President Donald Trump on Friday said he believed that Russian leader Vladimir Putin was helping Iran in its war against the United States and Israel.Trump’s comment came in a radio interview with Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, and 1 week after the President lashed out at Fox News reporter Peter Doocy for asking him at the White House about reports that Russia was aiding Iran.Kilmeade asked Trump on Friday, “You think Putin is helping them?”

Trump replied, “I think he might be helping them a bit, yeah.”“I guess, and he probably thinks we’re helping Ukraine, right?” Trump continued.“Yeah, we’re helping them also,” Trump said, referring to Ukraine, which was at war against Russia since being invaded in early 2022.“So he [Putin] says that, and China would say the same thing, you know,” Trump told Kilmeade.“It’s like, ‘Hey, they do it, and we do it, in all fairness,’” Trump said. “They do it, and we do it.”Trump had a call with Putin on Monday.US special envoy Steve Witkoff told CNBC in an interview on Tuesday that during that call, “The Russians said they were not sharing” intelligence with Iran.“So, you know, we can take them at their word,” Witkoff said that day. “Let’s hope that they’re not sharing.”

AGRA: A UP police constable has been arrested in a case linked to abetment of suicide after a woman, who was reportedly in a relationship with him, allegedly died by suicide, accusing the constable of mental harassment and breaking the promise of marrying her.According to details, the deceased had completed a fashion design course from a college in Lucknow. Her family told the police that she had been married six years ago, but the relationship lasted only two years. The couple had a child, who currently lives with the husband. Due to differences with her husband, she had been living separately.About four years ago, she attended a programme in Shamsabad where she met constable JB Gautam, a 2019-batch policeman. The two became friends, and according to allegations, the constable later called her to meet him. Their meetings increased, and he allegedly promised to marry her.

The deceased woman’s sister lives in Agra. Whenever the woman visited her sister, she would also stay at the constable’s flat in the Tajganj area. A few days ago, the constable allegedly refused to marry her, which left her distressed. His family members were also allegedly harassing her.On Wednesday, the woman came to her sister’s house and went into another room. In the evening, her sister went to the gym while her brother-in-law also left for work. The woman locked the room from inside. When her sister returned from the gym, she knocked on the door, but loud music was playing inside. Thinking that she was listening to songs, the sister went to sleep. Later at night, when the music was still playing, she became suspicious and knocked again but received no response. She then looked through a window above the door and saw the woman hanging from a noose. Shocked, she raised an alarm and informed the police.The police said that information was received regarding a young woman taking her own life on the night of March 12, within the jurisdiction of Sadar Bazar police station and registered a case under Sections 69 (False promise to marry) and 108 (Abetment of suicide) of the BNS“Upon receiving the information, Sadar Bazar police personnel immediately reached the scene and, after conducting the necessary legal proceedings, prepared the inquest report on the body and sent it for postmortem. Based on the written complaint submitted by the deceased’s father at Sadar Bazar police station, a case was registered under the relevant sections, and computer operator Jantar Babu alias J.B. Gautam was arrested and sent to judicial custody. Additionally, departmental proceedings have been initiated against the said computer operator, and he has been suspended.”ACP Sadar Imran Ahmed said the woman recorded two videos of about one minute each before her death. In the videos, she spoke about her relationship with the constable and alleged exploitation, saying she was under severe stress. She had also sent the videos to several relatives. The family informed the police about the videos on Thursday morning, after which the woman’s mobile phone was seized. Investigators are now examining when the videos were recorded and to whom they were sent. The phone will be sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for further examination, police said.

The countdown to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 has already generated massive excitement among cricket fans across the globe. The highly anticipated season is set to begin on March 28, with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) taking on defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the opening clash. With teams preparing their strategies and combinations, discussions around the best possible playing XIs have started gaining momentum.

Former India cricketer and well-known commentator Aakash Chopra recently shared his ideal playing XI for Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of the new season. Chopra picked a lineup packed with aggressive batters, versatile all-rounders, and experienced bowlers, suggesting that the franchise could be a strong contender in the upcoming tournament.

Aakash Chopra shares his SRH XI for IPL 2026

Chopra’s suggested lineup begins with an explosive opening pair featuring Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head. Both players have earned a reputation for attacking batting in the powerplay, and Chopra believes their aggressive approach could give SRH strong starts throughout the season.

