Mumbai: Amid mounting complaints from residents of Bandra West over the alleged commercialisation of the Carter Road Promenade, local BJP MLA and guardian minister Ashish Shelar has ordered a review of permissions granted for commercial installations of LED hoardings, and sought clarity on the promenade’s maintenance framework.In a meeting held on Wednesday with officials from civic departments, traffic police, the district collector’s office and the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB), residents had raised serious concerns regarding the hoardings coming up on the promenade, the upkeep, repair work and an attempt for commercial use of the public space that is in violation of the Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) norms.

Shelar said the MMB had initiated a tender process in line with a policy formulated in the year 2020, which included provisions for revenue generation. The tender, he said, was awarded to the lowest bidder (L1). However, following complaints from citizens, he has directed the maritime board to submit a detailed report within seven days explaining lapses in maintenance and outlining a clear plan to ensure that public inconvenience is avoided in the future. Shelar said, “Clarity must be established on whether the Carter Road Promenade is classified as an open space under the Development Plan. If the promenade falls under the open space reservation, then commercial hoardings cannot be permitted. Any such activity must be kept in abeyance until this is conclusively clarified,” he said.Residents who attended the meeting said the promenade never had advertisements on the sea side. “As per rules this is a green zone, so how can it be allowed? There should be a clearly laid-out policy that none of the promenades in Bandra, be it Carter Road, Bandra Bandstand or Reclamation will be such commercial hoardings,” said Vidya Vaidya, trustee of Bandra West Residents Association. Patricia Nath, president of BWRA, said, “Many years back when our association was entrusted with the work of maintenance after we built this promenade, we too advertised our sponsors, but very discreetly, of strictly specified size.“

Hardik Pandya, left, celebrates with captain Suryakumar Yadav the wicket of Netherlands’ Michael Levitt during the T20 World Cup cricket match between India and Netherlands in Ahmedabad, India, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo)

TimesofIndia.com in Ahmedabad: It’s been four games and four wins but India are yet to have a complete performance with the bat in the ongoing T20 World Cup. Unlike the appetisers served in the bilateral which preceded the multi-nation tournament, the main course has fallen far short of expectations. The Men in Blue have had different heroes bail them out of precarious situations in all four games but it could well become a tight position in the Super 8 stage. Suryakumar Yadav vs USA, Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya vs Namibia, Ishan again vs Pakistan and now Shivam Dube’s firepower at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.The opening has been the biggest concern as the World No.1 T20I batter Abhishek Sharma is yet to score a run in the tournament. It exposed Tilak Varma early, and his newfound obsession of farming strike without showing any intent has sucked momentum from the innings. Surya’s watchful start has further allowed opponents to apply a choke in the middle overs, meaning the lower order does most of the heavy lifting.Ishan has been India’s primary aggressor, but after he walked off in the fifth over of the innings, the Netherlands gained significant control when Tilak combined with Surya in the middle overs. Together the duo faced 28 deliveries and scored only 30 runs. There was an early reprieve for the Indian captain and the fluency was far from ideal against an attack which stuck to their plans and was very disciplined in front of a capacity crowd.The boundaries had dried up and a sense of desperation was creeping in, prompting an immediate move. Tilak was back after scoring 31 off 27 and Surya found the fielder in the deep ending his knock at 34 off 28 balls. When the runs dried up, Dube, the gladiator, took matters into his own hands and was impeccable with his shot selection. There was a cautious effort by the opposition to mix pace but Dube was not falling in the trap. He seemed to be reading it well off the hand and his approach wasn’t premeditated. The ball was hit where it was supposed to be hit, and there were no half-measures.With six sixes and four boundaries, he injected much needed urgency into the innings and even when Hardik was going at run-a-ball at the other end, Dube’s approach kept India on course of a big total. The partnership between the two raced to 76 off just 35 balls, doing significant damage control for the cautiousness exhibited by the earlier right-left pair of Surya and Tilak in the innings.Chasing 194 runs on a pitch that offered something for bowlers was always going to be a daunting task for the Netherlands. They managed well against the new ball pairing of Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh but had no response for Varun Chakravarthy. The mystery spinner, India’s trump card in the tournament, picked three wickets in as many overs – two of those coming off consecutive deliveries, as the Netherlands batter looked clueless when he unzipped his bag of tricks.In their last group game, Surya used as many as seven bowlers – even giving an over to Abhishek Sharma – to ensure everyone is warmed up for the big game against South Africa on February 22. Lower-ranked teams have exposed the Indian batters’ weakness on multiple occasions in the last couple of weeks and the defending champions will want to resolve this before hitting the business end of the tournament.Gerhard Erasmus, Aryan Dutt, Salman Agha, Saim Ayub and Usman Tariq have given enough cues for the teams set to face India in the Super 8. Aiden Markram (South Africa), Roston Chase (West Indies) and Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) will be eagerly waiting for Surya & Co.Brief scoresIndia 193/6 in 20 overs (Shivam Dube 66, Suryakumar Yadav 34; Logan van Beek 3/56, Aryan Dutt 2/19)Netherlands 176/7 in 20 overs (Bas de Leede 33, Zach Lion-Cachet 26; Varun Chakravarthy 3/14, Shivam Dube 35/2)

