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One can hardly say that "the eagle has landed" in the manner of spy thrillers. Intel coding for movement to India of a despised terrorist would be more like, "the carrion crow has been shackled". For, Tahawwur Rana was not even a terrorist who risked his life to commit violence. He stayed in the shadows, pushing and guiding others, from his comfortable home in Chicago. But make no mistake. He's critical for a clear understanding of what happened not just before the Mumbai attacks, but after it. He was, after all, arrested only a year later, and he and David Headley began to operate together in 1997. That's nearly 12 years of information. The Intel guys are going to have fun.
Let's take Tahawwur Rana apart - apart from the usual banalities. That he was from an elite family, and was able to study in the Pakistan army's Hassan Abdal cadet college is clear. He also went for trips with fellow student Daud Gilani, or David Headley, to the tribal areas, where the latter at least was involved in moving drugs, besides being a heroin addict himself. But Rana's military ID proved useful. In 1997, Rana migrated to Canada, but Headley's statement that he was a deserter seemed to be taken for granted. It is highly unlikely that the ISI would trust a deserter with details of one of the most sensational attacks in terrorism history. In terms of facts, what we do know from court documents is that he set up an Immigration Agency in Chicago and was conniving with Headley even after he was arrested by the Drug Enforcement Agency, and then made their 'source', which he was well aware of.
Headley notes, "I told Dr Rana the entire plan of the LeT and lSI, and he readily agreed to provide (help)." Rana then arranged for all documentation for Headley to travel to India, and set up an Immigration 'office' using falsified documents, even securing a five-year visa. All that is punishable under Indian law. But, more importantly, when Headley told him about the Lashkar-e-Taiba's plans for the Mumbai attack, "He smiled and laughed". Well, he's not laughing now.
Worse was to follow. Just a month before the Mumbai attacks, Headley was approached by a person who still remains mysterious. This was a Sajid Mir, certainly part of the ISI inner circle of agents, and who was far more operationally secretive than the others. He was a critical link in getting Headley to plan an attack in Denmark against the Jyllands-Posten newspaper, which had published a series of cartoons on the Prophet that led to huge protests in Pakistan. In that attack, the plans were gory in the extreme. The idea was to chop the targets' heads off and throw them in the street. Clearly, violence came very easily to Rana. Throughout the five or more visits of Headley to India, and his 'unofficial' visits to meet his new wife in Dubai, Rana remained in the picture. Headley did not choose to tell his handlers about any of this.
Clearly, therefore, Rana was extremely close to Headley. Presumably, he also told him about his various reconnaissance plans, including of the National Defence College, the Shiv Sena Bhawan, and the Pune army installations that Headley says he has "forgotten" about. And then, the most interesting of all: about a week before the Mumbai attack, Rana arrived in Mumbai, travelling also to Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kochi, Agra, Hapur with his wife. One now expects that he will be taken to all these places and questioned closely not just about who he met, but also about whom he spoke to, and who facilitated him. All that is evidence.
Now to his extradition and what he is likely to be convicted for. Rana was arrested in 2009, nearly seven years after he first began his association with Headley and Lashkar. Headley was arrested earlier on his way to Pakistan, together with some 13 surveillance videos at Chicago airport in 2009. In other words, while it seems the preparation for the Mumbai attack that was going on for years remained unknown, the short span of planning for Denmark was found out. Rana was sentenced to 168 months, which were further reduced after a plea. It was somewhere during this time that India asked for extradition, and, in 2020, a California judge finally issued a provisional warrant for this. Further rounds of pleas citing "double jeopardy" were rejected by court after court, and for five years, Rana did every possible thing to avoid extradition, citing danger to himself, illness, etc.
However, the important thing to note throughout this is that while his connection with the Lashkar-e-Taiba and others in Pakistan - including one 'Major Iqbal' - has been cited by Headley, he himself seems to have kept silent on his ISI connections throughout the trial period. That means he's tough as nails. Unless India has its own, or access to intercepts showing his specific involvement with the terrorist act itself, the charges of assistance to terrorists are going to be difficult to prove. There is, however, one bright spot. The whole investigation involves not just India but also all those countries whose nationals were killed or injured in the Mumbai attack. That includes Britain, Israel and Australia, and, of course, Americans, all of whom were deliberately picked out by terrorists on the instructions of Sajid Mir. These states have expressed their support for India, and it can be expected that there will be considerable intelligence-sharing to secure the conviction of Rana.