At number three, Chopra placed wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, who adds left-handed balance and the ability to accelerate the scoring rate. Following him is the destructive South African batter Heinrich Klaasen, widely regarded as one of the most dangerous middle-order hitters in T20 cricket.

The middle order in Chopra’s XI features Nitish Kumar Reddy and England’s dynamic all-rounder Liam Livingstone. This duo provides both power-hitting and useful bowling options, adding depth to the lineup. Chopra also included young batter Aniket Verma in the XI, highlighting the importance of giving emerging talents opportunities on the big stage.

The bowling attack in his team is led by SRH captain Pat Cummins, whose leadership and pace-bowling abilities have been crucial for the franchise. Chopra suggested that the team could use either Zeeshan Ansari or Shivang Kumar as a spin option depending on conditions. The pace department is completed by experienced left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat and young fast bowler Shivam Mavi, both of whom can provide crucial breakthroughs in different phases of the innings.

Also READ: ‘Shame on Kavya Maran’ – Sunrisers owner faces backlash for signing Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed in The Hundred Auction

Star-studded side ready to dominate the cash-rich league

Chopra’s selected XI reflects a strong balance between explosive batting and a versatile bowling attack. With players like Head, Kishan, and Klaasen capable of scoring quickly, SRH possess one of the most dangerous batting lineups in the tournament.

The inclusion of all-rounders such as Nitish and Livingstone adds further flexibility, allowing the team to adapt to different match situations. Meanwhile, the presence of Cummins brings valuable leadership and experience, particularly in high-pressure encounters.

If this combination clicks during the tournament, Sunrisers Hyderabad could emerge as one of the most formidable teams in IPL 2026. With the season opener against RCB fast approaching, fans will be eager to see whether SRH adopt a similar combination on the field.

Aakash Chopra’s playing XI of SRH for IPL 2026: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Liam Livingstone, Aniket Verma, Pat Cummins, Zeeshan Ansari/Shivang Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Shivam Mavi.

Also READ: Amid Kavya Maran backlash, Daniel Vettori explains Sunrisers’ decision to sign Abrar Ahmed in The Hundred Auction 2026

India’s Preeti Pal (PTI Photo/Salman Ali)

India produced a commanding performance at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix, finishing the competition with a remarkable medal tally as Preeti Pal stole the spotlight with a dominant sprint display on the final day.Double medallist at the 2024 Summer Paralympics, Preeti delivered another impressive performance by clinching gold in the women’s 200m (T35–T37). The 25-year-old from Meerut clocked 30.26 seconds to finish comfortably ahead of the field, adding the title to the 100m gold she had secured a day earlier.Russia’s Karina Machulskaia took the silver medal with a time of 32.22 seconds, while India’s Bina Shambhubha completed the podium with bronze after finishing in 32.35 seconds.India ended the meet with an extraordinary haul of 208 medals — 75 gold, 69 silver, and 64 bronze — in a campaign that underlined the country’s growing strength in para athletics, even though the field featured relatively limited international participation. Russia finished second overall with 35 medals (15 gold, 14 silver, 6 bronze), while Bosnia and Herzegovina placed third with three medals (one gold and two silver) among the eight competing teams.Reflecting on her performance after securing her second gold medal, Preeti admitted she narrowly missed the mark she had set for herself.“I narrowly missed the target I was aiming for at the Grand Prix by a microsecond. Overall, things are going well. In four days, I will be heading to the Nationals, and since this is the off-season, I am satisfied with my performance,” said Preeti after clinching her second gold here.She also revealed that her training performances suggest she is capable of running even faster times.“My personal best is 30.03 seconds, and in practice I have already clocked 29.6 seconds, which is encouraging. However, I noticed that I get tired as I approach the finish line, something that didn’t happen before. I am currently working on improving that,” she added.India also enjoyed success in the field events, sweeping all three medals in the men’s shot put F57 category. Shubham Juyal secured gold with a throw of 14.45 metres, while Bhagat Singh claimed silver with 13.29 metres and Priyans Kumar took bronze with 13.07 metres. Juyal’s performance marked a significant improvement from his throw of 13.72 metres at last year’s World Para Athletics Championships, highlighting the steady rise of para athletes from the Indian Army.In the men’s 200m T35 event, Vinay won gold with a time of 28.18 seconds, finishing ahead of Anubhav Choudhary, who took silver in 29.49 seconds. Hong Kong’s Chui Yiu Bao secured the bronze medal.India produced another clean sweep in the men’s 200m T37–T44 category. Rakeshbhai Bhatt won gold in 25.20 seconds, followed by Siddharth Manju Bellary with silver in 28.23 seconds and Ravikiran Asarelli with bronze in 31.50 seconds.The hosts also dominated the men’s 800m T53–T54 race. Manojkumar Sabapathi claimed gold with a timing of 1:57.41, while Manikandan Jothi took silver in 2:11.14 and Kamalakanta Nayak secured bronze in 2:20.83.

