MUMBAI: Thirty-two incidents of vehicles catching sudden fire were reported in the city between Jan 2025 and mid-Feb 2026, endangering road users and throwing vehicular traffic out of gear.Two of these incidents were reported in the first two weeks of Feb alone on busy arterials during peak hour.Fire safety experts said electrical faults are a probable reason, typically due to rodents chewing up electrical wires in cars.The latest incident was reported on Feb 11 on the southbound arm of a flyover on Western Express Highway (WEH), Goregaon East.Police had opened a counter lane on this arm to decongest traffic when, suddenly, a car went up in flames around 7.20 pm.The fire brigade was summoned, and the flames were put out by 7.40 pm.The police then organised for a crane to tow the charred vehicle under the flyover, where it was parked safely.Just four days prior, on Feb 7, another car went up in flames at 10 pm on the northbound arm of WEH at Vile Parle. The fire was put out by 10.30 pm, and after towing away the charred vehicle, traffic flow could be resumed by 10.35 pm.There were no casualties in either incident and the probable cause was a short circuit due to issues with wiring, officials said.Retired fire officer Rajendra Chaudhary points out that the rodent menace in parking areas is a key reason for damaged electrical wiring. “Once a vehicle is parked at night, rats creep in and gnaw at the electrical wiring and the fuel pipe. As a result, petrol could leak and if it comes into contact with a heated engine while the motorist is driving, the end result could be a sudden fire,” said Chaudhary.He pointed out that another causal factor for fires is tampering of electric system of cars while adding accessories But the most challenging to douse are fires in electric vehicles. “A fire in a small electric car could take thousands of litres of water to put out,” said Chaudhary.Issues with batteries is typically a key reason for fires in electric vehicles. “It could take anywhere between 30 to 40 minutes for the entire process of putting out flames in a burning vehicle, cooling down and towing it away. The stretched gets blocked during this period, resulting in massive traffic backlogs. We want to appeal to motorists to maintain their vehicles regularly as a sudden fire endangers the lives of road users,” said joint commissioner, traffic, Anil Kumbhare.

Ind vs Pak (Pic credit: ICC’s X Handle)

THE TIMES OF INDIA, COLOMBO: Thirty years ago — Feb 13, 1996 to be precise — an India-Pakistan combined XI played the Sri Lankan team at the Premadasa in solidarity with the war-torn island nation ahead of the World Cup. In perhaps the only-ever actual India-Pak XI to take a cricket field, the match was an attempt to showcase that Lanka held no threat and was indeed safe to play in.

Three decades later today, in this changed world of no-handshakes, that’s probably an irrelevant anecdote. Or is it? After an incredible amount of backroom negotiations, this T20 World Cup version of the India-Pakistan rivalry will finally take place in Colombo, signalling a sense of subcontinental ceasefire. The cricket bosses of all five Test-playing nations of the subcontinent, including absentee Bangladesh, are likely to be present at the Premadasa on Sunday.Even the captains of the two teams seem to have backed off from their shrill dislike of each other. Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha had a word or two of praise for India counterpart Suryakumar Yadav, who returned the compliment by saying, “They are a good team and are playing good cricket in this tournament.”With fans trooping in from different parts of India, the 35,000-strong ground will have a predominantly home ground feel for India. Pakistan, however, have the advantage of being in Colombo for a while, having played a couple of matches at SSC, and with an extra practice session under their belt. The fact is that the playing arena is bigger than most grounds in India and the pitch for the game is significantly slower than what SKY’s boys have played on of late at home.Both captains tried to water down the advantage factor for Pakistan. While Agha said it all came down to the performance on the day, Suryakumar said they have played in Sri Lanka many times to know what to expect. “Pakistan may have a slight advantage but we have the experience of so many tours. And we know how to play in these conditions and adjust as per the situation,” the India skipper said. Spinners and bowlers taking pace off could be key and Pakistan have played the spin quartet of mystery spinners Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed, left-arm finger Mohammed Nawaz and leggie Shadab Khan. It’s likely that Pakistan may drop either Shadab or Nawaz to try and fit in one pacer in Salman Mirza or Naseem Shah.‘SKY’ emulates Tariq actionThe talking point, though, is spinner Usman Tariq and ‘SKY’ accepted that the mystery slinger is “out of syllabus”. “But in an exam, you can’t leave a question like that, can you,” he joked, adding that India are taking preparations to counter the 31-year-old. In fact, once the India nets started, it was Surya who emulated with Tariq’s stop-start action to Abhishek Sharma, who has recuperated well from his illness and is ready to play.Surya, incidentally, bowled a couple of match-winning spells for India when they played in Sri Lanka at the same ground in a bilateral T20 series in 2024. It remains to be seen if he turns his arm over in match-situation on Sunday.Practice session cut short by rainAll these equations, though, can go for a toss if it rains on Sunday or if a truncated game is played. As India reached the second half of their practice session on Saturday, they were interrupted by an evening drizzle and the groundsmen immediately covered the entire ground. The forecast isn’t great for Sunday.

