Tej Pratap Yadav (PTI image)

NEW DELHI: Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) chief Tej Pratap Yadav on Sunday strongly denied rumours circulating on social media that a woman allegedly linked to him has given birth to his child, calling the claims false and defamatory. He accused political rivals and former associates of deliberately spreading misinformation and said that he would take legal action.Addressing a late-evening press conference, former Bihar minister said that the rumours had caused him severe mental distress and were part of a targeted campaign to malign him. He claimed the speculation resurfaced months after a controversy that led to his expulsion from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), headed by his father Lalu Prasad.“I am distraught at rumours on social media that a woman with whom I had been falsely linked several months ago, which resulted in my expulsion from the party, has given birth to my child,” Yadav said.Providing background to the controversy, Yadav recalled that a post had gone viral last year from his Facebook account, claiming he had been “in a relationship, for 12 years” with a woman. He reiterated that the post was not authored by him and alleged that his social media account had been compromised.He claimed the post was the result of “hacking” carried out by what he described as “the five Jaichands,” using a metaphor for traitors. Naming them publicly, Yadav said, “There has been some suspense about who the Jaichands I have been speaking about are. Here are the names — Mukesh Raushan, Sanjay Yadav, Shakti Singh Yadav, Rameez and Sunil Singh.”Notably, Sanjay Yadav is a sitting RJD Rajya Sabha MP, Sunil Singh is a member of the legislative council, Mukesh Raushan and Shakti Singh Yadav are former MLAs and Rameez is considered close to Tejashwi Yadav, Tej Pratap’s younger brother and the RJD’s national working president.Rejecting the latest claims outright, Yadav told reporters, “I reject this completely, a controversy was created, Akash Bhati will be revealing the truth. They are trying to defame me. I will go to court.”He said he became aware of the rumours after being told that union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi had “congratulated” him on the alleged birth of a child, which he said shocked him.Yadav also linked the renewed controversy to his recent political activities. “Recently, I hosted a well-attended feast on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. This has made my detractors wary of the prospects of my party. I will seek legal action against them. I will move the court. I have also sought an appointment with Home Minister Samrat Choudhary,” he said.Appealing for an end to the speculation, he added, “I beg my detractors to let me live in peace. I know the person with whom the woman is in a relationship and who, I believe, is the father of the child. They are causing mental anguish to me by dragging my name.”Tej Pratap Yadav was expelled from the RJD last year for what the party described as “serious breaches of moral and social values,” following a public fallout triggered by the viral Facebook post. The episode added to long-running controversies surrounding him, including his strained marriage with Aishwarya, the granddaughter of former Bihar chief minister Daroga Rai. Aishwarya had left their matrimonial home within months of the wedding, alleging mistreatment, and the divorce case is still pending in court.Since his expulsion, Yadav has floated his own political outfit, the Janshakti Janata Dal and has repeatedly ruled out any return to the RJD, saying he would “choose death over returning to that party.” He has maintained that his political journey is guided by “principles and self-respect,” not by the pursuit of power.

Gary Kirsten (File photo)

NEW DELHI: Gary Kirsten spent the Sunday afternoon watching Namibia batters practice range-hitting at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium. This is the venue where, in two days’ time, Gerhard Erasmus-led Namibia will open their T20 World Cup campaign against the Netherlands.The Feroz Shah Kotla ground is not new for Kirsten, who won the 2011 ODI World Cup with India. It was during that campaign at the same venue that India had locked horns with the Netherlands. Fifteen years later, he is back at the National capital with a new team, whom he joined as a consultant a couple of months ago, and the opponent will again be the Dutch.“He obviously knows the conditions well. He knows India well. He has so much knowledge about fields and pitches and the cities and everything,” Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus told TimesofIndia.com on the sidelines of his team’s practice session. Erasmus also pointed out how Kirsten’s presence has helped him as a skipper of the side, too. “I think what comes down for me as a leader and as a captain, with one foot in the management door and one foot in the players’ door, it’s always so important for me to have the connection between players and the management. As a captain, you have to facilitate that sometimes. When you have a senior member and a mentor like him, I think that resonates well with the players and brings the best out of the players,” the Namibia captain said. This is Namibia’s fourth straight T20 World Cup appearance, and buoyed by the presence of a World Cup-winning coach Gary Kirsten in their corner, they have hit the ground running in their first training session ahead of their opening match of the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Kirsten kept a close eye throughout Namibia’s first practice session in Delhi and had one-on-one conversations with several players of the squad. The Namibia team reached the ground at around 1:30 pm, and had a full-throttle training session. Namibia batters, including captain Gerhard Erasmus, Ruben Trumpelmann, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, and Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton focused primarily on range-hitting, polishing their reverse sweeps and scoops. Meanwhile, bowlers were trying to zero in on their death bowling as they tried to sharpen their yorkers and other variations.Gary Kirsten kept providing his valuable inputs to the players throughout the session. “He’s (Kirsten) been helping with everything. There’s not one department that he doesn’t help. He’s a workaholic. He’s helping us the whole time. You know, I mean, for myself as a young coach, learning from someone like him, just unbelievable. So he helps in all departments (whether it’s) fielding, batting, bowling, red soil, black soil, conditions, climates, you know, anything,” Namibian men’s team head coach Craig Williams said after his team’s practice session.

