NEW DELHI: India’s sea-based nuclear deterrent will be strengthened soon as the country’s third indigenous Arihant-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), INS Aridhaman (designated S4), is likely to be commissioned by April-May. “The commissioning of INS Aridhaman is expected by this summer as the submarine is currently in the final stages of sea trial,” a defence source told TOI.Last Dec, Navy chief Admiral D K Tripathi had said that INS Aridhaman would be commissioned this year.INS Aridhaman, built under the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project at the Ship Building Centre in Visakhapatnam, will be larger (7,000 tonne) than predecessors INS Arihant and INS Arighaat (6,000 tonne), featuring enhanced capability to carry long-range K-4 missiles. INS Aridhaman will be armed with 24 K-15 Sagarika SLBMs (750 km range) and eight K-4 SLBMs (3,500 km range), which are capable of reaching most parts of Asia.Once it enters service, India will have three operational ballistic missile submarines under the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) at sea for the first time, moving the country closer to achieving ‘Continuous At-Sea Deterrence’, a strategic defence policy where a nation maintains at least one SSBN on patrol 365 days a year.As a stealthy underwater platform, INS Aridhaman boosts India’s “second-strike” capability—the ability to retaliate after a nuclear attack. It is designed to carry more long-range nuclear-tipped missiles than its predecessors INS Arihant and INS Arighaat.In addition to INS Aridhaman, the Indian Navy is securing an Akula-class SSN nuclear-powered attack submarine from Russia, commonly referred to as “Chakra III”, with expected delivery by 2027 or early 2028. Besides these submarine projects, India and Germany are in the final stages of negotiating a $8-10 billion Project-75(I) deal to build six advanced, conventional diesel-electric submarines equipped with Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology.The new submarine acquisitions are timely as Pakistan is acquiring eight advanced Hangor-class diesel-electric attack submarines from China under a $5 billion 2015 deal to bolster its naval capabilities.INS Aridhaman is equipped with an 83 MW pressurised water reactor and advanced sonar suites, possesses indigenous USHUS and Panchendriya sonar systems for better target detection and has improved acoustic damping with anechoic tiles to reduce noise, making it harder to detect. Once operational, it will be based at Project Varsha, a high-security facility with underground pens near Visakhapatnam.

India’s Shivam Dube celebrates his half-century (ANI Photo)

Ahmedabad: For someone who would get picked for team India only if Hardik Pandya got injured and who even was struggling to find a place in the Mumbai team for one season, Shivam Dube has come a long way. His ability to tonk the spinners for big sixes earned him a recall for the 2024 T20 World Cup, with the selectors preferring him over well-known finisher Rinku Singh.