In a significant moment for regional music’s expanding national footprint, Fossils 7, the latest release from Bengali rock pioneers Fossils, has climbed to the No. 1 position on the iTunes India Top 200 Albums chart across all genres.The achievement marks a rare crossover success for a non-Hindi album in the national digital marketplace and signals the growing mainstream visibility of Bangla rock beyond its

traditional listener base.According to real-time chart trackers, the album had already been performing strongly in the Regional Indian category since its release, holding the top spot consistently. Its move to the summit of the overall all-genres chart now places it ahead of releases across languages and styles, underscoring both the band’s enduring appeal and the widening reach of regional music audiences.

At the time of chart capture, Dhurandhar occupied the No. 2 position on the national list, highlighting the competitive and language-diverse nature of India’s streaming ecosystem. Yet the rise of Fossils 7 suggests that language barriers are becoming less relevant in the digital era, where fan communities, social media circulation and nostalgia-driven listening patterns often outweigh conventional industry hierarchies.For over two decades, the Kolkata-based band led by vocalist-songwriter Rupam Islam has shaped the sound and identity of Bangla alternative rock, combining introspective lyricism with a hard-edged sonic palette. Their new release continues that trajectory, blending political undertones, emotional intensity and stadium-scale arrangements , elements that have long defined their loyal fan following.

Industry observers note that the album’s chart performance reflects a broader shift in listening behaviour: regional music, once confined to linguistic markets, is increasingly travelling across states through streaming platforms, algorithmic discovery and diaspora engagement. In that sense, Fossils 7 may represent not just a band’s success, but a moment in which Bangla rock asserts itself within India’s national pop-culture conversation.If sustained, the album’s performance could open new commercial possibilities for regional rock acts , from wider festival bookings to national playlist penetration — reinforcing the idea that India’s music mainstream is becoming more multilingual than ever before.

Shivam Dube was furious over Rinku Singh. Again, a misunderstanding between these two batters cost Team India a wicket. Dube was batting nicely, well settled on the track, when Pakistan made him run out.

Dube was absolutely not happy with his batting partner, Rinku Singh. It was not the first time when the team had to suffer a run-out in the presence of these two batters. It was the closing moments of the first inning when the Men in Blue lost one of their big hitters.

Rinku Singh was on the strike against Shaheen Afridi

In the fifth delivery of the 20th over, Shaheen Afridi was up against Rinku Singh. Singh played with a soft hand as the ball pitched outside off. The right-handed batter had to reach for the ball before making a connection. After making the connection with the blade, the ball went towards the sweeper cover, where Mohammad Nawaz was there to collect the ball.

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In the meantime, Rinku and Shivam completed a single with comfort. Dube called for the second and quickly set off for that. It was the fifth ball of the 20th over, so the adrenaline rush was there in the batters for obvious reasons. While Dube wholeheartedly wanted to steal another run, Rinku hesitated.

Shivam Dube wanted the second

Rinku was then at the non-striker’s end and Shivam at the striker’s end after completing the first run. Shivam Dube turned quickly and ran a few yards as well, only to be denied by his batting partner. Nawaz, the fielder who collected the ball, made no mistake in throwing it in the striker’s end. The keeper, Usman Khan, precisely collected the ball and hit the stumps. The red lights on the stumps started to blink; Dube had to depart.

In this match, Shivam Dube scored 27 off 17, with three 4s and a 6, which took his strike rate to 158.82. On the other end, Rinku Singh remained not out for 11 off 4 with one 4 and one 6. Both of their knocks were crucial for the team’s perspective, as they were able to score 175 for 7 in 20 overs.

A decent batting display from Team India

Two key batters, Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya, were dismissed without scoring a single run, which were major blows for the team. Ishan Kishan appeared as the top performer for the team because of his fine 77-run innings against 40 balls. He completed the half-century facing only 27 deliveries, which sets an all-time record in the India vs Pakistan rivalry.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav continued with 32 against 29 balls. The total was very competitive, but the Indian cricket fans might have expected more fireworks from the star-studded batting lineup.

Read More: Watch: Jasprit Bumrah gives Saim Ayub a death stare after dismissing him with a stunning yorker

Colours of the rivalry: Local vendors set up shop with India and Pakistan jerseys outside R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo ahead of the big clash. (Photo/TimesofIndia.com)

TimesofIndia.com in Colombo: Saif, a fourth-division cricketer from Bengaluru, booked his flight, hotel and match tickets two months in advance. He even landed in the Sri Lankan capital three days before the match.“Pakistan is no match for India. Inshallah, we will beat them,” a jubilant Saif tells TimesofIndia.com on Sunday.Saif is among the 18,000 Indian fans who have travelled from India to watch the highly anticipated India-Pakistan match.Also See: IND vs PAK Live Score, T20 World Cup 2026Then there is Mohammad Infaz, a tuk tuk driver in Colombo who speaks fluent Hindi and echoes sentiments similar to Saif’s.“India are too strong. I think it will be a one-sided affair. Itna khatarnaak Indian team kabhi nahi dekha (This is the strongest Indian team I have seen). In T20s, on a given day anything can happen, but I have a feeling India will win,” he says while driving this reporter to the R Premadasa Stadium.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Usama, who has travelled from Lahore and is among the 12,000 Pakistani fans, carries a glimmer of hope.“We have never done well against India in World Cups. But this time, I feel we have an upper edge because we know the conditions better,” says Usama.The toss will take place at 6:30 PM local time and IST, but fans from both countries began lining up as early as 1 PM. All stadium gates will open to the public at 3:00 PM. A Sri Lanka Cricket official confirmed to TimesofIndia.com that all tickets have been sold out.Approximately 2,000 police officers and nearly 600 military personnel have been deployed to maintain security and regulate traffic for the match.

