US department of justice on Wednesday charged a Pakistani national – with alleged ties to Iran – for plotting to kill key US politicians including President Donald Trump and Joe Biden.According to authorities, the accused, Asif Merchant, planned the killings in 2024 and attempted to hire two hitmen for $5,000. However, the men he hired, turned out to be undercover FBI agents posing as assassins.Merchant told investigators that an Iranian handler had instructed him in April 2024 to travel to the United States and “maybe have somebody murdered.”“He did not tell me exactly who it is, but he named three people to me: Donald Trump, Joe Biden and Nikki Haley,” Merchant said.Merchant was indicted in July 2024 after he was secretly recorded outlining a plan on a napkin to kill an unnamed politician while speaking to a person who turned out to be an informant. He also attempted to recruit two hitmen and offered them $5,000, though both were undercover agents.Calling the case a serious national security threat, then-FBI Director Christopher Wray said the alleged murder-for-hire plot followed tactics commonly associated with the Iranian regime.While the indictment did not explicitly name Trump, a law-enforcement source confirmed that Donald Trump had been discussed as a potential target, and defence lawyers also referenced him in court documents.During court proceedings, Merchant claimed he acted out of fear for relatives living in Iran and believed he would be arrested before any attack could occur.“My family was under threat, and I had to do this,” Merchant testified through an Urdu interpreter. “I was not wanting to do this so willingly.”He told the court that the handler initially asked him to find US residents willing to work for Iran. Later, the assignment expanded to recruiting a criminal who could organise protests, steal items, carry out money laundering and “maybe have somebody murdered.”Merchant said he felt he had no choice but to comply after the handler indicated he knew the identities and locations of Merchant’s relatives in Iran.The 47-year-old had previously spent nearly two decades working in banking in Pakistan before moving into several businesses, including clothing, car sales, banana exports and insulation imports. He also said he maintained two families—one in Pakistan and another in Iran—where he claimed he was introduced to an intelligence operative linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in late 2022.Despite suspecting he was under surveillance after US immigration agents questioned him at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston in April 2024, Merchant continued researching Trump rally locations. He allegedly sketched a plan for a shooting at a political rally, arranged meetings with the supposed hitmen and gathered $5,000 from a cousin to pay them as a “token of appreciation.”The trial is unfolding amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, following Donald Trump launching a joint military campaign with Israel against Iran under Operation Epic Fury. The offensive, carried out without congressional authorisation, has drawn criticism from several Democratic lawmakers and some Republicans who argue the president initiated an “illegal” war.

Pakistan Cricket Team (AP Photo)

After a dismal T20 World Cup campaign, Pakistan cricket has been hit by a fresh controversy after an unnamed squad member was reportedly fined for allegedly misbehaving with a female hotel staff member during the team’s stay in Kandy, Sri Lanka. The incident is believed to have occurred shortly before Pakistan’s final Super Eight fixture against Sri Lanka and has since been quietly discussed within Pakistan cricket circles.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!According to a report by Telecom Asia Sport, the episode unfolded at the Golden Crown Hotel, where Pakistan’s squad was staying during the tournament. “Before Pakistan’s last Super Eight match against Sri Lanka, a Pakistan World Cup squad player misbehaved with a female housekeeping staff,” sources told Telecom Asia Sport. The report added that the staff member “shouted and called for help, after which hotel staff came for her rescue and reported the matter to Pakistan team manager Naveed Cheema.”

Senior officials at the Golden Crown Hotel reportedly wanted strong action taken against the player. However, Cheema apologised to the hotel management on behalf of the cricketer and imposed a fine for the misconduct, effectively settling the issue internally at the time. While the player’s identity has not been revealed, the matter is far from closed, with the individual expected to face further scrutiny once back home.The report suggests the player could be summoned before the disciplinary committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board, which may decide on additional punishment. The controversy surfaced soon after Pakistan’s disappointing campaign, where the side failed to reach the semifinals after missing out on net run-rate despite defeating Sri Lanka by five runs in their final Super Eight match.The incident has also revived discussion around past controversies involving Pakistan touring squads. The report noted that batter Haider Ali was arrested by Manchester Police last year during a Pakistan Shaheens tour of England over rape allegations before being released due to insufficient evidence. In another earlier episode, team masseur Malang Ali was reportedly fined for misconduct with a female staff member during a tour of Malaysia.

The ministry of external affairs has refuted reports which claimed that US is using India’s ports to strike Iran amid the ongoing escalation in Middle East.This comes after former US Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor during an interview with a US-based channel claimed that US was using Indian naval bases in its war against Iran.

