LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a 19-year-old BDS student allegedly linked to an online module of the banned terrorist organisation ISIS for radicalising youth and recruiting members through social media and encrypted platforms.According to ATS officials, the agency had been receiving credible intelligence inputs indicating that certain individuals in Uttar Pradesh and other parts of India were operating as active members of an ISIS-linked online network. These individuals were allegedly spreading the extremist jihadist ideology of ISIS and attempting to recruit sympathisers with the objective of establishing a Sharia-based Caliphate in India and across the world.Investigators found that these operatives were creating groups on social media platforms such as Instagram and encrypted communication applications including Session and Discord to circulate ISIS propaganda, ideological content, and operational instructions aimed at expanding the terror outfit’s influence in India.Taking cognisance of the intelligence inputs, ATS conducted extensive physical and electronic surveillance. After confirming the information, the agency registered at ATS Police Station in Lucknow under Sections 148, 152 and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 18, 18B and 38 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).During the investigation, an ATS team arrested Harish Ali, son of Riyasat Ali, a resident of Manak Mau locality in Saharanpur district, from Moradabad on March 16. The accused is a second-year BDS student.“Preliminary interrogation revealed that the accused was in contact with handlers of an ISIS online module as well as other extremist associates described as “mujahideen”. Officials said he was part of a conspiracy aimed at overthrowing the democratically elected government and establishing a Caliphate governed by Sharia law,” ATS said.Investigators said Harish Ali operated multiple anonymous accounts on Instagram and encrypted applications using VPN services to conceal his identity. Through these accounts, he allegedly created several ISIS-supporting groups and attempted to recruit like-minded individuals into the terror network.The groups were reportedly used to circulate ISIS propaganda magazines, ideological literature, videos and audio clips glorifying slain militants, as well as speeches by extremist preachers associated with the organisation. ATS officials also said the accused maintained contacts with ISIS-linked handlers in Pakistan and other foreign locations.To expand the online propaganda network in India, the accused had also formed a separate group titled “Al Ittihad Media Foundation”, which allegedly served as a platform to disseminate ISIS propaganda content.Investigators further revealed that the accused closely followed ISIS media outlets, including the organisation’s news channel Al-Naba and its infamous propaganda magazine Dabiq, and regularly shared their content with members of his groups.During questioning, the accused allegedly admitted that he did not believe in the democratic system and supported the imposition of Sharia law under a global Caliphate, which he described as the core objective of ISIS, the ATS said.He also reportedly encouraged members in his online groups to carry out “fidayeen” (suicide) attacks in pursuit of jihad, said ATS officials.The arrested accused has been produced before a competent court and further legal proceedings are underway. ATS officials said the investigation is continuing to identify other individuals connected to the network and to trace the wider online module operating within and outside India.

The series moves to Seddon Park, Hamilton, with South Africa carrying all the momentum after a clinical 7-wicket victory in the opening encounter. The Proteas, led by Keshav Maharaj, silenced the Bay Oval crowd by dismantling the New Zealand lineup for just 91 runs.

New Zealand will be desperate for a stronger showing from their top order. After being rocked by the South African pace attack in the Powerplay during the first match, veterans like Devon Conway and Tom Latham must anchor the innings. The Black Caps’ bowling, while defending a meager total, lacked the penetration needed to stop a confident South African chase.

South Africa has successfully blended youth and experience. The debutant Nqobani Mokoena was the star of the show in the first T20I, taking 3 wickets, while Connor Esterhuizen looked solid with the bat. With a 1-0 lead, the Proteas will look to tighten their grip on the 5-match series.