In the final analysis, this is about incredibly intricate planning by Pakistan. Remember, Headley himself was never implicated in any buying of explosives, weapons, or in any violent activity. In other words, the Pakistanis evaded interception by "outsourcing" critical enabling activity to foreign passport holders, and then left the actual killing to an entirely different bunch of illiterate goons. Even more notably, almost the entire lot, including Headley, Rana and persons like Abdur Rehman, were all formerly with the Pakistan army. Rehman, for instance, was from the Pakistan Military Academy, while the other two were from the elite Hassan Abdal Cadet school. Ilyas Kashmiri, a key member of the group also involved in the Danish attack plans, was possibly from the ultra-elite Special Services Group (SSG). All this is apart from the regularly serving ISI officers, including one Brigadier. In other words, it's only likely that the jihadi-army complex is deeply interlinked. Even with the best of intentions - and this is rare on the ground - it's going to be difficult to separate these. And this constitutes, in fact, the greatest threat to the present Army Chief, Gen. Asim Munir. It was this group that had plans to assassinate General Musharraf, though they were quashed by the annoyed Lashkar chief Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi.
In sum, Pakistan should be the most interested in the details that Tahawwur Rana will reveal. It just might be to their advantage.
(Tara Kartha is a former director of the National Security Council Secretariat)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reiterated a hardline stance on America's visa policy, He said that visas were a privilege reserved for those who respect US laws and values, not a right granted to all applicants.
In an editorial for Fox News, Rubio outlined the Donald Trump administration's uncompromising approach to visa eligibility and national security, particularly in the wake of recent campus unrest and global terrorism concerns.
Since coming to power in January, President Trump has deported some foreign students, has revoked multiple visas and has warned universities of federal funding cuts over pro-Palestinian protests.
U.S. visas are a privilege, rather than a right, reserved for those who make the United States better, not seek to destroy it from the inside. – @SecRubio in his Fox News editorial
— Department of State (@StateDept) April 12, 2025
????: https://t.co/Lp1HL2ZXyw pic.twitter.com/bK4B1TPE4a
“Visiting America is not an entitlement. It is a privilege extended to those who respect our laws and values. And, as Secretary of State, I will never forget that,” Rubio wrote.
Rubio, who represented Florida in the US Senate from 2011 to 2025 before assuming his current role, said that under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), “aliens” who promote or support terrorism — including backing terrorist organisations such as Hamas — are ineligible for US visas.
“The INA gives us broad authority to revoke a visa. This authority is fundamental to safeguarding our national security, as well as protecting Americans and lawful visitors within our borders,” he said.
Rubio defended the administration's intensified scrutiny of visa holders, noting that security vetting is an ongoing process, even after a visa has been issued. “US visa holders should know in no uncertain terms that the US government's rigorous security vetting does not end once a visa is granted,” he wrote.
The Secretary of State added that the government, in collaboration with law enforcement and intelligence agencies, continuously monitors visa holders to identify any potential threats or violations. “For example, visas may be revoked if the visa holder has engaged in violent crime or drunk driving, supporting terrorism, overstaying the time permitted for their visit, performing illegal work -- or anything else that violates the terms on which we granted them this privilege or compromises the safety of our fellow Americans,” he added.
Marco Rubio also pointed to recent incidents following the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks against Israel as a case study for increased vigilance. “Some of these foreign student visitors engaged in antisemitic activities and intimidation of Americans, many who happened to be of the Jewish faith,” he wrote. “These foreigners shut down college campuses for American citizens, harassed Jewish students, blocked highways, and stormed buildings.”
He added that the administration would not tolerate such activities. “The Trump administration is committed to taking the necessary steps to stop these activities at American universities,” Rubio said.
He also highlighted the legal precedent for the government's position. “The Supreme Court has made clear for decades that visa holders or other aliens cannot use the First Amendment to shield otherwise impermissible actions taken to support designated foreign terrorist organizations like Hamas, Hizballah, or the Houthis, or violate other US laws.”
On a zero-tolerance approach, Rubio said, “While I am Secretary, we will never hesitate to act decisively – and in close coordination with our US government partners – when information indicates a visa holder could compromise our security, has violated US law, or visa revocation is otherwise warranted.”
He concluded with the message, “US visas are a privilege, rather than a right, reserved for those who make the United States better, not seek to destroy it from the inside.”