Facebook cofounder Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly making big bets on both coasts of the US but his latest moves suggest the Meta CEO may be preparing to say goodbye to California for good. According to a recent report, Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, pledged $50 million to Sacramento State University to build state-of-the-art STEM labs and an AI center. “These investments will help strengthen our communities and support the next generation of leaders and innovators,” said Zuckerberg, who owns a compound of 11 properties in Palo Alto’s Crescent Park neighborhood, valued at more than $110 million.According to Wall Street Journal, weeks later after the donation, Zuckerberg purchased a waterfront mansion on Indian Creek — a man-made island in Miami’s Biscayne Bay often called “Billionaires Bunker.” The property is said to be a newly-completed estate and is expected to fetch between $150 million and $200 million.

Tech billionaires leaving California

Zuckerberg isn’t alone who is leaving the US state. A wave of California tech titans has been quietly relocating to South Florida in recent months. Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have both made major purchases in the Miami area, reports said.Page picked up multiple properties in Coconut Grove for roughly $188 million, while Brin is reportedly in talks for a $50 million home on Biscayne Bay. Further, Venture capitalist Peter Thiel made his Florida move official by opening a Miami office for his investment firm on New Year’s Eve.All the tech leaders are moving to Florida due to California’s proposed Billionaire Tax Act – a ballot measure under which the state would impose a one-time 5% tax on the net worth of anyone worth over $1 billion. If it qualifies for the November ballot and passes, it would retroactively apply to anyone who was a California resident as of January 1, 2026.For Zuckerberg, whose net worth hovers around $240 billion according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index, that’s a potential tax bill north of $10 billion. Notably, Zuckerberg hasn’t made any public statements about the billionaires’ tax.

Goyal said India can produce goods in areas where US manufacturers may not be competitive.

India is looking to diversify its sources of crude oil, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has said. Goyal’s comments assume significance in light of the India-US trade deal joint statement which lowers tariffs on Indian exports to 18%. The Donald Trump administration has also removed the 25% penal tariffs on India on the condition that it stops buying crude oil from Russia.India’s crude imports from Russia have dropped since the US imposed sanctions on two major Russian oil firms in late 2025. According to reports, the share of Russian crude in India’s oil imports has dropped to the lowest level since late 2022 and analysts expect the numbers to drop further in the coming months.

India would ‘love’ high-quality coking coal from US

Piyush Goyal said India is looking to broaden its sourcing of crude oil and coking coal and would welcome supplies of premium-quality coking coal from the United States.Also Read | 18% tariffs, boost to exports, agriculture protected: How India benefits from trade deal with US? Explained“We want to diversify our oil sources. I want to diversify the source of coking coal for example. I am dependent on 2 or 3 geographies (for that) and prices keep fluctuating. I would love to have American coking coal which is high quality coming to India,” he said according to a PTI report.He noted that the US is well positioned to supply several products that are critical for India’s economic growth, including graphics processing units used in artificial intelligence, infrastructure and equipment for data centres, and high-performance computing systems.Goyal said India can produce goods in areas where US manufacturers may not be competitive, while America can serve as an important provider of technology and investment capital.Also Read | Trump removes 25% penal tariff: What happens if India stops buying Russian crude oil?He added that demand for aircraft from the US is already estimated at about $100 billion over the next five years, with additional capacity required to expand domestic aviation and help lower fares.Under the proposed interim trade pact with the United States, India has conveyed its intent to procure goods worth $500 billion from America over the next five years. An Indian delegation is scheduled to travel to the US next week to conclude the legal drafting of the agreement, which is expected to be signed in March.Piyush Goyal said entering into a trade agreement with the US would be beneficial for India, noting that it would create significant opportunities for domestic businesses, particularly in labour-intensive sectors and technology-driven services.Referring to India’s free trade agreements, Goyal noted that nine such pacts have been concluded over the past four years. He added that these deals were negotiated from a position of confidence, emphasising that India now engages in trade talks assertively, without defensiveness, and with a focus on long-term interests.