“All of our bases have been destroyed. Our harbour installations are destroyed. We are actually having to fall back on India and Indian ports, which is less than ideal; that is what the navy says,” Macgregor has said.MEA fact-check account on X rejected the claims, calling them “fake and false.”“Claims being made on OAN, a US based channel, that Indian ports are being used by the US Navy are fake and false. We caution you against such baseless and fabricated comments,” MEA said.India voiced “deep concern” over the escalating tensions in the Middle East, calling on all parties involved to exercise restraint, avoid further escalation and ensure the safety of civilians.Chaos erupted in the Middle East after the joint forces of US and Israel carried out coordinated airstrikes on Iran, killing the country’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Iran retaliated by launching missiles at Israel and targeting American military bases located across Gulf countries.Earlier on Wednesday, a torpedo fired from a US submarine sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean, killing 87 personnel. The vessel had recently been on a friendly visit to India. The strike marked the first instance since World War II in which an American submarine attacked a surface warship.The war entered its sixth day on Thursday with no indication of de-escalation.Reports indicate that the conflict has already claimed more than 1,000 lives in Iran, while about a dozen people have been killed in Israel. At least six US troops have also died in the fighting.US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have defended the offensive, arguing that Iran posed an imminent threat.“If we didn’t do it first, they would have done it to Israel and give us a shot, if that was possible,” Trump said.

Varun Chakaravarthy (Getty Images)

MUMBAI: Wednesday’s nets session was an optional one, but Varun Chakravarthy was out there, alongside bowling coach Morne Morkel, slogging it out in searing heat.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The focus throughout the session, and during the mammoth one that India put in on Tuesday evening, was on the length he needs to hit against England in the semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

Varun started the T20 World Cup campaign with a bang, ending the four-match group stage with nine wickets at a strike rate of 8. But in the Super Eights, while bowling against stronger opponents, he was found somewhat wanting. In the three games, he took just two wickets at a strike-rate of 24 and conceded 10.16 runs per over, which is much higher than his career economy rate of 7.23. He finished with figures of 1/47 against South Africa, 1/35 against Zimbabwe and 1/40 against West Indies.Against South Africa, David Miller, Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs showed the courage to take on the mystery spinner. As a result, he erred in his line and length—bowling a bit short or fuller when put under pressure—which brought him into the batters’ arc to hit him down the ground or either side of the wicket. The story repeated against the West Indies in the last match at the Eden Gardens, with Shimron Hetmyer and Jason Holder going after the Kolkata Knight Riders’ spinner. When the batters took him on, they curtailed his ability to apply the squeeze in the middle overs and take wickets to keep the opponents on the mat.

Varun is still among the top-five wicket-takers in this edition with 12 scalps, but teams seem to have dissected his variations, especially the googly, which has been his go-to delivery to take wickets. Almost 75% of his wickets in T20Is have come with the googly. When he has bowled the googly at pace, rival batters have played him as an incoming bowler and tried to hit him straighter. When he has got one to turn away, batters have backed themselves and adjusted.With the likes of Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks in their ranks, England will take a cue from Varun’s outings against South Africa and West Indies, make use of the shorter boundaries and put the 34-year-old under pressure.During the media interaction, Morkel revealed that discussions with Varun centred around getting “clarity” of his plans a day ahead of the match and “allowing him to walk away feeling good about his body”.“With the variations that Varun’s got, he’s got the ability to take a wicket with almost every ball. So, the discussion was that if he goes for a boundary, the aim is to move on to the next one and make sure he commits to that next ball. He’s hard to pick once you walk into the crease. So, for him it’s just about getting that confidence into the ball, getting his speed, his length and control right,” said Morkel.

MUMBAI: After strong claims made by all three of its constituents, MVA has finally decided to nominate NCP(SP) chief Sharad Pawar as its candidate for the alliance’s sole winnable RS seat from Maharashtra. Thursday is the last day to file nominations for the March 16 polls.State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal and party colleague Vijay Wadettiwar, along with NCP(SP) MP and Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule, addressed a press conference at the Congress office in south Mumbai to announce Pawar’s name on Wednesday. Sule said Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut had visited Pawar earlier in the day.

