I write this as I am on my way to Kyiv. Tomorrow, Feb 24, will mark the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. And despite Trump’s attempts to ‘negotiate’ an end to the war – remember he had claimed that he would stop the war within 24 hours of taking office? – no such outcome is expected any time soon. That’s because, by all accounts, it is Putin that doesn’t seem to want to end the war. Ukraine has said it is willing to effect a ceasefire along the current frontline in eastern Ukraine. Putin, however, wants Kyiv to give up even those areas of the Donbas it still controls. Moscow knows there is no way Kyiv will agree to this. Around 200,000 Ukrainians still live in the part of the Donbas that Ukraine controls. Plus, this area also hosts a fortress belt of heavily fortified Ukrainian towns and cities that Kyiv will be daft to give up. So, Moscow, essentially, is making demands it knows Kyiv will not be amenable to.

Then there is the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant – the largest in Europe – that Russia has taken hostage. A clear case of nuclear blackmail for entire Europe. And finally, Russia has essentially vetoed any proposal that guarantees Ukraine’s future security – it rejects any European peacekeeping force in Ukraine, it has a problem with the size of the Ukrainian army, and it doesn’t want the West to provide Ukraine will serious, tangible military packages that can secure Ukrainians from future attacks. In all of this, Russia, the invading country, the aggressor, is making demands of Ukraine and the West! That’s downright bizarre! And Trump, looking for a quick political win, has largely gone along with Putin’s ploy. But Ukrainians are still resisting and standing strong. There is no question of giving up or backing away from Ukrainian-controlled Donbas or recognising Russian occupation of any internationally-recognised Ukrainian territory. Note that this winter has been terrible for Ukrainians. Russia has relentlessly attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure to freeze ordinary Ukrainians in sub-zero temperatures. Yet, the Ukrainians haven’t been broken. They live and thrive as resistance. On the fourth anniversary of the full-scale war, Ukraine stands. And Russia’s strategic objects remain unrealised. As President Zelenskyy has said, Ukrainians are tired, yes, they want peace more than anything else. But they want peace not at the cost of their dignity and sovereignty. It is this resiliency that defines Ukrainians today. Tomorrow in Kyiv, I will once again come face to face with this special Ukrainian spirit – volya. Watch this space for more.

Mumbai: The Bombay high court recently released on bail a man who spent 10 years in prison for the sexual assault and rape of a minor in a Mumbai suburb following “inconsistencies” in the evidence.Allowing his bail plea, Justice R M Joshi on Feb 11 directed that “the substantive sentence imposed against the appellant” shall stand suspended till the decision on his appeal against the Feb 2024 judgment of a special court.

According to the prosecution, on Dec 17, 2015, the girl (then 5 years old) and her sister (7) were playing when the accused came and took her to his house. He locked the door, keeping her sister out, and committed the offence.He was booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act including for aggravated penetrative sexual assault and under IPC for rape of a minor and sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment.“As rightly pointed out” by the applicant’s advocate Shashikant Chandak, Justice Joshi said “prima facie, the evidence on record indicates that there are major inconsistencies in the statements of the victim, her sister, and her mother”.Chandak argued that a medical examination on Dec 17, 2015, did not find she was sexually assaulted. On Dec 23, 2015, the FIR was registered introducing the commission of the offence. Chandak said the girl and her sister differed on whether the lights of the house were on or off. The mother and the girl differed on the mother’s presence at home when she went crying to her.Opposing the grant of bail, the prosecutor and the mother’s advocate said the minor had narrated the manner in which she was sexually assaulted. They referred to the trial court’s observation on possible miscommunication between her and the medical officer.Justice Joshi said, “The inconsistencies are material in nature and cannot be brushed aside by way of branding them as insignificant.”There is substance in the contention that “history of sexual assault given at a later point of time may not depict the correct facts”.The judge noted that the applicant has been behind bars for 10 years and his appeal is unlikely to be heard soon. He also has no criminal history and is unlikely to flee. Justice Joshi directed him not to contact the girl or her family members, adding any breach of the condition “shall result forthwith in cancellation of bail”.

