MUMBAI: Torrent Power is buying L&T’s coal-fired power plant in Punjab in a Rs 6,889-crore enterprise value deal, marking its entry into northern India’s fast-growing power market. The acquisition includes Rs 3,661 crore in upfront cash, while Torrent will also take on Rs 3,228 crore of Nabha Power’s debt.Nabha Power runs a 1,400MW thermal plant in Rajpura, Punjab, and supplies all its electricity to the state’s power corporation under a long-term 25-year power purchase agreement. In FY25, the company reported revenue of Rs 4,422 crore and an operating profit of Rs 1,153 crore.The transaction, which is subject to clearance from the Competition Commission of India, is expected to close by the end of June. Once completed, Torrent Power’s total operational capacity will rise to 6.4GW from 5GW.Torrent Power chairman Samir Mehta said the acquisition signals the company’s entry into the “high-growth power market of northern India”. The deal would be “value accretive from day one”, boosting both revenue and profitability, he added.The acquisition comes as power producers ramp up coal-based capacity to meet India’s rising electricity demand. Built with Japanese technology, Nabha Power is among the country’s top-performing thermal plants. It posted a plant availability factor of 95.4% in FY25 – the second-highest among large thermal power plants in India.Strategically located in a power-deficit region, the plant plays a critical role in meeting demand and also offers scope for additional earnings through ancillary services. For L&T, the divestment is part of a broader strategy. Chairman and MD S N Subrahmanyan said the move aligns with the company’s objective of unlocking value and sharpening focus on its core businesses.

KOPPAL: A local court here has sentenced three men to death in connection with the gang rape of an Israeli tourist and an Indian woman, and the murder of a tourist from Odisha near Sanapura Lake in Gangavathi taluk on March 6 last year.The crime scene was about 25km from the Unesco World Heritage Site of Hampi. The incident had sparked widespread outrage. Observing that the crime fell under the “rarest of rare” category, the court held that prosecution had proven the guilt of the accused beyond a reasonable doubt.

Israeli, Homestay Owner Assaulted, Odia Tourist Killed

Pronouncing the quantum of punishment, Judge Sadananda Nagappa Nayaka of the first additional district and sessions court awarded capital punishment to the three convicts – Mallesh alias Handimalla, 22, Sai alias Chaitanya Sai, 21, and Sharanappa alias Sharanabasavaraj, 30, from Sai Nagar, Gangavathi. The court had, on Feb 6, found the three accused guilty and reserved its order on sentencing. The Indian woman, 29, a homestay owner, was brutally assaulted, strangled and then gang-raped. The 27-year-old Israeli woman tourist was also gang-raped.Bibash Nayak, 26, a tour guide from Odisha who was accompanying the women, along with two other male tourists, was killed in the attack. The assailants robbed the survivors, stealing two mobile phones and Rs 9,500 in cash before fleeing the scene. According to police, the victims – two women and three men, who had met at a homestay near Hampi – were stargazing near Tungabhadra Left Bank Canal when the suspects, allegedly intoxicated, attacked them. Superintendent of police Ram L Arasiddi said: “Two of the accused were arrested within 24 hours of the crime. We had gathered 101 witnesses and 84 articles for DNA testing. It was a challenging and sensitive case.” Bibhash’s cousin thanks govt“We hail the court verdict. It was delivered in less than a year,” said Firoz Kumar Pradhan, a cousin of Bibash. “We thank Karnataka govt for taking the case seriously and police for filing the chargesheet and completing the probe quickly,” Firoz said. Bibhash Nayak, 29, was a travel enthusiast.

MUMBAI: Currency in circulation (CiC) touched a record Rs 40 lakh crore in Jan, rising 11.1% year-on-year, even as its share in the economy declined. The cash-to-GDP ratio eased to around 11.2%, down sharply from the pandemic peak of 14.4% in March 2021, signalling digital payments are financing a growing share of economic activity despite higher absolute cash holdings. In absolute terms, currency holdings have expanded steadily over the past decade. CiC rose from Rs 11.8 lakh crore in March 2013 (12% of GDP) to Rs 16.6 lakh crore in March 2016. Following demonetisation, it fell to Rs 13.4 lakh crore in March 2017 but surged to Rs 28.5 lakh crore in the pandemic-era dash-to-cash by March 2021 (14.4%). While the absolute amount of cash continued to rise, the CiC-GDP ratio moderated to 13.7% in March 2022, 12.4% in March 2023, 11.9% in March 2024 and 11.26% in March 2025, before stabilising around 11-11.2% by Jan 2026.A report by State Bank of India attributed the record cash stock to tax enforcement, low interest rates and shifting household behaviour. Around 18,000 GST notices issued in July 2025 to small vendors based on UPI transaction volumes coincided with spikes in ATM withdrawals in Karnataka, West Bengal and Kerala, indicating a shift back to cash among small traders. Weak deposit growth and lower interest rates have also encouraged precautionary cash savings, while households selling gold and silver to raise liquidity have supported cash holdings and consumption. Digital payments, however, continue to expand rapidly. Data from National Payments Corporation of India show UPI now accounts for about 70-80% of digital payments. Monthly UPI transactions rose from around 140 crore in March 2020 to over 200 crore by Oct 2020 and 355 crore by Aug 2021, valued at Rs 6.4 lakh crore. Record levels were reached in Dec 2025 with 2,163 crore transactions worth nearly Rs 28 lakh crore, followed by 2,170 crore transactions in Jan 2026 – roughly 70 crore transactions a day. Currency denomination trends reinforce the store-of-value role of cash. The Rs 500 note’s share in total currency value rose by 4.4% between April 2025 and Jan 2026. After the withdrawal of the Rs 2,000 note, medium denominations gained ground. Small-value notes continued to lose relevance, with the volume share of notes below Rs 20 declining from 36.5% in 2023 to 32.4% in 2025 and their value share edging down from 1.7% to 1.6%. The broad trend suggests a structural shift: more cash is being held in absolute terms, but a declining cash-to-GDP ratio alongside rapid UPI adoption indicates physical currency is increasingly retained for storage, while digital systems handle a rising share of everyday transactions.

