SRINAGAR: Ladakh administration has announced plans to launch high-end Changthang pashmina products in global luxury market and adopt a holistic approach to enable local processing of the prized fibre to increase local stakeholders’ income.Speaking at “From Changthang Fibre to Global Luxury Standards,” a two-day conclave beginning Tuesday, chief secretary Ashish Kundra stressed the need for collaboration among stakeholders — herders, artisans, designers, cooperatives, policymakers, and industry.“Ladakh produces 40–50 tonnes of pashmina fibre annually, but much of it goes outside the UT for processing,” Kundra said.During the inaugural ceremony, L-G Kavinder Gupta highlighted the administration’s vision to transform its iconic pashmina — sourced from goats raised in harsh, high-altitude Changthang — into a globally recognised luxury brand.
Pakistan’s Usman Tariq, centre, celebrates with teammates (AP/PTI)
The debate around Babar Azam refuses to fade at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Once hailed as Pakistan’s next great batting superstar, Babar has tried multiple roles in this edition, opening the innings, batting in the top order and even shifting to the middle order. So far, none of the moves have delivered the desired results.On February 24, during Pakistan’s defeat to England national cricket team, Babar once again struggled for fluency, scoring at barely above a run-a-ball. His form and role have sparked fresh scrutiny.
Is this the end of the T20 World Cup for India? Greenstone Lobo predicts results
Before that game, former England captain Michael Vaughan praised head coach Mike Hesson for navigating what he described as the complex politics of Pakistan cricket. Speaking on Cricbuzz, Vaughan said:“I admire overseas coaches that go and coach in Pakistan because I can only imagine what’s going on,” Vaughan said on Cricbuzz.“But Babar Azam himself, I think Mike Hesson has dealt with it brilliantly because he clearly has to play Babar Azam, and he’s using him as an insurance policy. You lose two wickets; he’s your insurance. He comes in at number four, and he can just play.”Vaughan believes Babar’s method, even if considered outdated in the modern T20 game, still has value in Sri Lankan conditions. He suggested that other batters should adopt a more aggressive approach around him, allowing Babar to anchor the innings.“In Sri Lanka, I think he’s absolutely perfect for those wickets because Sri Lanka so far has been 150-180, and I think Babar’s in that range. I think he’ll get Pakistan to a 160-170 score,” the Manchester-born cricketer said.“I do admire the way that Mike Hesson has probably played the politics well, and it probably doesn’t give you the best chance of winning the World Cup. But I do feel on a pitch like we’ll find in Pallekele, I would want a Babar Azam in my team. Absolutely, because I want someone solid who can knock the spinners around. If he strikes at 125-130, that’s absolutely fine. You’ll need a cameo or two from two or three of the players around you, but I would want that consistent player in the middle of the innings. I think they’ve dealt with it right,” he added.Vaughan also disclosed that he had spoken extensively with former Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie, his Ashes rival, about the challenges of working within Pakistan cricket. Gillespie had earlier alleged excessive interference during his tenure. Vaughan admitted he would not consider taking up such a role himself.“I personally would never want to go and be an overseas coach in Pakistan. I’ve spoken so much to Jason Gillespie when I went over there. So, it’s difficult. I just think Hesson and the team and the management – I think they’ve dealt with it perfectly. Absolutely perfect in what they’ve done,” he further added.Statistically, Babar’s campaign has underwhelmed. In the 2026 tournament, he has scored 91 runs from four innings at an average of 22.75 and a strike rate of 112.34. Among batters with 90 or more runs in the competition, none has a lower strike rate. Only UAE’s Alishan Sharafu, striking at 112.40, comes close.Across his T20 World Cup career, Babar has featured in 23 matches, scoring 640 runs from 21 innings at an average of 33.68 and a strike rate of 111.49. No player with 500 or more runs in the tournament’s history has recorded a lower strike rate than the former Pakistan captain.
