Mumbai: The legislative assembly late Monday passed the Freedom of Religion Bill 2026 tabled by Mahayuti govt. While Sena (UBT) supported it, Congress, NCP (SP), Samajwadi Party and CPI (M) opposed it and demanded that it be sent to a joint select committee for review, inviting suggestions/objections from the public. It is likely to be tabled in the Legislative Council Tuesday.Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the bill was not against any religion, but was to protect the freedom of religion for all. Outside the assembly, Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said freedom of religion should be for everyone and if anyone is converting by force or by taking advantage of someone’s helplessness and falsely luring them, his party would be against it. “We support that bill fully,” Uddhav said.Introducing the Bill in the Legislative Assembly on Monday, the CM said the legislation is a law aimed at preventing religious conversion carried out through coercion, inducement, fraud, or deception, adding it is 100% constitutional. Fadnavis said similar laws were already enacted in 12 other states including Odisha, Karnataka, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Arunachal Pradesh, among others. He said the bill was brought in to bring clarity in cases of unlawful conversion.The motion to pass the bill was moved by minister of state Pankaj Bhoyar. It is likely to be tabled in the Legislative Council Tuesday.Sena (UBT) MLA Bhaskar Jadhav said his party supported the bill.Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh termed the bill as unconstitutional and said it was an absolute infringement on the right to privacy and its provisions could compel people who want to marry someone from an another faith to die by suicide. SP MLA Rais Shaikh termed the bill as regressive and it said it was one-sided to target one particular community. Congress MLA Amin Patel said it was a violation of the Constitution.“Cases of inter-faith marriages often give rise to law and order situations; consequently, once such a situation emerges, effective action must be taken to address it. As things stand, the currently prevailing laws—whether it be the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita or various other statutes—lack explicit provisions specifically addressing this matter. Consequently, we rely on existing provisions within these laws; for instance, we frequently invoke the provisions related to fraud in such instances,” the CM said.“If specific provisions are in place, such difficulties related to unlawful conversion or interfaith marriages do not arise. Therefore—to ensure clarity and prevent recurring issues witnessed recently, wherein groups from opposing sides confront one another and consequently trigger law and order disturbances—this Bill has been introduced. Fundamentally, as you are aware, Article 25 of the Constitution grants every individual the right to freedom of religion; our Constitution bestows upon us the right to choose and practice any religion we wish. This bill is in letter and spirit 100% in tune with the Constitution,” he said.“Religion is a personal matter but the bill mandates people to give a notice for 60 days before converting. Why is that? Why should a person declare and announce he wants to convert and make a big buzz about it? After that, who will ensure such a person’s protection and safety? There are no provisions for that in the bill. The burden of proof is also on the accused which is unconstitutional. This bill will be an injustice on lovers of different faiths who are adults. They will be punished for falling in love. Govt has spoken of love jihad cases but could not even show us any statistics or examples,” Aslam Shaikh said.

On 17^th March at 11:45 AM IST, New Zealand will be taking on South Africa in the second T20I match at Seddon Park, Hamilton.

Get the best NZ vs SA Dream11 prediction, fantasy cricket tips, probable playing XI, and match insights for the 2nd T20I match of the South Africa Tour of New Zealand 2026. Expert analysis and more.

Also Read: Bangladesh-New Zealand series confirmed as IPL 2026 faces player availability scare

NZ vs SA Match Preview:

The high-octane five-match T20I series between New Zealand and South Africa moves to Hamilton for a critical second encounter. This high-stakes fixture is scheduled for Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 11:45 AM IST (which is 7:15 PM local time) at the picturesque Seddon Park.

New Zealand enters this match seeking to erase the memory of their lowest T20I total at home, having been bundled out for just 91 in the first game. The squad relies heavily on the experience of Jimmy Neesham, who was the lone bright spot with 26 runs, and captain Mitchell Santner. Furthermore, the bowling unit showed glimpses of grit as Santner maintained an exceptional economy of 2.00 while claiming a wicket. Additionally, the team expects much-improved performances from the top order, specifically Devon Conway and Tom Latham, to set a platform that allows their middle order to express themselves.

However, South Africa arrives with massive momentum after a near-perfect all-round performance. They currently lead the series 1-0, largely due to the sensational debut of 19-year-old pacer Nqobani Mokoena, who earned Player of the Match honors with figures of 3/26. Moreover, the batting chase was masterfully anchored by opener Connor Esterhuizen, who remained unbeaten on 45 to guide his team home with 20 balls to spare. Furthermore, the pace battery of Gerald Coetzee and Ottneil Baartman looks formidable on New Zealand tracks. Additionally, the visitors intend to leverage their superior bowling form to exploit the true bounce of the Hamilton surface.