UPI (Unified Payments Interface) services in India were severely disrupted this Saturday morning, leaving users incapable of making digital monetary transactions, the third time within a month. The snag hits individuals and businesses across the country, disrupting an important daily service for smooth money transfers, which has become a common feature in Indian money transaction businesses.
According to the DownDetector reports, this issue is extensive, with around 1,168 complaints logged by afternoon. Google Pay users complained of 96 issues, while Paytm users complained of 23. The reason behind the disruption is still unknown.
Also Read | State Bank of India Internet Banking Services Hit By Technical Issues
This incident marks another disruption to UPI services in recent days. The repeated issues have caused concern among users who rely on the platform for daily transactions. UPI is yet to address the recent complaints. The full extent and duration of the problems are still being determined.
The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has recently faced a series of outages, causing inconvenience to users across India. The latest disruption occurred on Saturday, marking the third outage in the last 20 days.
April 2nd: A significant outage saw 514 complaints reported on DownDetector, with 52% of users experiencing issues while transferring funds via UPI apps. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) acknowledged "fluctuations" in bank success rates, leading to increased latency in the UPI network. NPCI worked closely with banks to stabilize the system.
March 26: A major outage affected users of popular UPI apps like Google Pay and Paytm, with over 3,000 complaints reported on DownDetector. Users were unable to access the service for 2-3 hours.
Pakistan's white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan, who has often been subjected to criticism and trolling for his spoken English, gave a fitting reply to his trolls with an honest admission. Rizwan admitted he is not ashamed of his incapacity to speak the language; the only factor he is focused on is the demand from him to play cricket and not speak English. Rizwan has been trolled on social media for his spoken English. Various clips and videos of his post- and pre-match interactions have gone viral, leading to trolls mocking him.
The Multan Sultans' captain addressed the criticism and trolls targeting him for his spoken English. During a press conference, he told reporters, as quoted from Geo News, "I regret not completing my education, which is why I don't know English, but I am not ashamed that as Pakistan's captain, I cannot speak English."
"The demand from me is to play cricket, not to speak English. If Pakistan wanted English, I would become a professor, learn it, and return. But Pakistan asks me for cricket, not English," he added.
Rizwan shifted his focus to Pakistan's ongoing woes in the field, which have sparked criticism across the globe. Once considered to be an Asian powerhouse, the current Pakistan lot is chasing shadows of their former glory.
Barring their chaotic campaigns in the past ICC tournaments, Pakistan were truly exposed in the Champion Trophy organised on their home turf. The party organisers were the first to crash out of the tournament following back-to-back defeats against New Zealand and India, ending their title defence in the group stage.
After the Champions Trophy debacle, Pakistan toured New Zealand for five T20Is and three ODIs while keeping the 2026 and 2027 World Cups in the back of their minds. With a couple of new faces, Pakistan succumbed to a 4-1 series defeat but remained optimistic, hoping to bounce back in the three ODIs.
Rizwan and Babar Azam, among the notable absentees in the T20Is, returned to the squad, but Pakistan's fate remained intact. An inexperienced New Zealand side whitewashed Pakistan by orchestrating a 3-0 series triumph.
Pakistan suffered a lot of backlash after their unimpressive run. Amid the heavy criticism from fans and former cricketers, Rizwan urged the critics to offer solutions and guide them through the turbulent phase, leading to their improvement.
"It's fine to criticise the team, but also guide us on how to improve. Recently, during the Champions Trophy, Wasim Akram gave us advice. I wanted to talk more with him, but there wasn't enough time," he said.
Rizwan acknowledged that fans have the right to be upset when the team fails to deliver and added, "Fans are justified in their anger, and they've all the right to be upset at us because they also love us. But the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has given so much to Pakistan. Now it's time to enjoy the league."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Agustin Escobar, the CEO of Siemens Spain, visited India weeks before he was killed in a plane crash in New York on Thursday. Besides Mr Escobar, his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their children - aged 4, 5, and 11 - also died after their Bell 306 helicopter went down into the Hudson River along Manhattan, media reports claimed.
Last month, Mr Escobar travelled to Siemens hubs in Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai, describing it as an "inspiring week".
"What an inspiring week connecting with our talented teams across Bangalore, Pune, and Mumbai," he wrote in a LinkedIn post.
He added he was impressed by the innovation happening in his Indian hubs.