India’s Abhishek Sharma being bowled by Netherlands’ Aryan Dutt during an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 cricket match between India and Netherlands, at the Narendra Modi Stadium, in Ahmedabad. (PTI)

NEW DELHI: How many ducks are too many ducks? India opener Abhishek Sharma might be asking himself as he was again dismissed for zero and failed to score even a single run in the last group-stage match of the T20 World Cup against the Netherlands on Wednesday. The left-handed batter was bowled on the third ball of the first over by Dutch off-spinner Aryan Dutt.Dutt pitched the ball at the back of a length on the middle and off stump, and it skidded in with the angle. Abhishek had a wild swipe at it, which was perhaps coming after the two dots, but missed it completely, and the ball hits the leg stump.

This was the third duck in a row for Abhishek in the T20 World Cup. The southpaw has endured a difficult T20 World Cup campaign so far. He began with a golden duck against the USA in India’s opening match and was later hospitalised in New Delhi due to a stomach infection, which ruled him out of the clash against Namibia. On his return against Pakistan on Sunday, he was dismissed for another duck.Earlier, India won the toss and elected to bat first against the Netherlands in their final group stage match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.FOLLOW LIVEThe Men in Blue, who have already qualified for the Super Eights, will be looking to end the league stage with four wins out of four matches, building momentum ahead of the next stage. The Netherlands, meanwhile, will be aiming for an upset in a tournament that has so far showcased strong performances from several associate cricket teams.Speaking at the toss, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed two changes to the playing XI. Arshdeep Singh, the left-arm pacer, comes in for Kuldeep Yadav, while Axar Patel has been “rested” and Washington Sundar gets a game.Suryakumar said, “We are going to bat first. It looks like a good surface. We want to put runs on the board and put some pressure on the bowlers to defend the total. The mood in the camp is really good and they are playing the brand of cricket I want them to play. Every game, someone is putting their hand up and that is good to see. We have two changes – Arshdeep comes in for Kuldeep, Axar is resting and Washington comes in.”India (Playing XI): Ishan Kishan(w), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep SinghNetherlands (Playing XI): Michael Levitt, Max O’Dowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (w/c), Zach Lion-Cachet, Roelof van der Merwe, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Kyle Klein, Noah Croes.

ROHTAK: The murder of a 27-year-old bank employee, found with her throat slit near Bahadurgarh in Jhajjar district, was solved within 18 hours, with police arresting her husband — a chartered accountant from Hisar — as the prime accused. Investigators said the accused killed his wife over repeated suspicions about her character and then attempted to pass it off as a robbery-cum-murder. The victim, Mahak, worked with HDFC Bank in Gurgaon. She was married to Anshul Dhawan, a chartered accountant and resident of Hisar’s Sector 14, on September 25, 2025, in an arranged marriage. The couple had been married for barely five months. On Valentine’s Day (February 14), the couple visited Hisar and stayed with family. The next evening, around 7 pm on February 15, they left Mahak’s parental home in Hansi for Gurugram. About four hours later, Anshul called the police, claiming unidentified attackers had intercepted their car near Pahsaur village in the Badli area of Jhajjar district, killed his wife, and fled. Police found Mahak’s body lying outside the car on a dirt track about 100 metres off the Jhajjar-Badli road. Her throat had been slit. However, Anshul’s version soon fell apart during questioning. He failed to describe the alleged attackers and repeatedly changed his statement. During sustained interrogation and a crime scene reconstruction, Anshul confessed. Police said the couple frequently argued over his suspicions about Mahak’s character. The dispute escalated during the drive, leading him to first strangle her and then slit her throat with a pair of scissors, allegedly while wearing gloves to avoid leaving evidence. He later staged the scene to resemble a robbery. Mahak’s father, Krishna Kathuria, had expressed suspicion against his son-in-law from the outset. Family members also stated that Mahak was pregnant at the time of her death. Police have arrested the accused and are proceeding with further investigation.