Simran hopeful she will not be stripped of Worlds medals

Meanwhile, Indian visually impaired para-sprinter Simran Sharma expressed hope that she will retain the medals she won at last year’s World Para Athletics Championships despite the suspension of her guide runner.Simran had won gold in the women’s 100m (T12) and silver in the 200m at the championships. However, her guide runner Umar Saifi was provisionally suspended after testing positive for drostanolone, a banned anabolic steroid, according to the list released by the National Anti-Doping Agency on October 9, 2025. The test was reportedly conducted during the Delhi State Open on September 7, 2025.Under International Paralympic Committee regulations, guide runners in T12 events are classified as “athlete support personnel”, which means a doping violation by the guide can potentially lead to the athlete’s results being disqualified.Simran, who is currently sidelined with an injury and therefore not competing at the ongoing Grand Prix, said she remains optimistic that her medals will not be taken away.“I am very hopeful that I will not lose my medals. I worked really hard for them. There are examples where athletes have not been stripped of their medals even when their guide tested positive for a banned substance,” Simran said on the sidelines of the Grand Prix.She has since moved on from Saifi’s suspension and is now working with a new guide runner as she prepares for the Asian Para Games scheduled to be held in Japan later this year.Asked when a final decision on her appeal might be made, Simran said the timeline remains unclear.“I don’t know yet, but I am continuing my preparations for the Asian Para Games. I did not compete in the inaugural Grand Prix of the season in Dubai last month, or in the ongoing competition here, as I want to keep my body injury-free for the Asian Para Games,” she said.

Yet another US aircraft has been lost in Iraq amid the constantly evolving situation in the Middle East, following the coordinated American-Israeli strikes on Iran that started at the end of February.This time, a US KC-135 refuelling aircraft, carrying at least five personnel, went down in western Iraq on Thursday. The incident also involved another aircraft but was not the result of hostile or friendly fire, according to the US Central Command.

“One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely. This was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” the US Central Command, which oversees American forces in the region, said in a statement.The United States, the world’s largest economy, maintains a significant military presence in the region and has surged a large number of aircraft into the Middle East to participate in ongoing operations against Iran.

KC-135 Stratotanker: Aerial refuelling workhorse of the US air force

Midair Refuelling: How it works

The KC-135 primarily uses a flying boom to transfer fuel. A boom operator, positioned at the rear of the aircraft, controls the boom during in-flight refuelling. For aircraft equipped with probes, a shuttlecock-shaped drogue trailing behind the boom allows fuel transfer. Some KC-135s feature a multipoint refuelling system with special pods on the wingtips, enabling the tanker to refuel two aircraft simultaneously.

Mission

The KC-135 Stratotanker has been the backbone of the United States air force’s aerial refuelling capability for over 60 years. It extends the air force’s global reach and supports missions for the air force, navy, marine corps, and allied nations.

In addition to refuelling, the KC-135 can transport litter and ambulatory patients on patient support pallets during aeromedical evacuations.

Features

Powered by four turbofan engines mounted under 35-degree swept wings, the KC-135 can take off at gross weights of up to 322,500 pounds. Its cargo deck above the refuelling system can accommodate a mix of passengers and cargo, carrying up to 83,000 pounds depending on fuel storage configuration.

This marks the fourth US aircraft lost since the US and Israel began strikes against Iran on 28 February. Earlier this month, three US Air Force fighter jets were accidentally shot down in a “friendly fire” incident by Kuwaiti air defenses, though all crew members ejected safely.So far, seven US troops have been killed in the conflict, and Reuters reported on Tuesday that up to 150 US personnel have been wounded. Meanwhile, Iran’s death toll has surpassed 1,300, according to the country’s UN ambassador.