"From R&D labs to manufacturing facilities, I witnessed innovation in action at every stop," he said.
Mr Escobar highlighted key moments, including deep-diving into future opportunities at the Siemens Bengaluru hub, exploring innovation at his Center of Excellence Engineering and R&D team in Pune, and connecting with his teams at Kalwa, Mumbai.
He said the best part of his visit was meeting Siemens teams and was deeply inspired by his teams' passion, energy and commitment to excellence.
"From town halls to small group discussions, every conversation showed me why India is such a crucial part of our global success story," he added.
Concluding his post, he gave a special thanks to the Siemens India teams for making his visit so memorable and meaningful. "Your dedication to transforming everyday life through technology with purpose is remarkable!"
On Thursday, Mr Escobar's helicopter took off from New York, and it broke apart mid-air before plunging into the Hudson River.
A man was arrested in Assam's Hailakandi district for performing a dangerous stunt involving a moving train. The man, identified as Papul Alam Barbhuiya, was taken into custody after he deliberately lay between active railway tracks as a train passed over him.
The entire stunt was recorded and subsequently uploaded as a reel on social media platforms, where it quickly went viral.
"We have arrested one person for attempting a dangerous stunt by making a reel while lying between rail tracks as a train passed over him. He is forwarded to court. The person managed to get bail from court," police said.
The video, widely circulated on various platforms, has shocked many online users, with several expressing disbelief at the extent to which individuals are willing to endanger themselves for social media engagement.
A case has been registered against Barbhuiya. Though he was later granted bail, legal proceedings against him remain ongoing.
The incident is not an isolated case. Recently, police in Morigaon arrested three men who were caught on camera performing car stunts on a public road connecting Morigaon to Nagaon.
Allergies can be debilitating for those who have them - even more so when the cause of the allergic reaction is a beloved pet.
Second only to dust mites, the humble domestic house cat is one of the major causes of indoor allergens for people.
But what is the actual source of the allergic response? And are certain breeds less allergenic than others? There are many myths and misconceptions related to cat allergens, so let's debunk a few.
Contrary to common misconception, cat hair is not the cause of allergies in people.
In fact, research has shown that neither the length of the cat's hair, nor the colour of its coat, appear to have any significant bearing on how much allergen the cat produces.
Regardless of a cat's breed, sex and individual variation in the production of Fel d 1 are the main reason why some cats seem to cause a greater allergic response than others.
It has long been known that on average, unneutered male cats produce more Fel d 1 than females or neutered males. Some studies have also found that older cats tend to produce lower levels of Fel d 1 than younger cats.
While there are breeds referred to as "hypoallergenic", it is important to remember this does not mean "allergen-free". According to a review published in 2024, "to date, there is no scientific evidence for a hypoallergenic cat breed".
However, putting our strict hypoallergenic definition aside, a few small studies have reported reduced levels of Fel d 1 production in some of these breeds. It is important to remember though that even in individual cats, production of Fel d 1 can vary widely throughout the year.
Further studies in these breeds, using larger sample sizes, is needed to confirm these findings.
Overall, the fact that sensitive people report an increased allergic response to some cats rather than others is likely due to variation in how much Fel d 1 the individual cat produces.
In the last few years, several studies have investigated the possibility of vaccinating cats against the Fel d 1 protein.
While this would be great news for allergy sufferers, the issue is that researchers are currently unsure what role the protein plays in cats. Current evidence suggests it may play a role in the dispersal of pheromones, and potentially in protecting the cat's skin; further research is needed.
There is also some initial evidence to suggest that therapeutic diets in which an antibody is added from chicken eggs (IgY antibodies) can reduce the production of Fel d 1 that a cat produces. However, larger studies are needed before we might start seeing "anti-allergy" cat food on the shelves.
There is some evidence to suggest that exposure to cats at a young age may reduce the likelihood of a person developing an allergy.
If you're an adult allergic to cats but still would like to have one, there is good evidence to suggest regular cleaning can substantially decrease the amount of cat allergens in your home.
Even though the jury is out on the scientific evidence for "hypoallergenic" cat breeds, some cats really are less allergenic than others.
Despite the challenges for those that are allergic, you are not doomed to have to avoid cats for the rest of your life. With the right management and care, cat ownership is entirely possible - and absolutely worth it.
(Author: Jazmine Skinner, Lecturer in Animal Science, University of Southern Queensland)
(Disclaimer Statement: Jazmine Skinner does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.)