Mohsin Naqvi has started to face the heat after Pakistan‘s crashing defeat to India in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Pakistan Field Marshal Asim Munir has also been upset over the recent loss and has conveyed his concerns to the Pakistan PM, Shehbaz Sharif.

Though Pakistan were given the upper hand over Pakistan, India looked well in control with Ishan Kishan playing the confident hand with the bat. The Indian seamers did the rest with early breakthroughs and then the spinners set the tail apart.

Overall, this led to another humiliating loss for Pakistan, as they are now 8-1 down to India in the ICC T20 World Cup. However, this time the loss has not only affected the Pakistan Cricket Team or the PCB, but has also turned out to be face loss for the nation.

Your daily dose of cricket!

Asim Munir left disgusted by Pakistan’s recent show against India

Pakistan were crushed by the Indians in the 22 yards as the defending champions of the World Cup once again proved that the difference between the two teams is chalk and cheese, when it comes to quality.

Ahead of the game, Pakistan carried the advantage for the game being played in Colombo and the dominant bunch of spinners who could come in handy against the Indian batters who have struggled in recent years on spinning tracks.

However, nothing such ever happened, as Pakistan never looked even like a competitive side against the Indians. Top Pakistani officials like Asim Munir, who was brought into the context of the game by Mohsin Naqvi himself, have been fuming over them for the loss.

Pakistan’s army leadership did not see this as just a cricket disappointent

According to the report from News18, Pakistan’s top military officials, including Asim Munir, did not mark this loss for Pakistan against India in the ICC T20 World Cup as a mere loss in the game or just a cricket disappointment.

There is a clear perception from him that the team was underprepared for the contest and he is seemingly bothered by it. Expressing his concern, he has conveyed it to the Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The message, as claimed by the report, highlights PCB mishandling of cricket matters, ranging from team preparation issues to unnecessarily combative public statements.

Hence, it is evident that Mohsin Naqvi’s future in the PCB will now be under some scrutiny. The Pakistani government is not ruling out the possibility of replacing Naqvi and easing tensions.

Munir’s equation with Mohsin Naqvi

When the Pakistan government had announced the boycott of the India game, Mohsin Naqvi had unnecessarily invoked Munir, declaring that neither he nor the Government of Pakistan were by any means intimidated. He had then said, “Everyone knows our Field Marshal Asir Munir.”

Earlier reports had claimed that the Army Chief’s name being brought up in a sporting context was not seen as a good move by the Army Chief, as they have a significant influence over civilian affairs. Hence, Naqvi do not have a very good relationship with the Field Marshal Asim Munir.

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Mumbai: The Local Military Authority on Monday petitioned Bombay High Court to challenge as “illegal and unauthorised” construction of a highrise building less than 250 metres of INS Shikra, a highly sensitive naval air station and VVIP heliport at Colaba. The HC restrained workers from entering the building premises till Wednesday citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arrival at the heliport on Tuesday. The builder agreed to it.Jadhavji Mansion is constructed up to 23 floors, the petition said, alleging violations of height guidelines for buildings within 500 metres of defence establishments.A division bench of Justices R V Ghuge and Abhay Mantri said that “…considering that the Prime Minister of India would be landing at INS Shikra air station and … keeping in view the great anxiety expressed as regards the security protocol”, it is directed that no construction worker would be permitted to enter the building for any construction or masonry activity from Monday midnight until the matter is heard for further orders, on Wednesday. HC also recorded that senior counsel SK Mishra, for the builder, made a statement that no worker would enter the building until the next date.The BMC did not respond to the Naval query for months and appeared to grant construction permission without the mandatory no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Navy on height restrictions, argued senior counsel R V Govilkar and advocate Mihir Govilkar, citing urgency and stoppage of work.The petition said an NOC from the Indian Navy was mandatory even prior to May 18, 2011 for construction in the vicinity of defence establishments under the old Development Control Regulations (DCR) of 1991. Following May 2011, an amendment to enhance height and floors was void for want of defence clearance, it contended, and added that BMC ignored “binding defence security requirements” and acted without applying its mind.Mishra argued that there were no allegations against the builder. He said he would place all the facts in the affidavit. Govilkar said a Naval NOC was not a new requirement, adding that the BMC allowed several amendments to the development post 2011. “The proximity, line of sight, and operational sensitivity of INS Shikra vitiates all permissions,” the Naval petition contended, adding that the civic body’s failure to invoke Section 354-A of the BMC Act constituted statutory dereliction in the face of prima facie illegality and danger. Section 354A empowers civic officials to immediately stop and demolish unlawful construction.The petition said that in March 2015, the defence ministry modified its guidelines mandating an NOC for post-2011 height amendments, and in May 2025, INS Shikra wrote to BMC objecting to the height of the upcoming building and sought a stop-work notice. In July 2025, BMC’s deputy chief engineer denied the applicability of defence guidelines, claiming prior permissions for the construction.

Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi and teammate Usman Tariq leave the field after Pakistan lost their T20 World Cup game against India (AP Photo)

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi launched a scathing attack on the senior core of the Pakistan national cricket team after their crushing 61-run defeat to India national cricket team in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at R Premadasa Stadium.Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India dominated the Group A clash on Sunday, handing Pakistan a heavy blow and leaving them in a must-win situation against Namibia to have any chance of reaching the Super 8s.

Afridi, speaking on Samaa TV, did not hold back and urged the team management to make bold calls ahead of the crucial fixture. He called for the exclusion of senior players including Babar Azam, Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi, stating that they had been given ample opportunities over the years without delivering consistent results. Notably, Shaheen is married to Afridi’s daughter Ansha.“Drop Shaheen, drop Shadab, and drop Babar. Try fresh faces against Namibia and give the new players a chance to build confidence. They’ve been playing for a long time. Whenever we expect them to perform, they don’t. If these senior players aren’t giving us the performances we desire, then play the juniors who are sitting on the bench. What is the difference?”, Afridi said during a Live show.Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha admitted after the match that the spinners failed to deliver on a surface that offered assistance.“We were believing in our spinners, and they had an off day today. Execution was missing in some parts of the game. We were obviously going to always believe our spinners, because they’ve done really well in last six month. And with the batting I think we didn’t start well and in T20 games if we lose 3 or 4 wickets in powerplay, you are always chasing the game,” he said in the post-match presentation ceremony.Salman also criticised the batting unit for not adapting to the conditions.“I think, to be very honest, like in first inning it was a bit tacky. The ball was gripping as well. So, the execution was, I think, missing when it comes to bowling, but I think the pitch better played better in the second inning than first inning. But our bowlers like, we didn’t bowl according to the situation. And when it comes to batting, we didn’t apply ourselves and gave us a chance to go deep in the game,” he said.

Emmanuel Macron; Narendra Modi

NEW DELHI: India and France will look to further upgrade their defence, trade and technology ties as PM Narendra Modi hosts French President Emmanuel Macron for a bilateral meeting in Mumbai on Tuesday. During his three-day visit to India, Macron will also participate in the AI summit in Delhi on Thursday.Official sources said close to a dozen agreements/MoUs are likely to be signed after the bilateral meeting in areas like defence, trade, skilling, health, and supply chains. In Mumbai, the leaders will jointly inaugurate the India-France Year of Innovation which will be celebrated through 2026 in both countries, according to the ministry of external affairs. The India-France Year of Innovation and Cultural Commemoration will be held at the Gateway of India on Tuesday evening.The Indian govt had last week approved a proposal to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets under a govt-to-govt framework from France. India and France will also hold on Tuesday the 6th Annual Defence Dialogue in Bengaluru that is expected to see the renewal of their defence cooperation agreement for another 10 years. Discussions are also likely to focus on greater cooperation involving air and maritime assets, in line with the ambitious Defence Industrial Roadmap agreed to in 2024.Both leaders will also look to discuss regional and global issues, including the Russia-Ukraine war, the situation in Gaza and the Indo-Pacific region where India sees France as an indispensable partner. With uncertainty looming over Quad, the partnership with France, a resident power in the Indian Ocean, has become even more significant for India.According to Indian authorities, both leaders will hold discussions on strengthening bilateral cooperation across a wide spectrum of areas as enshrined in the Horizon 2047 Roadmap that was adopted three years ago, setting the course for bilateral cooperation over the next 25 years. Macron’s participation in the AI summit in India follows his co-chairing with Modi the same summit in France last year.Both leaders had then stressed their common commitment to concrete actions to ensure that the global AI sector can drive social, economic and environmental outcomes in public interest. They are also expected to review progress on the India-France Roadmap on AI, rooted in the “philosophical convergence” in their approaches focusing on the development of safe, open, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence. The roadmap had been launched last year during Modi’s visit to France.