In the 2026 T20 World Cup, the Mumbai and Chennai Super Kings allrounder is turning out to be a ‘silent’ (not in the limelight), but violent (highly explosive) hero for India. In a tournament where India’s top order has largely struggled to get going against spinners, Dube’s impactful presence and contributions are worth their weight in gold. On Wednesday night at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Dube enhanced his credentials as a premier power-hitter in world cricket with a match-winning knock of 66 off just 31 balls, which included half a dozen powerfully struck sixes, against the Netherlands in India’s last league stage match of the T20 World Cup. Unlike the modern T20 specialist batter, Dube doesn’t look to improvise much. Standing still at the crease, the Mumbaikar employs his long levers, timing, and raw power to give the ball a good whack if it is pitched in his arc. Coming into this game, the 32-year-old had produced crucial cameos of 23 (off 16 balls) and 27 (off 17 balls) against Namibia and Pakistan in his previous two outings in the 2026 T20 World Cup. In the build-up to the T20 World Cup, Dube had hammered 65 off 23 balls against New Zealand in the fourth T20I at Vizag last month. On Wednesday, Dube took time to get his eye in and was slightly fortunate to survive a close lbw appeal, which was reviewed by the Dutch, off off-spinner Aryan Dutt. He scored just six off 11 balls before exploding in typical fashion. “It was a little tough on the wicket, but this is the situation I love to bat and I was enjoying it, although I was under pressure for some time. The offspinner [Colin Ackermann] bowled really well to me and four dot balls, a good over from my side, but I knew that I’m going to cover up later. [Some balls] were skidding as well as keeping low. One of the balls spun as well. So, for me, it was like, yes, I can hit him, but at that time the situation demanded something else. So, I had to play at that time,” Dube said at the post-match press conference on Wednesday. Since he knows he has the ability to unleash big sixes, Dube doesn’t get fazed by a few dot balls while starting off. “Yes, obviously when you play dot balls in T20, you feel pressure. But as a player, as a batsman, I know at that time that maybe right now if I am at 2 runs in 10 balls, in the next 5 balls, if I hit two sixes, it will be covered. So that thought always stays in my mind. Yes, the wicket was gone so it is important that we build partnerships, so for that even if 2-4 balls are dot balls it is fine, but later it gets covered,” said Dube, radiating a smile after bagging the Player of the Match award. A few years back, Dube carried an unwanted reputation of being someone who would be uncomfortable against the short ball and genuine pace. However, over time, the left-hander worked on improving his weakness, turning into a better player each year. On Wednesday, he smashed three sixes off Dutch pacer Logan van Beek. Quizzed about how he climbed the learning curve and removed his drawbacks, Dube said, “When you play in those situations, you learn. So, I have become a little smart in that situation. I know, yes, this bowler can come to me on this ball, or a fast bowler can bowl short or slower balls – I’ve worked on those things. And now I’m getting better. Game awareness is important and it has gotten better from my side,” Dube said. “When I [first] came to CSK [Chennai Super Kings], there was something I was struggling with. It was important to come back strong, because I know I can dominate. I worked really hard on the short ball. I knew it’s not going to be easy [to make the changes], but I had to give it extra time and play extra balls. That’s what I did.” “I know all the bowlers, they’re going to [try and] block me as well,” Dube said. “They’ll not bowl me yorkers or length balls. They’re going to come short. They’re going to bowl me slower balls. So I prepared myself, so I was waiting for that. When I came today, it was not that I can take the strike rate high [immediately], but at some time there was something I thought, this is the time I can go now. I knew today was my day.” Until the 2024 T20 World Cup, Dube’s strike rate against pace in T20Is was 134, but now it’s gone up to 172. Aware that pacers are going to aim to give him some ‘chin music’, Dube is ready for the challenge. “I know all the bowlers, they’re going to [try and] block me as well,” Dube said. “They’ll not bowl me yorkers or length balls. They’re going to come short. They’re going to bowl me slower balls. So I prepared myself, so I was waiting for that. When I came today, it was not that I can take the strike rate high [immediately], but at some time there was something I thought, this is the time I can go now. I knew today was my day,” Dube said. Beaming when told that this was his maiden T20 World Cup fifty, Dube chose to bat for some of his hyped-up teammates as well. “It’s about who has the day,” Dube said, striking a philosophical tone. “I think in our team all of us are match-winners, anyone can hit big sixes on any day, and I felt today is the day, so I need to be a little smart, push myself, stay till the end, but I also need to regain my strength as well. That’s what I did. That’s why I’m a power hitter,” Dube said. Besides his batting, Dube’s bowling – thanks to many useful sessions with bowling coach and former South African pacer Morne Morkel – has also improved significantly. After his heroics with the bat, he took two for 35 in three overs on Wednesday night. Reflecting the team’s confidence in his seam bowling, skipper Suryakumar Yadav turned to Dube when the Netherlands needed 28 in the final over. The Dutch got 10, and Dube took a wicket.