NZ vs SA, 2nd T20I: Match details

• Date and Time: March 17; 11:45 am IST / 6:15 am GMT / 7:15 pm Local
• Venue: Seddon Park, Hamilton

NZ vs SA, Head-to-Head Record in T20Is

Matches played: 21 | South Africa won: 13 | New Zealand won: 8 | No result: 0

Seddon Park Pitch Report

Seddon Park is historically one of the best batting surfaces in New Zealand. Unlike the two-paced wicket seen at Mount Maunganui, Hamilton typically offers a flat, true bounce that rewards stroke-makers. Small boundaries and a consistent surface often lead to high-scoring encounters. While the pitch is a belter for batters, pacers have historically been more successful than spinners at this venue, accounting for roughly 65% of the wickets. Extra bounce can be expected early on. Captains usually prefer bowling first here. The dew makes the ball slippery for bowlers in the second half, and the pitch remains excellent for chasing under lights.

Squads

South Africa: Tony de Zorzi, Jason Smith, Jordan Hermann, George Linde, Wiaan Mulder, Connor Esterhuizen (wk), Prenelan Subrayen, Dian Forrester, Gerald Coetzee, Ottneil Baartman, Keshav Maharaj (c), Lutho Sipamla, Rubin Hermann, Andile Simelane, Nqobani Mokoena

New Zealand: Devon Conway (wk), Tim Robinson, Tom Latham, James Neesham, Josh Clarkson, Mitchell Santner (c), Bevon Jacobs, Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Lockie Ferguson, Ish Sodhi, Cole McConchie, Dane Cleaver, Nick Kelly, Ben Sears, Katene D Clarke, Jayden Lennox, Zakary Foulkes

Also READ: Nqobani Mokoena sizzles as South Africa thrash New Zealand in the first T20I

NZ vs SA, 2nd T20I: Today’s Match Prediction

Case 1:

• New Zealand wins the toss and bowl first
• South Africa’s powerplay score: 50-60
• South Africa’s total score: 180-190

Case 2:

• South Africa wins the toss and bowl first
• New Zealand’s powerplay score: 60-70
• New Zealand’s total score: 190-200

Match result: Team bowling first to win the contest.

Also READ: NZ vs SA T20I Series: Date, Match Time, Broadcast and Live Streaming details

For someone who was looked at as dispensable not too long ago, Sanju Samson is suddenly in demand. One day, he is addressing conclaves and attending awards in New Delhi, the next day, he is flying back home to Thiruvanthapuram for an event. Just like the team desperately wanted him back as an opener, to break the stranglehold that off-spinners were having on the left-handers, everyone wants Samson. He will soon jet off to Chennai for IPL duties with the Chennai Super Kings. Describing the epochal victory as far more than just a sporting milestone, Samson called the win a deeply “spiritual experience.”Big words for someone who is looked at as a happygo-lucky character and, by his own admission, “not very emotional”. For Samson, one of the most memorable moments at the World Cup came quietly inside the dressing room after India’s crucial Super Eights win over the West Indies. “After the win against the West Indies, I created a spiritual place of my own in the dressing room and also offered a personal prayer,” Samson told reporters at an event here.

A victory beyond cricket

Describing India’s World Cup triumph as far more than just a sporting achievement, Samson called the experience deeply spiritual.“It was a spiritual moment. When you win something as big as the World Cup with your country, it feels like something greater than just sport,” Samson said during a recent event. The tournament lived up to its tagline “Feel The Thrill”, delivering electrifying powerplays, dramatic finishes and passionate crowds cheering “India! India!” from packed stadiums.One of Samson’s most memorable moments during the tournament came after India’s Super Eight victory against the West Indies national cricket team. “After the win against the West Indies, I created a spiritual place of my own in the dressing room and said a personal prayer,” he revealed.

Overcoming self-doubt

“I wasn’t very confident when I left home to play in the World Cup, but the universe had other plans,” he said. “The 97 not out against the West Indies was the most important innings for me because I had to stay calm even as wickets kept falling at the other end.”Samson also recalled an emotional moment after the final with India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir, one of the keeper-batter’s biggest backers. “Gauti bhai and I share a close relationship. He didn’t say much… he just hugged me for about 30 seconds. That was enough,” Samson said.