J-K Dy CM Surinder Choudhary after ACB raids his brother’s residence
JAMMU: The anti-corruption bureau (ACB) of J&K Police on Wednesday conducted searches at the properties of deputy chief minister Surinder Choudhary’s brother Vijay Choudhary, a serving police inspector posted in Ladakh, in connection with an alleged disproportionate assets (DA) case.Calling the raids an attempt to intimidate his family and maligh him, the deputy CM said they would fight it legally.An official spokesperson said searches were conducted by ACB teams at multiple locations, which included Vijay’s residential premises at Santokh Vihar (Kaluchak) and Nonial (Nowshera) in Jammu’s Rajouri district, business premises at Tutte di Khui, Bajalta (Jammu) and other locations.The sleuths seized incriminating documents during the searches and further investigation was on, the spokesperson said.Sharing details, an ACB spokesperson said the documents revealed Vijay had amassed assets amounting to crores of rupees, which were found highly disproportionate to his known sources of income. He had allegedly acquired more than 10 properties, including houses, shops and plots of land, in the name of his family members, relatives and others.Prima facie, a case of criminal misconduct was found made out against Vijay Choudhary under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and accordingly an FIR was filed, the spokesperson said.The deputy CM called the raids “politically motivated” and driven by “revenge”. He told media persons his family had nothing to conceal and they would fight it legally. While asserting that his brother was innocent, he said Vijay should be punished if he was found wrong.
JAMMU: A joint team of the Army and J&K Police on Wednesday recovered two Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and assorted ammunition during an anti-terror exercise, codenamed Operation Ghani, in Poonch district, the Army stated.“Based on synergised intelligence inputs from own sources and J&K Police, a joint operation was launched by the troops of White Knight Corps and Special Operations Group of J&K Police in Gani forest area in Poonch,” the Army’s White Knight Corps stated in an X post.The searches led to the discovery of an arms cache concealed beneath a natural cave, the post said. “One big IED weighing 4.5kg, one small IED weighing 800g, two Chinese grenades, one 9mm pistol, two 9mm rounds, and 22 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition were recovered from the site,” an Army spokesperson said.The explosives and ammunition were destroyed in situ by a bomb disposal team.
NEW DELHI: Breaking away from routine taking up projects and policy proposals for “consideration and approval” agenda, the next Cabinet meeting will see ministers personally presenting the “major reforms” undertaken by their ministries and departments since June 2024 and their benefits.The change, officials said, aims at pushing forward the govt’s agenda of reducing compliance burden and simplification of rules and procedures for ease of living and business.In a communication — soon after Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting at the new Prime Minister’s Office Seva Teerth — cabinet secretary T V Somanathan told all ministries that the PM has “desired” that all ministers present major reforms in the next Cabinet meeting and the date will be intimated in due course.The communication has triggered hectic activities across ministries since Tuesday evening.Focus mainly will be on people-centric reforms in laws, policies, notifications, rules and regulations that each ministry has undertaken in the third term of Modi-led govt, TOI has learnt. Ministries have been asked to send to cabinet secretary by March 2 (Monday) a two-page “executive summary of the most significant reforms” that their ministers will present before the Cabinet.Officials said a detailed format has been sent to all ministries to specify the title of “three reforms under four categories and their impact”. They have also been asked to include the changes made — including abolition, simplification and rectification of forms, digitisation, risk-based inspection and self certification — for improving ease of doing business.This exercise, officials believe, will lead to ministries and departments sharing their experiences while framing and implementing reforms.
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NEW DELHI: A woman and her three minor daughters were found murdered at their home in Outer Delhi’s Samaypur Badli on Wednesday morning. Police have launched a manhunt for the woman’s husband, who is suspected of being involved in the killings and has been missing since the incident came to light.The deceased, a resident of Siraspur village, lived with her husband and their three daughters, aged five, four, and three, in a ground-floor room in Chandan Park near Sarvodaya Vidyalaya. Her husband, Munchan Kewat, worked as a vegetable seller at Azadpur Mandi.The crime was reported around 8.20 am after neighbours alerted the police. A team from the local police station rushed to the house and found the bodies of the woman and her daughters lying on the floor. All four victims had their throats slit with a sharp-edged weapon.Preliminary investigations suggest that the victims may have been attacked while they were asleep. “We suspect they may have been killed while they were sleeping,” a senior police officer said.During the initial probe, officers found that the husband was not at home and could not be contacted. His sudden disappearance has raised strong suspicion. “The husband of the deceased has been absconding since early morning and is the prime suspect,” said Hareshwar Swami, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North).Police teams are conducting raids at possible hideouts and questioning relatives and acquaintances to trace his whereabouts. Investigators are also reviewing CCTV footage from nearby streets and entry and exit points to track the suspect’s movements. Forensic experts have collected evidence, and the bodies have been sent for post-mortem examinations to determine the exact cause and time of death.