Namibia had beaten Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup 2022 and got the better of their neighbour, South Africa, last year in the one-off T20 match. But having been placed with India, Pakistan, the USA, and the Netherlands in Group A, Namibia are not thinking “too far ahead” at the moment. “As soon as you think too far ahead, (it) creates a lot of anxiety in the group. So we’re 100% just breaking it down to one-to-one game at a time, one ball at a time. And I suppose at the end of that day you can focus on the next day and then, yeah, we’ll see how the results go,” Williams said ahead of their match against the Netherlands, who put Pakistan under pressure in the opening match of the tournament on Saturday. “We’re 100% thinking about the game against Holland (Netherlands) as our first fixture. And then yeah, there’s 240 balls in the match. If we can win most of those balls, then there’s a good chance for us in the game,” Williams said.Namibia sealed their place at the tournament after a commanding run at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Africa Qualifier in Harare, finishing as unbeaten Group A toppers and backing it up with a dominant semi-final victory over Tanzania.This is Namibia’s fourth appearance at the men’s T20 World Cup. They had also taken part in the editions in 2021 (Super 12s), 2022 (group stage), and 2024 (group stage).

Times News NetworkMumbai: Stating that a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will help unify the country, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Sunday it should be framed by taking all sections of society into confidence.“Uttarakhand published a draft bill, received 3 lakh suggestions and, after detailed discussions, passed it. If a code is brought in such a way, then it is good. Create consensus amongst the people before bringing in the UCC,” Bhagwat said on the second day of an RSS outreach programme at Worli’s Nehru Centre, stressing the UCC should not lead to differences. “India preserves unity amid diversity, this principle must be given priority while framing such laws”.The remarks came a day after he said that despite theological differences, Islam and Christianity have flourished in India because of the “inherent Hindu spirit” embedded in the country’s ethos. “We should proclaim our Hindutva identity as one nation and one culture,” he had said on the opening day of the programme Saturday—the two-day Vyakhyanmala is the fourth in the series being held across the country to mark RSS’s centenary year.During an interaction with the audience Sunday, he said BJP’s “achche din” are because of RSS and not the other way round. “RSS was committed to the Ram temple movement and those who backed it benefited, he said, adding ‘achche din’ for RSS came through the hard work of volunteers and commitment to ideology,” he said.The RSS chief also called for global Hindu unity and the Bharat Ratna for Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar.Addressing the audience Sunday, Bhagwat reiterated a three-child policy for a healthy population rate for the country, saying various studies showed that ‘three children per couple’ should be the norm if the population decline is to be stopped. Referring to the country’s total fertility rate touching 2.1, he said it is “being balanced thanks to Bihar”.He further said the Hindu population is decreasing due to conversion and illegal immigration. He added that if an individual converts voluntarily there is no opposition, but “forced or inducement-based conversions are condemnable and the response to them would be ghar wapsi”. On illegal immigration, Bhagwat said while govt is implementing the “detect and deport” policy, people must be vigilant and report such cases to the authorities as well as desist from employing them.The RSS said global Hindu unity will eliminate the need for dependence on external forces to fight for their rights and issues in any part of the world.He also batted for the Bharat Ratna for Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar. “Even without receiving the Bharat Ratna honour, Veer Savarkar rules over the hearts of millions of Bharatiyas. However, conferring the Bharat Ratna on Veer Savarkar would enhance the prestige of this honour itself,” he added.Bhagwat said given the country’s large population, it’s important to give work to people, and working on farms must be respected.On ayurveda, he said there is now a ministry to promote it. “There should be an increase in practitioners and those using ayurveda. Allopathy has expanded because it provides quick relief. In ancient times, there was a vaidya for 10-12 villages and he provided fresh medicine from the nearby forest. If ayurveda is to flourish, then practitioners will have to go and work at the grassroots level,” he said.Speaking on the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, Bhagwat said India is the only country that has fulfilled all its promises. “It is the West that exploited nature and not India. Those smoke-emitting factories, the fertilisers that poison food—when will you ban them all?” he asked.From Salman to Karan Johar, Bollywood marks its presenceMany Bollywood celebrities attended the two-day event—from Salman Khan to Karan Johar, Shilpa Shetty, Vicky Kaushal, Akshay Kumar, Ananya Panday, Raveena Tandon, Ravi Dubey and Madhur Bhandarkar—leading RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to comment that had the organisation invited people 20 years ago, it would not have got the same response. Khan’s presence prompted Shiv Sena (UBT) Sanjay Raut to take a dig at RSS. “Was it a welcome only for Bollywood star Salman Khan or are all Muslims now welcome in the Sangh and its shakhas? RSS should clarify,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim witnesses the exchange of MoUs between India and Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. (DPR PMO/ANI Photo)