New chapter with Chennai Super Kings

Samson is now preparing for the next phase of his career with Chennai Super Kings, where he will share the dressing room with legendary wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni.“I have spoken with Mahi bhai a lot and have seen him on and off in the Indian team. But this will be the first time we spend two months together. There is a lot of excitement,” Samson explained.Interestingly, his first match in the yellow jersey will come against his former franchise, the Rajasthan Royals. “On the field, I don’t allow emotions to take over. I will always give my best for the team I represent,” he added.For Samson, cricket is about much more than trophies and personal milestones. The Indian star says he carries the dreams of countless youngsters every time he walks onto the field.

US Vice President JD Vance on Monday (US local time) pushed back against what he described as attempts to “drive a wedge” between him and President Donald Trump over the war in the Middle East.He emphasised that members of the Trump administration are in “complete harmony” on foreign policy.Vance’s relative silence during the ongoing conflict, along with his earlier remarks opposing military action in the Middle East, had triggered speculation that he and Trump were not on the same page.Also Read | US-Israel War with Iran: Where is JD Vance? The curious case of the ‘missing’ vice president“You’re trying to drive a wedge between members of the administration, between me and the president. What the president has said consistently since 2015 — and I agree with him — is that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon,” he told reporters at the White House alongside Trump.According to CNN, when pressed on whether he had any reservations about US involvement in the war with Iran, Vance reiterated his support, saying he trusts Trump “to get the job done.”Also Read | Was JD Vance hesitant on Iran strike? Trump reveals VP’s stance“We have a smart president, whereas in the past we’ve had dumb presidents. I trust President Trump to get the job done, to do a good job for the American people, and to make sure the mistakes of the past aren’t repeated,” he added, drawing a contrast between the incumbent commander-in-chief and his predecessors.Vance’s earlier stance on US involvement in foreign conflictsHe had previously expressed skepticism about US involvement in foreign conflicts before joining the administration. In a 2023 op-ed, he wrote that Trump’s success was partly due to “avoiding wars.”In 2024, Vance also said that a war with Iran would not serve US interests and would be a “huge distraction of resources.”The Marine Corps veteran had earlier warned about the risk of “escalation” in 2020 following the killing of Iranian commander Qasim Soleimani during Trump’s first term. He had also privately expressed doubts about US strikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels, according to private messages that surfaced during last year’s “Signal-gate.”Meanwhile, about 200 American troops have been wounded across seven Gulf countries during the ongoing military campaign against Iran, CNN reported, citing US Central Command spokesperson Timothy Hawkins.Most of the injuries have been minor, with more than 180 service members already returning to duty.So far, 13 US service members have been killed in action, CNN reported.(With ANI inputs)