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Mumbai: The BMC budget has proposed a multimodal, multi-deck underground tunnel connectivity project to tackle traffic congestion. The system will be designed to carry vehicular traffic on one level, and utilities and drainage systems on another. The drainage system will also serve in flood mitigation during heavy rainfall.“Underground tunnel-based connectivity will be constructed at traffic choke points to relieve congestion. As constructing tunnels is an expensive affair, we need to use them for other purposes too. In case of the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR), we have a water pipeline under the tunnel. So, on similar lines, we intend to have utilities under the tunnel used for transport. Several countries like Singapore have multimodal or multi-utility tunnels, for transport and draining rainwater, etc. We have not identified the locations; the project management consultant will do it for us,” said a civic official. The estimated tunnel cost per km is Rs 732 crore. The work order has been issued to the consultant for a feasibility study, master plan and DPR, bid process management and supervise construction. tnn
In the high-stakes arena of international cricket, the boundary between professional critique and personal harassment often becomes dangerously blurred. Following Pakistan’s narrow two-wicket defeat to England in the Super 8 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, the spotlight shifted from the pitch at Pallekele to a more distressing scene on social media. Sabba Manzer, the wife of Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha, took a courageous stand against online trolls after they targeted her and her young son with a barrage of abusive messages.
Salman Agha’s wife Sabba Manzerr calls out online trolls targeting her family via social media post
As the dust settled on a pulsating encounter that saw England’s Harry Brook snatch victory with a masterclass century, the digital fallout for the Pakistani leadership was swift and severe. Agha, who took over the T20 captaincy in late 2024 following the dismissal of Mohammad Rizwan, became the primary target for frustrated fans. However, the vitriol quickly spilled over to his family, prompting his wife, Sabba Manzer, to break her silence.
Taking to Instagram, Manzer shared a powerful message that cut through the toxicity: “Sending me or my innocent son abuse is not going to win you the World Cup, Pakistani fans.” Her statement highlighted a growing and disturbing trend in South Asian cricket culture where families, who have no hand in the team’s on-field execution, are subjected to harassment during periods of sporting failure.
(Image source: Instagram)
The backlash comes at a time when Agha’s leadership is under intense scrutiny. Having already seen the likes of Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi lose their captaincy roles due to inconsistent results, Agha is now facing the same pressure. The targeting of his child, however, has drawn widespread condemnation from the cricketing community, shifting the conversation from tactical errors to the moral conduct of the “Green Shirts” faithful.
Pakistan’s T20 World Cup campaign teeters on the brink
The loss to England has left the 2009 champions in a precarious position. Pakistan’s journey in the Super 8s has been hampered by inconsistency and a stroke of bad luck; after a rain-affected washout against New Zealand, they now sit with just one point from two matches. The road to the semi-finals is no longer in their own hands, and the mathematical miracles that often define Pakistan’s tournament history are once again their only hope.
To advance, Agha’s men must secure a commanding victory against Sri Lanka in their final fixture on February 28. Even then, they require England to defeat New Zealand and hope that other results in Group 2 keep their Net Run Rate (NRR) competitive. Despite the bleak outlook, Agha remains defiant. “Cricket is a fun game; anything is possible. There is always hope, and as a team, we will always keep believing,” the skipper noted post-match.
This struggle follows a disappointing pattern for Pakistan, who failed to reach the knockout stages in the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy. As the team prepares for their do-or-die clash in Colombo, the focus remains on whether they can channel the external pressure into on-field performance or if another early exit will trigger a total overhaul of the squad.