KUALA LUMPUR: India and Malaysia inked 11 MoUs in what was described by both Anwar Ibrahim and Narendra Modi as a “critical, strategic and vital exchange” for reinforcing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, at Seri Perdana, the official residential complex of the Malaysian PM.Key agreements include Exchange of Notes (EoN) on semiconductors, a sector where both countries are aggressively partnering to boost the value chain, including AI and R&D. At the press briefing after the signing of the deals, an agreement between India’s NPCI International Ltd (NIPL) and Malaysia’s PayNet was announced.

“It is not yet operational owing to some necessary technical alignments,” said P Kumaran, secretary, East. He added that there is also a broader project for multi-point connectivity called Project Nexus; which India, Malaysia, Singapore and a few other countries in the region are working on. This will give direct connectivity from one country to all the other countries partaking in the Nexus.On the question of a timeline for operationalising the settlement of trade in local currencies, Kumaran said, “It is a matter of priority for both sides and discussions are ongoing between the two regulatory bodies, RBI and Bank Negara. We are going to be working very actively on this in the coming few months.”On defence, the two PMs emphasised their intent to work closer and expressed satisfaction at the outcomes of the Malaysia-India Defence Cooperation Committee (MIDCOM) and its subcommittees, including the terms of reference on establishment of a Strategic Affairs Working Group (SAWG) and Su-30 Forum.Importantly, India’s three-decade experience with Su-30s and its proximity to Malaysia makes it the best country for its upgrade and maintenance. This also encompasses a broader defence industrial agenda beyond transactional procurement.Other agreements include areas like disaster management, the fight against corruption, healthcare, training in Ayurveda, anti-terrorism, UN Peacekeeping as well as the Framework Agreement on the Big Cats Alliance. The two sides have also agreed to collaborate on social security through a pact between Malaysia’s social security organisation and India’s Employees’ State Insurance Corporation.

Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga, center, celebrates with teammates (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka began their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign on a confident note, overcoming Ireland by 20 runs in their opening fixture on Sunday, thanks to a composed unbeaten half-century from Kamindu Mendis and a clinical display from their spinners. Asked to bat first, the hosts were rocked early when Mark Adair removed Kamil Mishara for six in the fourth over. Despite the early setback, Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis ensured Sri Lanka finished the powerplay on solid footing, taking the score to 50 with a blend of caution and timely aggression.

The partnership added 34 for the second wicket before George Dockrell broke through in the ninth over, dismissing Nissanka for 24 off 23 balls. Dockrell struck again soon after, sending Pavan Rathnayake back for 5, leaving Sri Lanka wobbling at 68 for three after 11 overs. Ireland tightened the screws through the middle phase, drying up the boundaries and forcing Sri Lanka to crawl to 95 for four by the 15th over. The momentum shifted dramatically thereafter. Kamindu Mendis and Kusal Mendis counter-attacked with a vital 67-run stand that revived the innings. Kamindu changed the complexion of the match with a blistering burst, smashing 44 off just 19 balls, before settling into a mature unbeaten 56 off 43 deliveries. His knock guided Sri Lanka to a competitive total of 163. In reply, Ireland lost skipper Paul Stirling early, trapped by Maheesh Theekshana in the fourth over. Ross Adair showed intent but was bowled by Wanindu Hasaranga for 34, while a promising 49-run stand between Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker briefly kept Ireland in the hunt. Sri Lanka’s spinners then took control. Hasaranga removed Tector for 40 and Dunith Wellalage accounted for Tucker, triggering a collapse. Theekshana struck twice late to seal the contest as Ireland were bowled out for 143. Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga claimed three wickets apiece, underlining Sri Lanka’s all-round dominance.