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
It is not a well-known yet an interesting fact that Vinod Khosla, often described as the hottest venture capitalist on the planet and a technology pioneer who was the founding CEO of Sun Microsystems, had relocated to Delhi, the city he grew up in, around the mid-1990s to be closer to his parents, not far from IIT Delhi where he studied. But the Internet opportunity that followed saw him move back to Silicon Valley, where he remains a cutting-edge figure in areas like artificial intelligence (AI), medical technology and cryptocurrency.
My days tracking and meeting the man who now runs Khosla Ventures after leaving Kleiner Perkins, the VC firm that funded companies like Amazon and Google, came to mind last week as I heard the timely but controversial statement by India's commerce and industry minister at the 'Startup Mahakumbh' jamboree. "Are we going to be happy being delivery boys and girls... Is that the destiny of India? This is not a startup; this is entrepreneurship... What the other side is doing—robotics, machine learning, 3D manufacturing and next generation factories," Goyal said, showing a slide titled ‘India vs China. The Startup Reality Check'.
The word ‘startup' is often used loosely, but ideally should refer to technology-driven companies that can grow big through innovations. My view is that cutting-edge entrepreneurship is more about adventurous ambition than just growth. People like Khosla have a mental streak that shows passion for novelty, not mere get-rich-quick ideas. We need more like him.
There's nothing wrong with wanting to be the entrepreneurial plumbers and builders of new technologies as such, but there is more to the future than that. When technology companies like Infosys were built in the 1980s and 1990s, the word ‘startup' was not even in vogue. But then, it became the first Indian company to list on the tech-heavy Nasdaq exchange in 1999.
A subsequent rush of VCs in India became less about technology and more about demographics. India's surging, increasingly affluent population and an Internet boom made VCs fuel a greed to build the so-called ‘unicorn' startups that commanded a valuation of a billion dollars or more - usually with an eye on IPOs.
What we had as a result was what tech investor Kashyap Deorah calls a "this of that" culture: Paytm became the PayPal of India, Flipkart was dubbed the Amazon of India, Swiggy and Zomato cloned Delivery Hero and Yelp with some tweaks. They mostly addressed a local market and built local brands, but not real intellectual property (IP) based on novelty on a global scale. That requires guts and an outlook of a different kind. Somewhere along the way, we started mistaking upstarts for startups. VCs and naive journalists fed into the hype.
The irony is that India has had real startups that are less celebrated. InMobi, a mobile ad platform that rivals Facebook-owner Meta, was hailed as India's first unicorn and is expected to have an IPO this year, nearly two decades into its existence. InMobi is the world's largest independent mobile ad network, engaging more than 750 million consumers across 165 countries. It is said to have turned down an acquisition offer from Google a decade ago.
I-flex solutions, built in the 1990s, was acquired by Oracle for close to a billion dollars. It was a cutting-edge banking software company with a global footprint. Chennai-centred productivity software company Zoho competes with Microsoft.
However, we are yet to produce a breathtaking product like Google. China is not quite there yet, either. But it is trying hard and big, as we have seen with the arrival of DeepSeek, a disruptive AI model.
India has had a long, credible history of nurturing research through the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and other state-run bodies that set the base for cutting-edge innovation. Even ISRO and the Defence Research and Development Organisation have made quiet innovations. What we lack is new-age thinking by entrepreneurs that goes from ambition to adventure and closer innovation links with these establishments.
Let's now raise a toast to the memory of Jamshedji Nusserwanji Tata, who dared to think of making steel in the middle of a rural jungle in a colonially oppressed country in 1907. For the India of those times, steel was like AI. Verghese Kurien built Amul in rural Anand when the word ‘startup' did not exist in the Indian lexicon. The kind of adventurous streak shown in those ventures is something current entrepreneurs could learn from. Patience, patents, and perseverance separate the men from the boys and women from the girls in a true startup universe. Not scale, speed and salesmanship.
But it must be admitted that risk appetite requires context. You have to feel comfortable enough not to confuse a gamble with entrepreneurial chutzpah. We also need to cut down on a dubious culture of startup wannabes wanting corporate freebies from the government - from land to capital to subsidies.
It is worthwhile to point to less-known Indian companies like Hyderabad-based MOSChip Technologies, which has been in the field of semiconductors without being part of the VC-fuelled unicorn hype. Electric car maker Reva, founded in Bangalore, is now part of the Mahindra group, and deserves praise for its early start and passion.
