
See the tweet here:
Yesterday, I was talking with the dry cleaning shop owner near my house, where I regularly go. He and his wife both work together, and they have two helpers on salary. I was shocked when they said they earn around ₹2,00,000 per month, which is equal to a 10+ years experienced… pic.twitter.com/BjPddpb9Me
— Nalini Unagar (@NalinisKitchen) February 9, 2026
Unagar also shared the shop owner's income breakdown. On a daily basis, they iron around 350 clothes at Rs 10 each, earning Rs 3,500, and dry-clean 20 heavy garments at Rs 350 each, adding Rs 7,000 daily. This totals Rs 10,500 daily, and with only 3 days off monthly, their estimated revenue is Rs 283,500.
"After cutting all the expenses, they get a profit of ₹2,37,500. They told me these figures are from last month, but on average, they earn ₹2 lakh+ every month," she added in the tweet.
The post sparked a lively discussion on X, with many users pointing out that it highlights the gap between perceived social status and actual economic value. Others were impressed by the dry cleaner's earnings, calling it a great example of entrepreneurial success.
One user wrote, "We often chase white collar jobs for good salaries, but information like this prove that running your own business small or big , if done with real interest, can be just as rewarding sometimes even more.Thanks for sharing.."
"We're conditioned to run after white-collar jobs and fixed paychecks, but stories like this remind us that owning a business—small or big—can be equally fulfilling, and sometimes far more rewarding, when done with genuine passion. Appreciate you sharing this perspective," another commented.
"Why are you surprised? Small business owners have huge earning capacity if there is a conducive business environment. This was the backbone of America," a third user said.
A fourth user added, "Wow, that's impressive! It's great to see small business owners doing well. It really shows how hard work pays off."
App-based transport workers and commercial drivers across India are observing an All-India Breakdown on Saturday, protesting declining incomes, alleged exploitation by aggregator companies, and what they term prolonged regulatory inaction by governments.
The nationwide action has been jointly called by the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) and the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT). Drivers associated with platforms such as Ola, Uber, Rapido, Porter, and other app-based services are participating in the protest.
According to the unions, the agitation stems from the failure of Central and State governments to notify minimum base fares under the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025. In the absence of regulated fares, aggregator companies continue to unilaterally determine pricing, forcing workers to operate under what unions describe as "unsustainable and precarious working conditions."
Founder President of TGPWU and Co-Founder and National General Secretary of IFAT, Shaik Salauddin, said the primary demand is the immediate notification of minimum base fares for app-based transport services, in consultation with recognised worker unions, as mandated by law.
He also called for a strict ban on private vehicles being used for commercial passenger and goods transport, or their mandatory conversion to commercial category vehicles in accordance with the Motor Vehicles Act and Aggregator Guidelines.
A national-level 'Delhi Chalo' drivers' protest was organised at Jantar Mantar, under the leadership of the National Driver United Front Committee. Adding to it, one of the drivers, Ali, said that from more than 20 states, including taxi, cab, auto, and bike taxi operators have joined the protest today.
Drivers are pressing two key demands: implementation of a minimum fare of Rs 25 per kilometre, citing rising fuel prices, inflation, EMIs, maintenance, and household expenses; and the removal of private bike taxis from commercial operations, which they allege violate existing rules and harm the livelihood of licensed commercial drivers.
National Advisor and Driver Movement Coordinator Kuldeep Sengar said the February 7 mobilisation reflects drivers' growing frustration. "Rs 25 per kilometre fare and a ban on private bike taxis, this is the drivers' fight," he said.
National Driver United Front Committee President Sumer Ambawata appealed to the government to initiate immediate dialogue, while General Secretary Ravi Rathore stressed the movement was non-political and aimed at dignity, safety, and fair compensation for drivers.
The committee has warned that if no concrete decision is taken, a larger nationwide agitation will be launched on March 22, involving organised protests across the country.
India said it rejected "any and every" allegation of involvement in a bombing at a mosque in Islamabad on Friday, which killed at least 31 people, saying such claims were baseless and pointless.
"The bombing at an Islamabad mosque earlier today is condemnable, and India condoles the loss of life it has caused. It is unfortunate that, instead of seriously addressing the problems plaguing its social fabric, Pakistan should choose to delude itself by blaming others for its home-grown ills. India rejects any and every such allegation."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)