Therefore, both squads will fight with high intensity to dictate the narrative of the series in this Tuesday night clash. New Zealand aims to utilize their spin variety and aggressive batting intent to level the series and regain their psychological edge. Moreover, South Africa intends to leverage their raw pace and clinical finishing to secure back-to-back wins and edge closer to a series victory.

NZ vs SA Head-to-Head Record:

NZ vs SA Weather & Pitch Report:

Record of chasing teams:

NZ vs SA Playing 11s (Predicted):

New Zealand Playing 11:

1) Devon Conway (wk)

2) Tim Robinson

3) Tom Latham

4) James Neesham

5) Bevon Jacobs

6) Mitchell Santner ©

7) Josh Clarkson

8) Kyle Jamieson

9) Zakary Foulkes

10) Lockie Ferguson

11) Ben Sears

South Africa Playing 11:

1) Tony de Zorzi

2) Connor Esterhuizen (wk)

3) Rubin Hermann

4) Jason Smith

5) Dian Forrester

6) George Linde

7) Wiaan Mulder

8) Gerald Coetzee

9) Keshav Maharaj ©

10) Ottneil Baartman

11) Nqobani Mokoena

Hot Picks for NZ vs SA Dream11 Prediction and Fantasy Cricket Tips:

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NZ vs SA South Africa Tour of New Zealand 2026 Captain and Vice-captain Choices:

NZ vs SA Dream11 Prediction Team 1:

• Keepers – Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Connor Esterhuizen (vc)
• Batters – Tony de Zorzi, Tim Robinson
• All-rounders – James Neesham, Mitchell Santner ©
• Bowlers – Keshav Maharaj, Kyle Jamieson, Gerald Coetzee, Ottneil Baartman

NZ vs SA Dream11 Prediction Team 2:

• Keepers – Devon Conway ©, Connor Esterhuizen
• Batters – Jason Smith, Tim Robinson
• All-rounders – James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Cole McConchie, Zakary Foulkes
• Bowlers – Keshav Maharaj (vc), Kyle Jamieson, Gerald Coetzee

NZ vs SA Dream11 Prediction Today Match 2nd T20I South Africa Tour of New Zealand 2026 Players to Avoid:

NZ vs SA Dream11 Prediction Today Match 2nd T20I South Africa Tour of New Zealand 2026 Expert Advice:

NZ vs SA Match Winner Prediction:

Looking at the dominating performance in the last game, South Africa is expected to win this match.

Mumbai: A special court for MP/MLA cases that last month accepted the economic offences wing’s closure report in the Rs 25,000-crore Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) scam case involving the late Ajit Pawar, deputy CM Sunetra Pawar and their nephew Rohit Pawar held in many instances that “no loss was caused to the bank due to allotment of loan” and concluded that “no personal wrongful gain is acquired by the directors”. It held that the accused hatched no criminal conspiracy.Giving relief to Rohit’s company, Baramati Agro, it said the due legal process was followed in the 2012 auction of Kannad Sahakari Sugar Factory. The detailed 127-page common order made available on Monday. The allegations centred on 31 district central cooperative banks under MSCB that granted loans to sugar factories, which later defaulted. It was alleged that the subsequent auctioning of these factories favoured the kin of bank office-bearers. But, special judge Mahesh K Jadhav categorised these as administrative “civil wrongs”, rather than criminal acts. In the case of five of the entities, it was alleged that the MSCB board of directors, including Ajit Pawar, sanctioned illegal loans and provided favourable terms to units in which they had financial or personal interests. The judge said the official statutory reports, the statements of witnesses and documentary evidence do not demonstrate the commission of cognisable offences. “Therefore, all protest petitions, including protest petition of the original complainant, deserve to be rejected and ‘C’ summary report (closure report) is liable to be accepted.” The judge rejected protest petitions from 50 individuals, including social activist Anna Hazare, who had opposed the clean chit. The judge said the available record did not show mens rea (intention to deceive). “Merely because some directions of Nabard are not followed, [it] did not amount to cognisable offence… Mere irregularity or lapses cannot be converted to the offences. There is absence of dishonest or fraudulent intention on the part of the accused. There is absence of dishonest or fraudulent or misappropriation of property for own use which is entrusted with the public servant... There is no document which is called to be a forged one,” the judge noted. The judge found that the directors’ actions were largely influenced by special relief packages like the ‘Mitra package’, designed to support the sugar industry during periods of financial crisis. “There is no evidence which shows that the investigation is negligent. It does not seem to be a tampering evidence or tailored investigation,” the order said. The judge pointed out that the recovery process is ongoing and that Rs 850 crore has been recovered so far, asserting that MSCB “is funding cooperative societies and protecting public money”. On allegations of irregularities against Jarandeshwar Sugar Factory, to which ED had linked Ajit Pawar and Sunetra, the judge observed that the transactions did not constitute a criminal offence. On the allegation that Jai Ambika Sugar Factory was granted a Rs 94.9-crore loan without collateral in meetings that also included Ajit Pawar, the judge observed that a govt guarantee had been obtained years prior and that the bank had actively sought recovery through the cooperative court. The order noted that in the case of Jalna Sugar Factory, the auction generated Rs 42.3 crore, resulting in a surplus of Rs 9 crore over the dues. In the case of Kannad Sahakari Sugar Factory, the loan was declared a secured one and Baramati Agro (the purchaser) was found to be in “sound possession” to pay, it noted.