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PUNE: Weekend gridlocks have almost become a norm on the Mumbai-Pune expressway, and this Saturday was no exception. A surge of traffic once again brought the corridor to a crawl, with lumbering trailers and heavy vehicles choking the ghat stretch and turning peak-hour movement into a sluggish and exhausting ordeal. Officials said the traffic surge was partly due to local body election-related travel.This bottleneck comes barely days after a 32-hour ordeal caused by the overturning of a propylene tanker near the Adoshi tunnel in the Khandala ghat on Tuesday. The incident had triggered a massive traffic snarl, leaving thousands of commuters stranded as the congestion stretched up to 50km at its peak.

Travellers stuck in Saturday’s congestion reported significant delays, with travel time increasing by over an hour on several sections of the route. “Traffic stayed sluggish throughout the day, and people are still taking unusually long to reach their destinations.

Even today (Saturday), vehicle movement was extremely slow. We had more than 25 cars travelling from Pune to Mumbai, and the trip ended up taking over five hours,” Pradeep Malpote, CEO of KP Travels, said.Malpote blamed heavy vehicles for the expressway’s traffic gridlock. “Trucks and containers are responsible for most of the congestion. Many of them straddle multiple lanes, leaving hardly any space for smaller vehicles to move,” he said.

A highway police official attributed the continued gridlock to election-related travel and the sudden movement of heavy vehicles that had been halted earlier in the week following a tanker accident. “Due to the zilla parishad and panchayat samiti elections, many people are travelling between villages and cities. Heavy vehicles that were stalled for the past two to three days have also started moving at once,” the official said. Police officers said intermittent traffic blocks were being enforced to regulate traffic.

During the T20 World Cup 2026 clash against Ireland at the R. Premadasa Stadium on February 8, 2026, Sri Lanka’s spin maestro Maheesh Theekshana provided the definitive moment of the Powerplay. Defending a competitive total of 163/6, the co-hosts knew that the wicket of Ireland’s captain and danger-man Paul Stirling was the key to unlocking the chase.

T20 World Cup 2026: Maheesh Theekshana yorks Paul Stirling and unlocks iconic ‘archer’ celebration

The breakthrough arrived in the 4th over (3.2) with a delivery of absolute pinpoint precision. After a sluggish start, Stirling (6 off 13) attempted to charge down the track to unsettle the mystery spinner. Anticipating the move, Theekshana fired in a lightning-fast yorker at the base of the middle stump.

The ball zipped under Stirling’s bat before he could even complete his swing, crashing into the woodwork to leave the Irish captain stunned. Without missing a beat, Theekshana broke into his trademark ‘Archer’ celebration, mimicking the release of an arrow into the night sky as his teammates swarmed him. The gesture, a symbolic ‘bullseye,’ perfectly captured the surgical nature of the dismissal and left Ireland reeling early in their chase of 164.

Here’s the video:

A quick change of pace and Maheesh Theekshana gets the better of Paul Striling! Will Sri Lanka defend the total?⚡

ICC Men’s #T20WorldCup | #SLvIRE | LIVE NOW 👉 https://t.co/AaKfib9jeV pic.twitter.com/2MPsgGkL97

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 8, 2026

Also WATCH: T20 World Cup 2026: Pavan Rathnayake throws away wicket with reckless shot during SL vs IRE clash

Ireland’s chase of 164 falters against Sri Lanka’s spin trio

Theekshana’s early strike opened the floodgates for a disciplined Sri Lankan bowling attack that utilized the ‘dry and slow’ Colombo surface to perfection. Following Stirling’s exit, Wanindu Hasaranga maintained the pressure from the other end, eventually removing Ross Adair for a rapid 34 to leave Ireland struggling at 56/2 after 8 overs. Sri Lanka’s tactical decision to use three different spinners, Theekshana, Hasaranga and Dunith Wellalage, within the first nine overs successfully stifled the Irish run rate, making boundary-hitting an arduous task.