The government currently has no roadmap for mergers among public sector banks, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, indicating that consolidation is not under active consideration even as a new banking reform panel is set to review the sector’s future.“I am not familiar with any roadmap…there isn’t one,” Sitharaman said in a media briefing after her post-Budget customary address to the Board of the Reserve Bank of India, PTI reported.She clarified that bank consolidation was neither discussed during Budget preparations nor raised in recent deliberations, though the proposed High-Level Committee on Banking for Viksit Bharat will examine all aspects related to strengthening the banking ecosystem.“Bank consolidation was not a subject here, nor was it a subject before the Budget, but the Committee, which is now being appointed, once the terms of reference are given, they will look into every aspect of how to strengthen Indian banking,” she said.In the Union Budget 2026-27, Sitharaman proposed setting up a ‘High Level Committee on Banking for Viksit Bharat’ to comprehensively review India’s banking sector and align it with the country’s growth goals while safeguarding financial stability, inclusion and consumer protection.“I propose setting up a ‘High Level Committee on Banking for Viksit Bharat’ to comprehensively review the sector and align it with India’s next phase of growth, while safeguarding financial stability, inclusion and consumer protection,” she had said in the Budget speech on February 1.The committee is expected to draw up a blueprint aimed at creating mega lenders capable of meeting the financing needs of a developed India.As part of broader financial sector reforms, the Budget also proposed restructuring Power Finance Corporation (PFC) and Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) to achieve scale and improve efficiency in public sector NBFCs. REC is a subsidiary of state-owned power sector lender PFC, and both institutions play a key role in financing power generation, transmission and distribution projects.In March 2019, PFC completed the acquisition of a majority stake in REC Ltd by transferring Rs 14,500 crore to the government. PFC acquired 103.94 crore shares, representing a 52.63 per cent stake, along with management control, at Rs 139.50 per share following approval from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.Commenting on the banking sector’s health, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said banks are adequately capitalised and capable of sustaining credit growth for the next four to five years, supporting the economy’s financing needs.He added that deposit growth is now keeping pace with credit expansion.On moderation in net foreign direct investment (FDI), Malhotra said gross FDI inflows have continued to rise.Last year, he said, “It increased by about 14-15 per cent. Even this year, gross FDI has increased, and the growth rate is also high. It’s because of repatriations of those people who had done earlier FDI. It has gone out. The net (FDI) has decreased”.Similarly, he said Indian companies are increasingly investing overseas as domestic economic measures have strengthened confidence, which has also contributed to lower net FDI levels.

Mumbai: The BMC blood banks in the city had to cancel their planned collection camps at the last moment, as the additional municipal commissioner (health) kept approvals for vehicles on hold for a prolonged duration. Blood bank officers said that, for the first time in many years, there were cancellations, and the situation could lead to a shortage of blood in the city.DMC (health) Sharad Ughade said the intention behind putting the approvals on hold was to consolidate the requirements of all the hospitals and grant blanket permission for the next three years, allowing blood banks the autonomy to conduct camps as the need arises.

All of these camps required vehicles carrying the required equipment and manpower to travel to the outskirts of Mumbai. A senior blood bank officer at one of the four BMC-run hospitals said earlier it was as simple as sending a letter to the dean and leaving for collection early in the morning.“Now, officers are asked to have written permission from AMC, who left us in the lurch,” the officer said.The city requires between 1,000 and 1,400 units of blood daily to meet the needs of hospitals, surgeries, and patients with chronic blood disorders.A former social worker at KEM Hospital involved in blood collection said donors within the city are limited for over 50 blood banks. “Most of the blood donors are those who did it for years. But donation numbers dip as summer arrives.”The blood banks had a relationship with donation camp organisers in areas like Panvel, who take a lot of effort in bringing forward donors. one such camp by KEM Hospital was cancelled mere days prior to collection. Another blood bank official from Nair Hospital said that they were in a similar situation this month. “All we require is 2 ambulance vehicles. one camp can bring 150 to 200 units of blood for the city. Their argument is that they do collection within Mumbai, but most of the blood donation camp organisers are from outside, who place a lot of trust in BMC hospitals.”F-South corporator Sachin Padwal, in a letter BMC commissioner, said the situation could have dire consequences for patients. AMC (Health) Vipin Sharma remained unavailable for comment.

Team India’s hopes of reaching the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals have taken a serious hit after a crushing 76-run defeat to South Africa in their opening Super 8 fixture in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India were thoroughly outplayed as the Proteas dominated both innings.South Africa, after opting to bat first, posted a commanding 187/7. David Miller anchored the innings with a fluent 63, while Dewald Brevis provided momentum with a brisk 45. Despite Jasprit Bumrah’s impressive spell of 3/15, India were unable to prevent South Africa from finishing strongly.