Videos circulating widely on social media show large fires and plumes of smoke rising into the sky following Pakistani strikes on Afghan Taliban installations in Kabul and Nangarhar Province late Monday night. The strikes were part of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, launched by Pakistan on February 26 after what Islamabad described as “unprovoked firing” by Afghan Taliban forces across the border, according to Dawn.One of the videos shows a massive plume of fire, whereas other videos show the massive fire engulfing the surrounding areas where the strikes by Pakistani forces were carried out.Local media outlet TOLO News posted videos of strike hit hospital buildings up in flames, which according to Afghan agencies killed over 400 people and injured over 250, and rescue teams scrambled through debris.“Following airstrikes by Pakistan’s military regime on a specialist addiction treatment hospital in Kabul, more than a hundred people have been martyred and injured,” it said in the post. Security sources cited by the Dawn, said Pakistani forces targeted Taliban military infrastructure at two locations in Kabul, destroying technical support facilities and ammunition storage sites. In Nangarhar, four separate Taliban military installations were struck, along with nearby logistics, ammunition depots and technical infrastructure. Sources said the strikes also destroyed a drone assembly workshop, a “headquarters from where drones were sent” and weapons stockpiles in both Kabul and Nangarhar. According to them, the workshops assembled drones using components manufactured in India and Israel.Updates shared around midnight said the Pakistan Air Force continued operations in the two Afghan locations, with six targets reported to have been hit. Security officials said there were also reports that several militants were killed during the strikes.Earlier, Pakistani armed forces carried out operations in the Kurram District sector, targeting hideouts of the Afghan Taliban and Fitna al-Khawarij, a term used by Islamabad for Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).“During these operations, several khawarij were killed while the rest managed to escape,” a security source told the Pakistani daily.Security sources also said Pakistani forces destroyed Afghan Taliban posts across the border in Bajaur District using guided missiles.Separately, overnight strikes were conducted earlier in Kandahar, where what officials described as technical support infrastructure and an equipment storage facility were destroyed.Pakistan’s information minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed the military action, adding that a tunnel allegedly used by militants had also been destroyed.Later, Tarar said four civilians were killed and a child injured after Afghan Taliban forces “deliberately targeted the civilian population through artillery/mortar fire from across the border” in Bajaur district.Pakistan’s information ministry also rejected claims by an Afghan Taliban spokesperson that a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul had been targeted.“The claim of this discredited so-called spokesperson of the Taliban regime is another misreporting of facts aimed at misleading public opinion,” the ministry said in a statement on X.It added: “On the night of March 16, Pakistan precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure, including technical equipment storage and ammunition storage of Afghan Taliban and Fitna al Khawarij in Kabul and Nangarhar that were being used against innocent Pakistani civilians. Post-strike detonation of stored ammunition being used by the master terror proxy also fully contradicts the fake claim.”Pakistan’s foreign office also dismissed reports suggesting Islamabad had rejected mediation efforts by China to ease tensions with Afghanistan. Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said speculation in this regard was “unwarranted”.

MUMBAI: A 42-year-old man has been arrested by Govt Railway Police from Surat, where he had fled after allegedly pushing his wife to death in front of a local train at Mulund station on Saturday. Police said the couple’s 13-year-old son had witnessed the murder.The accused, Raju Gupta, worked as an electrician. According to GRP, Raju and his wife Pushpa (36) had frequent tiffs. Pushpa lodged a non- cognisable (NC) complaint against him with Mulund police on Feb 13, and moved to her hometown in UP with the couple’s elder son, aged 15, a few days later. Their younger son stayed back with Raju. Pushpa did not intend to return to Mumbai and the couple’s elder son was to appear for his Class 10 exams from UP.However, after her Army jawan brother Kamlesh Kumar came home on leave, he offered to broker peace between the two and brought Pushpa and the boy back to Mumbai on March 14. After yet another fight, she filed a second NC against Raju and decided to leave with Kamlesh and her son.‘Killer’ hubby locked up his bro-in-law and elder sonThe trio reached Mulund station, where they booked a local train ticket to Kalwa to visit a relative. At Mulund station, Kamlesh checked his wallet and noticed that his ATM cards, PAN card and army identity card were missing. He called up Raju, who confirmed that the cards were with him. Kamlesh then asked Pushpa to wait at Mulund station while he and his older nephew went back home to collect the cards. “A fight broke out between Raju and Kamlesh in the house. Raju and his younger son locked up his elder son and Kamlesh and left,” said a GRP officer. Kamlesh raised an alarm and neighbours unlocked the door to let him out. He then went to Mulund police station, where he informed police about Raju having taken away his ATM and identity cards. After police summoned Raju to Mulund police station, he switched off his phone. GRP said Raju and his younger son went straight to Mulund station, where he tried to convince his wife to stay back. When Pushpa said she was sick of being harassed and wanted a divorce, he allegedly pushed his wife in front of a Kalyan down local. He and the younger son then went to Vangaon station and took a train to Surat.

You don’t have permission to access “http://www.ndtv.com/science/scientists-discover-new-type-of-liquid-planet-that-exists-in-a-molten-mushy-state-smells-like-rotten-eggs-11225521” on this server.

Reference #18.c7f5d217.1773721392.1dacb6fa

https://errors.edgesuite.net/18.c7f5d217.1773721392.1dacb6fa