In a remarkable comeback story, Indian wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan has stormed into the ICC Men’s T20I batting top 10 for the first time in over two years, following his Player of the Match performance against Pakistan in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. The latest rankings update, released on February 18, saw Kishan leap an incredible 17 places to secure the eighth position with 732 rating points .

The remarkable rise of Ishan Kishan in T20I rankings

Kishan’s journey back to the upper echelons of the batting charts reads like a fairytale. Ranked 78th at the time of his comeback to the T20I setup earlier this year, the left-hander has enjoyed a dizzying trajectory through the rankings. He zoomed to 32nd place by the time the T20 World Cup began, and rose to 25th across the first two games before his explosive knock against Pakistan catapulted him into the top 10 .

The 26-year-old’s resurgence marks his first appearance in the batting top 10 since his initial breakout years in international cricket, demonstrating his return to form at the perfect moment for the defending champions .

Kishan’s elevation in the rankings was powered by a breathtaking innings of 77 runs from just 40 deliveries against arch-rivals Pakistan in Colombo on February 15. His blistering knock, which earned him the Player of the Match award, laid the foundation for India’s commanding 61-run victory and helped the team maintain their perfect record in the tournament .

The innings showcased Kishan’s evolution as a batter, combining fearless strokeplay with responsible anchor role when the situation demanded. His ability to dominate a quality Pakistan bowling attack on a challenging surface caught the attention of cricketing pundits worldwide and now reflects in the updated rankings .

ICC T20I rankings: Four Indian batters in Top 10

Kishan’s entry into the elite club means India now boasts four batters in the ICC T20I top 10 rankings, underlining the team’s extraordinary batting depth ahead of the Super 8 stage .

At the summit, Abhishek Sharma continues to hold the No. 1 position with 891 rating points, despite modest returns in the World Cup so far, including two ducks. England’s Phil Salt follows in second place, while Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka jumped three places to third after his magnificent century against Australia .

India’s Tilak Varma holds steady at fourth position with 751 points, while captain Suryakumar Yadav occupies sixth place with 747 points. The quartet of Indian batters in the top 10 – Abhishek, Tilak, Suryakumar and now Kishan – presents a formidable challenge for opponents in the upcoming Super 8 matches against South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the West Indies.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s Ryan Rickelton gained 22 spots to reach 11th, while Aiden Markram moved up six places to joint 15th. USA’s Saiteja Mukkamalla climbed 16 places to 21st, and England youngster Jacob Bethell jumped 22 slots to 32nd following their impressive contributions.

Also READ: From Mahela Jayawardene to Kusal Mendis – List of players to record three consecutive 50-plus scores in T20 World Cup history

Tight battle in bowling and all-rounder charts

In the bowling rankings, India’s mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy continues to lead the chart with 796 points, though Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan narrowed the gap by moving up one place to second. Zimbabwe’s Brad Evans made the most significant move, jumping 10 spots to fifth after consecutive three-wicket hauls that helped eliminate Australia .

India’s Axar Patel rose four places to 14th, while Jasprit Bumrah gained six spots to reach 15th, underlining the team’s balanced attack heading into the Super 8s .

The all-rounders’ battle remains intensely competitive, with Pakistan’s Saim Ayub reclaiming the top spot from Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza following his three-wicket haul against India. India’s Hardik Pandya holds firm at third position.

Also READ: “Win over Australia will count for nothing if…”: Sikandar Raza’s powerful warning after Zimbabwe’s Super 8 qualification at T20 World Cup 2026

Jammu and Kashmir cricket team (X-Mithun Manhas)

New Delhi: Having served as the head of the ad-hoc committee to run the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) till last September, BCCI president Mithun Manhas said that the cricket infrastructure in the state will grow faster once the state association is approved by the government. “Everything is ready with forming the state association. They have gone to the government for approval. Once they get it done, BCCI funds will be unlocked to improve the infrastructure in the state. Right now, they play at the Harbux Stadium in Srinagar and the College Ground in Jammu. Work towards building a proper cricket stadium with proper facilities can start immediately,” Manhas told TOI on Wednesday.