The chase unravelled quickly. India never settled into any rhythm and were eventually bowled out for just 111. Marco Jansen was the chief destroyer with four wickets, sealing a comprehensive win and inflicting major damage on India’s Net Run Rate, which now stands at -3.800.The defeat leaves India in a must-win situation. They need victories in both of their remaining Super 8 matches against West Indies and Zimbabwe to ensure qualification for the Final Four. Even then, scenarios could complicate matters.

India T20 World Cup Qualification Scenario

Scenario 1 – India win both matchesIf India secure wins in both fixtures, they will finish with four points. In most cases, that should be enough to qualify. However, complications arise if South Africa win only one of their remaining matches and the winner of the West Indies vs Zimbabwe clash also defeats South Africa. In that situation, three teams could end up on four points, pushing qualification to Net Run Rate calculations. Ideally for India, South Africa winning both of their remaining matches would simplify the equation and reduce reliance on NRR.Scenario 2 – India win one matchIf India manage just one win, they will require South Africa to win all their remaining games. Additionally, India’s sole victory must come against the winner of the West Indies vs Zimbabwe contest. That outcome would leave India, West Indies and Zimbabwe level on two points each, once again making Net Run Rate the deciding factor.India now find themselves under immense pressure. A defeat alone may not have been disastrous, but the scale of the loss and the severe blow to their Net Run Rate have left their campaign hanging by a thread.

The Wankhede Stadium witnessed a historic moment on Monday, February 23, as Zimbabwe‘s young prodigy Brian Bennett was finally dismissed for the first time in the T20 World Cup 2026.

Entering the Super 8 clash against the West Indies with a staggering unbeaten streak, Bennett’s luck ran out against a world-class piece of left-arm spin from Akeal Hosein. Chasing a monumental target of 255, the Zimbabwean opener was cleaned up by a delivery that has already been labeled the ‘ball of the tournament.’ The dismissal not only ended a remarkable individual run but also signaled the beginning of a catastrophic Powerplay for the Zimbabwe, who found themselves reeling under the scoreboard pressure of a record-breaking West Indian total.

Akeal Hosein’s ‘ripper’ ends Brian Bennett’s record unbeaten run in T20 World Cup 2026 

The dismissal occurred on the very first ball of the third over, delivered at a precise 85.4 kph. Akeal Hosein produced a classic “ripper” that drifted in toward the leg stump, dipped sharply to deceive the batter in flight, and then gripped the surface to spin away with venom. Bennett, attempting to maintain his aggressive intent by swinging across the line, was completely beaten by the lateral movement. The ball bypassed the outside edge and crashed into the top of the off-stump, leaving the Wankhede crowd in awe. Up until this delivery, Bennett had amassed 175 runs in the competition without losing his wicket once, making this ‘Timber!’ moment one of the most significant highlights of the Super 8 stage.

Here’s the video:

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Wankhede carnage against Zimbabwe: West Indies post gigantic 254/6

The wicket of Bennett could be the final nail in the coffin for a chase that is already considered ‘impossible.’ Earlier in the evening, the West Indies produced a record-breaking batting performance to pile up 254/6, the highest total of this World Cup and the second-highest in the history of the T20 World Cup. The carnage was spearheaded by Shimron Hetmyer, who smashed a breathtaking 85 off just 34 balls, including seven massive sixes. Hetmyer reached his half-century in a mere 19 balls, setting a new record for the fastest fifty by a West Indian in the tournament’s history. He was ably supported by former captain Rovman Powell, who hammered 59 off 35, as the pair shared a demoralizing 122-run stand that left the Zimbabwean bowlers completely out of ideas.

Powerplay collapse: Zimbabwe top order fail against Hosein

The fallout from Bennett’s dismissal was immediate and devastating, as Hosein completed a sensational double-wicket maiden by removing Ryan Burl for a duck just three balls later. With Matthew Forde having already claimed the wicket of Tadiwanashe Marumani, Zimbabwe collapsed to 20/3 in the space of just five deliveries. This result carries massive implications for Team India, as the West Indies’ dominant NRR boost puts immense pressure on the defending champions to win their upcoming fixtures against Zimbabwe and the Windies convincingly. As the Powerplay concluded with Zimbabwe at 47/3, the task ahead for Sikandar Raza‘s men became a matter of survival rather than victory.

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