A few listed small-cap companies fall in that league. Intellect Design Arena and Nucleus Software have built products and intellectual property, but perhaps have not taken the big bets needed to capture glamorous headlines. They were never called startups but certainly were in the league when they started.
What I would like to see is some of India's 200-plus US dollar billionaires throwing a hundred million dollars each at a patent-seeking team of cutting-edge innovators based on deep research. They all may not succeed or grow very big, but some will. Even more important in the current context is a sense of adventure that people like Vinod Khosla, rival Elon Musk, are famous for.
From AI to quantum computing to genomics, opportunities for discovery and invention are separate from those based on scale and speed. New discoveries are ushering in new opportunities. The minister's timing is just right. China's DeepSeek is best seen not as an inspiration but as a wake-up call. As a nation in which Jawaharlal Nehru nurtured research and development in a colonially battered, impoverished country, we have no excuses.
(Madhavan Narayanan is a senior editor, writer and columnist with more than 30 years of experience, having worked for Reuters, The Economic Times, Business Standard, and Hindustan Times after starting out in the Times of India Group.)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
A history sheeter was arrested for allegedly murdering a woman in Kalyan in Thane district in order to start a street food business, a police official said on Saturday.
On March 20, Ranjana Patekar (60) was found murdered in her Ambivali home, following which a probe began, he said.
"Our probe zeroed in on Akbar Muhammad Sheikh alias Chand (30). He had knocked on Patekar's door seeking water, then followed her inside when he realised she was alone and strangled the elderly woman after turning up the television volume. Chand fled with gold earrings worth Rs 1 lakh," the official said.
"He was released eight months ago from Adharwadi jail in connection with a case registered with Khadakpada police station. He was unemployed since then and wanted to start a street stall selling momos," Deputy Commissioner of Police Atul Zende said.
Chand was arrested on Friday from Atali area and the stolen jewellery was recovered from him, Khadakpada police station senior inspector Amarnath Waghmode said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant and young spinner Digvesh Singh were both penalised for separate breaches of the IPL Code of Conduct after a thrilling 12-run win over Mumbai Indians on Friday night, at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. Pant was fined Rs 12 lakh for his team's slow over-rate during Match 16, marking LSG's first such offence of the season under Article 2.22 of the IPL Code of Conduct. The regulation mandates teams to complete their overs within the stipulated time frame, and Pant, as captain, was held responsible for the lapse.
"Rishabh Pant, Captain, Lucknow Super Giants has been fined after his team maintained a slow over-rate during Match 16 of the IPL 2025 against Mumbai Indians at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow on Friday," read the IPL statement.
Meanwhile, Digvesh Singh - the 23-year-old fast bowler who has impressed with his fiery spells this season - faced a heftier individual punishment. Singh was fined 50 percent of his match fees after committing a Level 1 offence under Article 2.5 of the Code of Conduct.
The breach, reportedly for using inappropriate language following a wicket, was his second of the season. Having already earned one demerit point during LSG's match against Punjab Kings on April 1, Singh now has a total of three demerit points to his name.
As per the IPL's disciplinary protocol, Level 1 breaches fall under the Match Referee's jurisdiction, whose decision is final and binding.
Despite the off-field setbacks, Lucknow had plenty to celebrate on the night. Half-centuries from Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh laid a strong batting foundation, while a spirited bowling effort ensured the Super Giants held off a late MI charge.
Defending their total under pressure, Digvesh Singh, Shardul Thakur and Avesh Khan picked up a wicket apiece in the final overs, showing nerves of steel to seal LSG's first home win of the campaign.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Thousands across the United States will take to the streets on Saturday under the 'Hands Off!' banner, protesting against what they call a sweeping power grab by Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
Over 1,200 protests by over 150 organisations - civil rights groups and labour unions to LGBTQ+ advocates, veterans and electoral reform activists - are planned across all 50 US states, with gatherings also expected at the Capitol and the National Mall in Washington DC, reported the Associated Press.
The movement, which has rapidly gained momentum, is said to be possibly the largest single-day protest since Trump assumed office for his second term in January this year.
"They're dismantling our country. They're looting our government. And they think we'll just watch," the Hands Off! campaign stated on its official website.