Mumbai: A fraudster posing as a New Zealand national befriended a 74-year-old Cuffe Parade resident and duped her of Rs 50.8 lakh by making her transfer the money for his daughter’s treatment. An FIR has been registered on Tuesday. The complainant had sent Rs 50.8 lakh in a total of 27 transactions to various bank accounts, provided by the accused. The FIR was registered with the south cyber police station.

According to the FIR, the complainant received a friend request from one Joshua William Douglas on Facebook and his profile had a picture of a little girl with him. The complainant followed him. In the FIR, she stated that she usually does not follow strangers, but in this case, she noted nothing amiss. Within ten minutes, she received a WhatsApp message and the sender identified himself as Douglas. He said that he was originally from New Zealand and was a doctor. He said that his wife and parents had passed away and he had a five-year-old daughter, Maya. He further said that his mother was a South Indian. During the WhatsApp chat, he told her that his life had become very difficult, the United Nations had sent him to the war-torn area of Yemen on a three-month contract. He said that he was a gynecologist and was performing emergency caesarean sections there. One day, he said that Maya and many other children were admitted to the hospital after food poisoning from a birthday cake. He said that many children died in it, but his daughter Maya was alive and the doctors have said that she will have to undergo two surgeries and for that he needs money urgently. The complainant sent Rs 30,000 to help him for daughter’s treatment. He said that since he was in the war-torn area of Yemen, he couldn’t send money from his bank accounts and needed more money for Maya’s operation.“He sent me some bank account numbers and asked me to send money to them. Seeing the need of the situation, I again sent the money to the bank accounts. I was inquiring about his daughter’s health through WhatsApp calls and chats. He said that he would come to India soon and return my money,” she said in the FIR.On Feb 9, Douglas informed the complainant that he was suffering from typhoid and needed money for treatment. When the complainant told this to her son, he told her mother that she was duped. She tried to contact Douglas’ mobile but found that the number was switched off. She then approached the police.

Mumbai: The Muslim holy month of Ramzan began on a pious note Thursday. As the first fast broke at 6.43 pm, Iftar gatherings were organised at mosques citywide, right from the expansive Minara Masjid in Mohammed Ali Road to the Four Bungalows Kabrastan Masjid in Andheri. Big and small contributions of dates, fruit, fritters and sherbet poured in from the community.It is believed that the rewards of virtue and charity multiply 70 times during Ramzan. As a result, most Muslims opt to disburse the mandatory annual Zakaat donation this time of year. On Thursday mosques, madrassas and charitable institutions updated their social media profiles and invited donors to contribute generously. Throngs of male worshipers arrived at mosques for the five daily prayers followed by the special Taraweeh congregational namaz that is offered each night and involves the serialised recitation of the Holy Quran.

Sehri parties and Iftar delicacies are a seasonal attraction for Muslims as well as non-Muslims. Restaurants have begun curating delectable Iftar menus that include dates, biryanis of various kinds, kebabs, patti samosa filled with chicken or mutton, firni, sheerqorma, gulrosh beverage or watermelon juice. Residents of the suburbs arrived to shop at Jogeshwari (W) Iftar bazaar outside the station, which some feel scores over Mohammed Ali Road in terms of sanitation, less crowd, affordability as well as courteous vendors. “It is heartening that the lowest common rozedar finds options like three coin-sized veg kebabs for Rs 10. These are prepared using besan and spices while the meatier kebabs cost Rs 25-30 apiece,” said a regular visitor.Meanwhile, the 40-day Christian fasting season of Lent began at Ash Wednesday, Feb 18. People forego meat or liquor, or fast on certain days of the week. Fr Michael Pinto, parish priest of Our Lady of Salvation Church, Dadar, said, “We are observing Lent with the theme ‘Staying with Jesus and Resting in His Arms’. We will host a three-day English mission led by Fr Bineesh from Satyagiri Retreat House and a Konkani mission by Fr Raju from Goa. The programme aims to help the faithful reflect on the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. Parishioners will participate in corporal works of mercy, putting faith into action through service and outreach.”