Despite a gritty effort from Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker to rebuild, the required run rate has climbed steadily toward 10 runs per over. The R. Premadasa crowd remains in high spirits, sensing a victory as the ‘spin-twins’ continue to dominate the middle phase. With Ireland needing a monumental finish to pull off an upset, the momentum remains firmly with the co-hosts following Theekshana’s opening masterclass.

Also WATCH: Nepal players salute Wankhede crowd with lap of honour after heartbreaking T20 World Cup 2026 loss to England

Navi Mumbai: A case has been registered against a 58-year-old retired assistant commissioner of police (ACP) from Mumbai Police department for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol and ramming his car into a tempo on a busy road in Navi Mumbai’s Karave area on Saturday evening. No one was injured in the incident.NRI Coastal police have booked the accused, Nerul resident Arun Pokharkar, under the relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Motor Vehicles Act for rash and negligent driving under the influence of alcohol after his medical test at NMMC hospital in Vashi confirmed that he was driving drunk. Pokharkar was not arrested, but served with a notice under the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita as per the provisions of the law.The video of the inebriated accused being confronted and thrashed by angry bystanders has gone viral on social media.Devendra Pol, senior inspector of NRI Coastal police station, said Pokharkar’s old police identity card as senior inspector of Mumbai Police was found in the MUV, along with the police nameplate near the windscreen. Pokharkar was attached to Yellowgate police station as senior inspector and was promoted to ACP days before his retirement. “Though Pokharkar recently retired as ACP, he was misusing the police nameplate by displaying it in a private vehicle, which is illegal. Accordingly, relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act were invoked against Pokharkar,” said Pol, adding that they did not find any liquor bottles in his vehicle.“Retired cops indulging in drunk driving bring disrepute to the police department,” Pol said.In August last year, a 42-year-old police constable, Ravindra Pawar, was booked for driving his car rashly and at high speed under the influence of alcohol, and hitting a biker in Ghansoli. The biker, Vicky Uchgavkar (39), and a woman riding pillion sustained minor injuries in the collision, which caused damage to the bike. The incident was video-recorded by the dash cam in a car behind the constable’s vehicle and went viral on social media. Passersby intercepted Pawar’s car ahead at a junction and informed Rabale police station. A police team reached the spot and detained Pawar, who was visibly inebriated. Inside his car, they allegedly found a plastic bottle containing liquor.

Niti Aayog member and former DRDO director general VK Saraswat on Sunday said venture capitalists must increase financial support for Indian defence startups, asserting that these firms have come a long way but require stronger funding backing for sustained growth.Speaking with PTI Videos on the sidelines of the Advantage Vidarbha-2026 Business Conclave and Investment Summit, Saraswat said India’s defence approach is driven by national requirements rather than geopolitical balancing.“It is about how we look at our own business requirements. It is not a question of choosing between A and B. It is a question of how do we meet our requirements of security and latest technology in terms of weapons and ensuring it happens,” he said, when asked about balancing defence ties between the US and Russia.He said India will continue to progress on its path irrespective of shifts in the global geopolitical framework.On the defence allocation in the 2026-27 Union Budget, Saraswat said it signals a focus on large-scale production of weapons and equipment required for future warfare requirements.“It is also for indigenisation, for ensuring the private sector gets more participation for bringing down the cost and increasing the rate of production, and ensuring our products become cost effective and competitive,” he said.He said the allocations reflect lessons learnt in Operation Sindoor, particularly in weapon selection and manufacturing priorities.“Whether I should go for long range supersonic missiles or standalone weapons that are needed for attacking from a distance. Because the future of war is non-contact warfare and in non contact warfare the technologies that are going to be used are of different nature. This Budget and the R&D iNitiative which the government has started with the participation of the private sector is totally in that direction,” he said.The defence outlay in the 2026-27 Union Budget stood at Rs 7.85 lakh crore, up from Rs 6.81 lakh crore last year. Of this, Rs 2,19,306 crore has been allocated towards capital expenditure for the armed forces, including procurement of weapons, aircraft, warships and military hardware.On defence research and development and startup participation, Saraswat said government-backed innovation ecosystems created by the defence ministry, department of science and technology and department of biotechnology are helping build a strong startup pipeline.“The ecosystem for all of them is basically to promote startup culture. Startups are coming up in a big way because the policies of the Union government are supporting them in a big way. Venture capitals must support defence startups, which (currently) is not as much as it should be,” he said.He added that Indian defence startups have matured significantly and require stronger financial support to scale up.