Protesters are expected to voice opposition to Trump's policies, including cuts to Social Security, mass layoffs from federal agencies, rollbacks of consumer protections and measures targeting immigrants and the transgender community, Axios reported.
Adding fuel to the movement is the growing backlash against Musk's influence within the federal government, particularly his role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) - an initiative linked to aggressive cost-cutting and restructuring. This follows previous global protests at Tesla outlets sparked by the #TeslaTakedown campaign.
Musk, who serves as a key adviser to Trump and is the head of Tesla and SpaceX, claims that his initiatives are saving billions in taxpayer funds.
The Saturday rallies will take place in front of federal buildings, state capitals, congressional offices and urban centres. The largest protest will likely be in Washington, DC, where organisers expect a turnout of around 12,500 demonstrators.
Participants are being urged to gather at the Sylvan Theater, with speeches and programming scheduled to begin midday, according to a spokesperson of advocacy group MoveOn, The Times of India reported.
"Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. They're taking everything they can get their hands on, and daring the world to stop them. On Saturday, April 5th, we're taking to the streets nationwide to fight back with a clear message: Hands off!" a statement on the campaign's website declared.
Another excerpt from the site reads, "This is a nationwide mobilisation to stop the most brazen power grab in modern history. Trump, Musk, and their billionaire cronies are orchestrating an all-out assault on our government, our economy, and our basic rights-enabled by Congress every step of the way.
"They want to strip America for parts-shuttering Social Security offices, firing essential workers, eliminating consumer protections, and gutting Medicaid-all to bankroll their billionaire tax scam. They're handing over our tax dollars, our public services, and our democracy to the ultra-rich. If we don't fight now, there won't be anything left to save."
While there have been many protests targeting either Trump or Musk over the past year, none have yet reached the scale of the 2017 Women's March or the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020.
The US tourist arrested for leaving a can of Diet Coke on a remote island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a 24-year-old YouTuber known for his thrill-seeking content.
Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov travelled for nine hours to reach North Sentinel Island, home to one of the world's most isolated tribes. To safeguard the Sentinelese people from external diseases and to maintain their way of life, it is forbidden for anyone, Indian or foreign, to travel within three miles (5 km) of the island.
They are known to be hostile towards strangers and have no contact with the outside world. Earlier, people tried to enter the island but were killed by the tribe. The last person to visit the island was an American Christian missionary, John Allen Chau, but he was killed after landing on the island.
Mr Polyakov sneaked onto the island and tried to get the indigenous tribe's attention by blowing a whistle and leaving a can of Diet Coke and a coconut as tribute.
According to the police, the YouTuber used binoculars to spot the tribe from his boat after reaching the island's northeastern shore. He tried various ways in the hope of spotting the tribe and getting their attention, but no one appeared.
He waited for an hour before finally giving up and leaving the place after making a video on the beach. The local fishermen saw him upon his return and reported him to the authorities. The video, later recovered by police, captures him exclaiming, "I have landed here. I am a solo traveller. No one has landed here before. This is anti-climactic. No one has done this before."
This was not the first time he tried his way to reach the Sentinelese tribe. He planned to visit the island in October 2024 but was stopped by the hotel staff before he could leave.
Later, he posted a cryptic image on YouTube that showed a boy moving towards the island, which looked like North Sentinel, on a boat with his dog.
This was not the first time Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov took such a risk. In January, he also visited Baratang Island and recorded another indigenous group called the Jarawa tribe.
Before that, Mr Polyakov visited Afghanistan and met with the Taliban as part of his daredevil adventure. He held and posed with automatic weapons and swords he borrowed from the Islamist fighters.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and fiancée Lauren Sanchez are set to tie the knot in Venice, Italy, this summer, nearly two years after their engagement in May 2023. The highly anticipated wedding is expected to be a luxurious and star-studded affair. While the exact details of the festivities are still under wraps, it is being referred to as "the wedding of the century" due to its grandeur.
Notably, Ms Sanchez started dating the Amazon boss in 2018. The couple went public with their relationship on July 14, 2019, after Mr Bezos' divorce from his first wife, MacKenzie Scott, was finalised. The billionaire proposed to Ms Sanchez in 2023 while sailing through Europe on his superyacht. The next day, she was spotted wearing a massive diamond engagement ring on her finger, worth a whopping $2.5 million.