Sri Lanka Mirror, a local daily, has reported that India’s RAW intelligence agency, Indian security personnel, as well as private security officers assigned to the players, have arrived in Colombo to provide security for Indian players and spectators. It is also learnt that Pakistan’s security and intelligence agencies have reached Colombo to coordinate and assist with the security arrangements.Prasanna, who runs an Airbnb on Havelock Road, complains about not getting a match ticket for his die-hard Hardik Pandya fan.“No tickets for the locals,” he laughs. “We are only here to provide hospitality to our Indian and Pakistani friends.”Ryan de Silva, an ardent Mumbai Indians fan who also drives a tuk tuk, says he too wanted to see Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah in action.“I have been trying to get a ticket to see my Mumbai boys in action for a month, but I didn’t get lucky,” says de Silva, a Lasith Malinga fan.

After so much build-up, the stage is set for the battle between two bitter rivals, and both captains admitted in their pre-match press conferences that this is far more than just a game.“If you play any game, there is always pressure. When you play India-Pakistan, it is more about the occasion. No matter how much you say it is just another game, at the back of your mind you know which game you are playing,” Suryakumar Yadav said.Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha echoed similar views. “This game between India and Pakistan has always been a high-magnitude match and will continue to remain so in the future.”Former England captain Michael Atherton, in his column for The Times, described the India-Pakistan contest as a “toxic and politicised spectacle.”Atherton argued that the fixture has become too big to fail, underpinning the fragile global cricket economy, even as it serves as a proxy for political point-scoring.Yet, his view comes with privilege. Ask the vendors outside the R Premadasa Stadium selling flags, the cafe owners, or the tuk tuk drivers who have waited for this match since the schedule was announced.“Today I will earn more than ten times what I make in a month,” says a 55-year-old vendor selling jerseys outside the stadium.The India-Pakistan game will always matter. Arrive seven hours before the first ball and you understand why. This fixture is not for the faint-hearted. Fasten your seatbelt and enjoy the ride.

NEW DELHI: The opposition’s notice for a resolution for Speaker Om Birla’s removal is likely to be taken up in Lok Sabha on the first day of the Budget session’s second part on March 9, parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said on Sunday, as govt looks to get on with its legislative agenda in the sitting after disposing of the move against the chair.As the BJP-led NDA has 293 members in the 542-member House and is likely to draw support of several fence-sitters, the opposition’s bid for Birla’s ouster for his alleged partiality looks set to fall through.“On March 9 in Lok Sabha, we will have the debate on the no-confidence motion moved against the Speaker. There will be a vote following the debate,” Rijiju told TOI .Official sources said the governing NDA is keen to deal with the issue urgently so that Birla, who has decided to not attend the House till the notice is dealt with, could return to preside over proceedings in the crucial session.Govt’s decision to send Birla for the swearing-in ceremony of BNP leader Tarique Rahman as Bangladesh PM on Feb 17 is being seen as signalling govt’s combative support for the Speaker who attracted Congress’s wrath for saying that the party had planned to deploy its women contingent in LS to do something unprecedentedly indecorous against PM Narendra Modi during his speech on the motion of thanks to the President’s address.The lead up to the vote will see Congress making an effort to get TMC and AAP to support the anti-Birla move. Congress is learnt to have dangled the carrot of a motion to remove chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as a quid pro quo. TMC has been on the warpath against against the CEC over the Special Intense Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound West Bengal.Talking to PTI in Arunachal Pradesh, Rijiju expressed hope that Congress and other opposition parties would allow Parliament to function, but made it clear that the govt will carry on with its legislative agenda, noting that the Finance Bill will have to be passed. The Appropriation Bill will also be passed during the session.Amid deepening acrimony between the treasury and opposition benches, govt has at times got its key bills passed amid uproar, insisting that governance cannot be allowed to be obstructed by disruptions.BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s notice for taking up a motion for expulsion of the leader of opposition in LS, Rahul Gandhi, is also likely to figure on the session’s agenda. If the issue is mentioned in the House, it is bound to face massive protests from opposition parties.Rijiju termed the next part of the session interesting, noting that it coincides with the upcoming assembly elections in four states and a Union Territory — West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.“We will bring some important bills, including one critical bill. We will not disclose now as to what the bill is, but we will bring up one very important business in the second part. We will pass all these bills,” he said.