MUMBAI: A 17-year-old Dubai resident on a visit to Mumbai allegedly hit a scooter with a rental SUV in Chandivli on Sunday night, killing a 15-year-old boy on the pillion, and fled. He was tracked down within hours, apprehended, produced before Juvenile Justice Board and sent to a correctional home till March 27.Sakinaka police said the driver’s family attempted to mislead them by claiming that he had left for Mira Road after the accident, but he was found hiding in a relative’s house in Chandivli itself. Charges were also invoked against a friend, Mohammed Anas Moharramalli Khan (22), an MBBS student who had rented the car for the day, and a notice served to him. “A probe is on to find out his exact role. The next course of action will then be decided,” said a Sakinaka police officer. The victim, Pratik Mane, was rushed to Rajawadi hospital with severe head injuries, where he was declared dead on arrival. The driver arrived in Mumbai last week to celebrate Eid with family members in Sakinaka, said DCP (zone 10) Datta Nalawade. It was unclear where he was headed with the car. Pratik’s brother, Sumit Mane (22), told police that the two had set off from their Chandivli home on a scooter to make some purchases for a wedding in their village later this month. When they reached a housing society on Nahar Amrit Shakti Road a little away from home, an SUV emerged from the gate and rammed into them. The driver sped away. CCTV cameras at the site captured only a partial licence plate. A police team supervised by Nalawade and led by SI Mohan Kotlawar tracked down the car rental agency, got Khan’s details through the documents he submitted there, and traced the route the car took to get to the driver. Pratik’s father, Subhash, is an auto driver and his mother works as a domestic help.Mandeep Singh Makkar, member of Chandivli Citizens Welfare Association, said this was the second such accident on the road and both involved juvenile drivers. He said in Sept 2023, a senior citizen suffered severe spinal fractures after a 14-year-old student hit him with a car. “Due to lack of substantial legal action in the past, no deterrent was established for guardians who permit minors to drive. This recurring negligence has now resulted in the tragic death of a teen. We demand strict legal consequences for car owners who enable this behaviour; otherwise, the safety of every citizen remains at stake.”

US President Donald Trump on Monday cast doubt on the survival of Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, citing reports about his condition. While some suggest that he may have lost a leg in an air strike others say that he could be disfigured but “no one” has publicly confirmed the leader is healthy or even seen him alive, Trump said. “We don’t know … if he’s dead or not.”“Nobody’s saying he’s 100% healthy,” Trump said. “I will say this, nobody’s seen him, which is unusual,” he told reporters at the White House. “A lot of people are saying that he’s badly disfigured. They’re saying that he lost his leg … and he’s been hurt very badly. Other people are saying he’s dead.”Mojtaba Khamenei was named as his father Ali Khamenei’s successor after the elder leader was killed in the initial stages of the conflict. This is not the first time Trump has cast doubt on the Iranian leader’s situation. In an earlier interview with NBC News, he said that he had seen no clear proof that the 56‑year‑old is still alive, pointing out that Khamenei’s first message since taking power was a written statement rather than a public appearance.Shortly after the statement, multiple media circulated suggesting that Mojtaba was in a coma following critical injuries from an airstrike. According to some accounts, the son of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was said to have lost a leg and suffered severe abdominal or liver damage in the attack. US defence secretary Pete Hegseth had also previously indicated that the new leader had been wounded and has yet to appear publicly. Since his appointment earlier this month, Mojtaba Khamenei has remained out of the public eye, fueling speculation in Iran and abroad about his health and location. According to a report by The New York Times citing Iranian officials, he may have been injured during the initial attacks, including possible leg wounds. Meanwhile, Iranian state television described him as a “wounded veteran” of the ongoing conflict but offered no further details. Officials have dismissed claims that the cleric is incapacitated. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said there was “no problem” with the new supreme leader.