Here are a few details of the wedding:
The guest list for Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding is a veritable who's who of A-list celebrities and influential figures. According to TMZ, attendees will include Eva Longoria, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom, Oprah and Gayle King, Kris Jenner, and Kim Kardashian. The guest list also boasts some prominent politicians and business leaders, such as Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, as well as Joshua Kushner and his wife, Karlie Kloss. Notably, there's no official word on whether Donald Trump has been invited, but given Bezos and Sanchez's prominent presence at the inauguration, it's likely.
In an official statement, The City of Venice said only 200 guests would be invited, a number easily accommodated without any disruption to the city, its residents and visitors.
Luxury accommodations in Venice are being snapped up in preparation for the wedding. According to The Daily Mail, two of the city's most upscale hotels, Gritti Palace and Aman Venice, are fully booked for the weekend. Room rates at these exclusive hotels range from $3,200 to $32,000, indicating that no expense is being spared for the couple's special day.
A local news outlet said, "In preparation for the event, Venice is bracing for the arrival of VIPs. The city's top luxury hotels have already been booked, and reports say the entire fleet of water taxis will be made available to shuttle guests across the canals. The logistics point to a highly exclusive, tightly coordinated celebration."
The bride has made her choice for the perfect wedding dress, opting for a design from the renowned fashion house Oscar de la Renta. She also had the expert guidance of Anna Wintour, the influential editor-in-chief of Vogue. Ms Wintour previously mentored Lauren Sanchez for the Met Gala Ball, where she wore a stunning de la Renta gown.
While initial reports suggested that the wedding would take place aboard their luxurious $500 million mega yacht, Koru, sources close to the couple have clarified that the yacht's role is more nuanced. Instead of hosting the ceremony, the yacht will reportedly be involved in the celebrations, perhaps by taking guests on excursions around the Venetian Lagoon during the festivities. A well-placed friend has confirmed that the wedding itself will not be held on the boat, likely due to regulations in place to protect the city. A yacht of Koru's size would need to anchor in the Arsenale area, which is not the most picturesque part of Venice.
Rescue operations are under full swing in earthquake-hit Bangkok, where a 33-storey skyscraper turned into rubble within seconds, killing at least 13 people while over 70 remain buried. However, sources told NDTV that the number of people buried could be as high as 300 to 400. K9 USAR, Thailand's Rescue Dog Association, has stepped up as a ray of hope. The furry friends are on rescue duty, helping locate people - dead and alive.
In videos and pictures shared on K9 USAR Thailand's Facebook page, dogs can be seen treading carefully and sniffing through heaps of rubble.
Dog handlers carefully assess the area, including debris, which includes unstable building material, sharp objects, surface temperature, and grip, before deciding whether dogs should be worn in shoes or barefooted for a task. It is to provide dogs with stability and comfort while they work to save a life.
On Saturday, one of the dogs, K9 Sahara, was given shoes on the front legs as the area was "quite loose and uncertain".
"Handler chose to have her wear the front leg only to maintain force from the back leg if needed. Within a short period of time, closely observing the behavior indicated that loose surfaces had caused the shoes to lose stability and no sharp points were found in the area. So, she decided to remove all of her shoes, so Sahara could continue working with confidence, agility and better grip," the team described in a Facebook post.
Sahara's search for survivors on Saturday involved glass and wire, so safety shoes were worn.
Giving a tour of the camp where the dogs are stationed, a member of the K9 USAR Thailand team explained that there are cooling systems for every dog crate.
"The dogs are shut off from the world. They have time to relax and be ready for work when we are asked to go to the site. Dogs understand that this is their quiet time, and they chill and relax until they need to go to work," she added.
There is also a cool-down station for dogs if they begin to overheat. "Somebody has kindly donated some cool-down buckets for the dogs and cooling mats."
There are also portable air conditioners, which have made a huge difference to the comfort and well-being of the dogs, the dog handler said.
Volunteer vets, who have offered to help the team take care of dogs, are on standby the whole time.
"We have all got canine first aid qualifications, but in case of something that's beyond our capability, we have our vet teams on standby to take care of anything more important than what we could deal with," the dog handler added.
The woman from the K9-search team expressed that while they are a "bit tired", the team remains hopeful that their dogs can help find the missing.
"One focus is just to help find the missing people," she said.
On Monday, all nine rescue dogs underwent a thorough checkup by a volunteer veterinary team. The assessments show that all dogs are in perfect health and can continue with their normal search and rescue duties.