Manhas recalled the process of setting up facilities to help J&K cricket rise since he took charge in 2021. “I must thank Jay Shah, who was the BCCI secretary then, for giving us a free hand and funds to organise the facilities even though we were an ad-hoc committee. We made red-soil pitches in two stadiums so that the team was ready to play on all kinds of pitches across India. We used to start our talent hunt programme from April every year and went to every district. The teams were sent to play off-season tournaments in different parts of the country. Now, the plan is to invite other state teams to play invitational tournaments in J&K,” Manhas said. While 41-year-old Paras Dogra, coming in as a guest player, led from the front as captain in the last two seasons, Manhas said that the endeavour was never to rely heavily on outstation professional players. “Dogra’s experience helped these young batters learn to bat for longer periods. But he is the only guest player in the team. We need to give time to the young players to groom into leadership roles,” the former Delhi captain claimed. Manhas also highlighted that there was a conscious effort to develop more qualified coaches in the region. “When I took charge, there was only one NCA Level 1 coach in the state. Now we have close to 40 Level 2 coaches. That has helped in grooming talent in pockets of the state,” he mentioned.

How is gold taxed? (AI image)

Gold is a safe haven asset globally – and it’s also the traditional go-to savings and investment bet in India. Gold prices have been rising unprecedentedly over the last 18 months and investors are rushing to buy the yellow metal amidst global economic and geopolitical uncertainty.Investment in gold can happen through various avenues: physical pure gold like coins or bars, gold jewellery, or even through digital forms and investment avenues like exchange trade funds (ETFs), mutual funds, and sovereign gold bonds.While buying gold is seen as an obvious choice, especially in India with its cultural aspects, it is important to understand that your gold holdings are subject to tax at the time of sale or even purchase – and this includes the jewellery you inherit!If you intend to buy or sell gold — whether in physical form, digitally, or through other investment avenues — it is important to understand the tax implications applicable to each category.

Tax on sale of gold

The rules for short-term and long-term capital gains on gold sales were revised after 23 July 2024. In addition, under Section 54F of the Income Tax Act, long-term capital gains arising from the sale of gold can be exempt from tax if the full sale consideration is invested in the purchase of a residential property within the specified timelines.Physical gold, gold jewellery, and digital gold: If any of these gold-related assets are held by you for more than 24 months, the gains that you make are treated as long-term capital gains – hence facing a 12.5% tax without indexation. If you sell these gold assets within two years of acquiring them, then the gains are classified as short-term and taxed according to your applicable income tax slab.Gold ETFs: Long-term capital gains is applicable if the ETF units are held for over 12 months, implying a tax of 12.5% without indexation. If you sell them within 12 months, the gains are treated as short-term and added to the total income, attracting tax as per slab rates, according to an ET report.Gold mutual funds: The gains that you make from gold MFs qualify as long-term if your holding period is over 24 months and are taxed at 12.5% without indexation. However, if the redemption is made before completing the 2 year time frame, it is treated as short-term gains and taxed at applicable slab rates.Sovereign gold bonds: Before Budget 2026, redemption of SGBs was tax-free if the bonds were taken during primary issuance or from the secondary market and redeemed with the Reserve Bank of India at or before maturity. However, as per the revised rules after the Budget, only Sovereign Gold Bonds which are purchased at primary issuance and held continuously until maturity remain exempt from taxes. Sovereign Gold Bonds bought or sold in the secondary market, or sold before maturity, will now be taxed as either short-term or long-term capital gains depending on the holding duration.Inherited gold: It’s important to understand that although inheritance itself does not attract tax in India, capital gains tax becomes applicable when this inherited gold is sold by you. The acquisition cost and holding period are calculated from the date the original owner acquired the asset. If the total holding period is more than 24 months, the long-term capital gains tax of 12.5% without indexation is applicable, while for shorter holding periods the taxation is applicable at income tax slab rates.

Tax on purchase of gold

Physical gold, gold jewellery, and digital gold: A goods and services tax (GST) of 3% is charged on purchases across these categories. In the case of gold jewellery, an additional 5% GST is applied on making charges.Gold ETFs, gold mutual funds, and sovereign gold bonds (SGBs): No GST is imposed at the time of purchase for these investment options.Imported gold: Gold brought into the country attracts a customs duty of 6%.Inherited gold: Gold received through inheritance, whether as jewellery or in any other form, does not attract inheritance tax.Gifted gold: Gold that you receive as a gift from specified relatives is exempt from tax. However, if this gold is gifted to you by non-relatives and its value is over Rs 50,000 in a financial year, it becomes taxable under the head “income from other sources.”