On March 16, 2012, cricket witnessed one of its most iconic milestones when Sachin Tendulkar scored his 100th international century during the Asia Cup 2012 match between the India national cricket team and the Bangladesh national cricket team at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. The historic knock not only ended a long wait for the landmark but also further cemented Tendulkar’s legacy as one of the greatest cricketers to ever play the game.

The Long Wait for the Landmark

Leading into the Asia Cup 2012, the cricket world had been eagerly waiting for Tendulkar’s 100th international hundred. His previous century had come during the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, and ever since, every innings he played was followed with intense anticipation.

For nearly a year, the record remained just one step away. Each time Tendulkar walked out to bat, fans and commentators wondered whether that would be the day he would reach the unprecedented milestone. The pressure was immense, not only from the expectations of fans but also from the global attention surrounding the record. When India faced Bangladesh in Dhaka during the Asia Cup group stage, few could have predicted that history would finally be made that day.

Tendulkar’s Historic Innings

Batting first after winning the toss, India aimed to post a competitive total on a pitch that offered some assistance to spinners. The hot and humid conditions in Dhaka also made batting physically demanding.Tendulkar played a measured and technically sound innings. Instead of rushing towards the milestone, he focused on building the innings and guiding India to a strong total. The veteran batter reached his century with a calm single, sparking celebrations across the cricketing world.He eventually finished with 114 runs from 147 balls, hitting 12 fours and one six. The knock showcased his trademark timing, patience, and ability to handle pressure in big moments. As Tendulkar reached his 100th century, he raised his bat to the heavens in gratitude. True to his humble nature, he kept celebrations subdued, acknowledging the support of teammates and fans alike. The dressing room erupted in applause, and even the Bangladeshi players joined in congratulating the legend.

The Match Situation

India finished their innings with 289 for 5 in 50 overs, thanks largely to Tendulkar’s historic century.Key contributions came from: Virat Kohli – 66 runs, Suresh Raina – 51 runsWhile India appeared to have posted a strong total, Bangladesh responded with determination during their chase. Openers gave the hosts a steady start, with Tamim Iqbal scoring a fluent 70 runs. The middle order continued the momentum, and Bangladesh remained in the hunt throughout the innings.The match eventually came down to the final stages, where Nasir Hossain played a crucial finishing role. His unbeaten 54 runs guided Bangladesh to 293 for 6 in 49.2 overs, securing a famous five-wicket victory.

Sachin Tendulkar’s Early Life and Debut

Sachin Tendulkar was born on April 24, 1973, in Mumbai, India. From a young age, he displayed extraordinary cricketing talent and was mentored by renowned coach Ramakant Achrekar. Tendulkar made his international debut at the age of 16 years and 205 days in 1989 against Pakistan in Karachi. Facing a fearsome bowling attack that included Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, the teenage prodigy showed remarkable courage and composure.What followed was a career that spanned 24 years, during which Tendulkar became the face of Indian cricket and a global sporting icon.

Tendulkar’s Unmatched Records

Over the course of his legendary career, Tendulkar set numerous records that still stand today.

In addition to his individual achievements, Tendulkar also played a crucial role in India’s 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup triumph, fulfilling one of the biggest dreams of his career.

The Impact of the 100th Century

Tendulkar’s 100th century was more than just a statistical milestone, it represented the culmination of decades of dedication, consistency, and excellence. No other cricketer has come close to matching the record of 100 international centuries, making it one of the most extraordinary achievements in the history of sports.The moment also highlighted Tendulkar’s mental strength. Despite immense global pressure and expectations, he maintained his composure and eventually achieved the milestone through sheer perseverance.

A Legacy That Defines Cricket

Even years after his retirement in 2013, Sachin Tendulkar’s influence on cricket remains immense. Generations of cricketers, including modern stars, have cited him as their inspiration. Players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and countless others grew up idolizing Tendulkar and studying his technique, discipline, and approach to the game.His humility, sportsmanship, and dedication made him not only a great cricketer but also a respected ambassador for the sport.