Asked about Shiv Sena (UBT) politicians’ absence at the press meet to announce the name of Sharad Pawar as MVA candidate for the RS polls, Supriya Sule said Sanjay Raut had visited Pawar earlier in the day, indicating the party’s support for him. Later, Raut posted on social media, “Congress finally took the decision over Rajya Sabha. The MVA is one and will remain together.” Raut had repeatedly said Pawar would be MVA’s candidate, speaking in a tone different from that of Aaditya Thackeray, who had said UBT Sena should get the seat as the single largest party in MVA. Pawar’s nomination comes as a setback for Aaditya and has brought to light the rift between him and Raut, who had suggested Pawar’s name even before Aaditya batted for incumbent MP Priyanka Chaturvedi.Political observers said Raut has emerged a winner and set Sena (UBT)’s agenda. “Going by Raut’s word, it was almost certain the seat would be given to Pawar. In this scenario, the vehement and open attempt to stake claim (by Aaditya) has caused embarrassment. It seems there is a rift in the thought process in the party… This could have an impact on future nominations and the trust factor of the leadership. Sena (UBT) may now get the MLC seat (which will also go to polls), but the RS episode has left a dent,” an observer said. Congress had also claimed the RS seat, arguing it was needed for it to retain the leader of opposition’s post in RS. Sapkal said, “We initially expressed our strong opinion that we should get the seat and discussed it with Rahul Gandhi during his recent visit to the city. Our party president (Mallikarjun Kharge) decided to support Pawar, and he will be our candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls.”Congress had been trying to strike a bargain with Sena (UBT), offering its support for the legislative council seat set to be vacant next month as Uddhav Thackeray’s tenure ends. Sapkal, however, refused to comment about the party’s position on the council seat.Meanwhile, Pawar was discharged from hospital. Based on doctors’ advice and logistic support, the family will decide if he will visit Vidhan Bhavan to file his nomination or will explore alternatives.

Driving the newsA wave of complaints from US service members alleges that military commanders have linked the war with Iran to biblical end-times prophecy – including references to Armageddon and the return of Jesus, according to reporting by veteran journalist Jonathan Larsen on his Substack newsletter.The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) says it has received more than 110 complaints from troops across the US armed forces. The reports involve over 40 units across at least 30 military installations, according to Larsen’s reporting. Some complaints describe commanders framing the war as part of God’s plan and invoking biblical prophecy during official briefings.

Zoom inAccording to a complaint described in Larsen’s Substack, a commander speaking to non-commissioned officers linked the war directly to biblical prophecy.The complaint says the commander told officers that President Donald Trump had been “anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth.”Another email from a service member described similar messaging delivered to troops in a unit currently outside the Iran combat zone but in Ready-Support status.The non-commissioned officer (NCO) said the commander encouraged leaders to relay a religious interpretation of the war.The NCO wrote that the commander “urged us to tell our troops that this was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’ and he specifically referenced numerous citations out of the Book of Revelation referring to Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus Christ.”The email said the message was sent to MRFF on behalf of 15 troops, including at least 11 Christians, one Muslim and one Jewish service member.The NCO warned that the remarks could damage unit cohesion.The complaint said the statements “destroy morale and unit cohesion and are in violation of the oaths we swore to support the [C]onstitution.”According to Larsen’s reporting, MRFF is withholding the identities of complainants to prevent retaliation from the Defense Department.Why it mattersThe allegations highlight concerns about religious messaging inside the US military at a time when the country is engaged in a rapidly expanding conflict with Iran.MRFF president Mikey Weinstein told Larsen that the organization has been overwhelmed by complaints since the attacks on Iran began.He said the foundation had been “inundated” with messages from troops describing similar rhetoric from commanders.Weinstein argued that introducing religious ideology into official military communication could violate constitutional protections as well as the Uniform Code of Military Justice.He said, “Any military members seeking to take advantage of their subordinates by advancing their blood-soaked, Christian nationalist wet dreams upon the flames of this latest non-Congressionally sanctioned attack against Iran, should be swiftly, aggressively and visibly prosecuted.”According to Larsen’s reporting, the group says such complaints frequently arise when conflicts involving Israel erupt in the Middle East.Weinstein said the MRFF receives similar reports about Christian end-times theology whenever it “blows up with Israel in the Middle East.”

The big pictureThe controversy unfolds amid broader debate about the growing influence of evangelical Christianity in US politics and military culture.Larsen’s report notes that defense secretary Pete Hegseth has promoted religious gatherings within the Pentagon and the White House.

At one gathering, he said, “This is … I think, exactly where we need to be as a nation, at this moment, in prayer, on bended knee, recognizing the providence of our lord and savior Jesus Christ.”Critics say the growing visibility of Christian nationalism inside national security institutions raises questions about whether religious ideology is influencing military messaging or strategy.Supporters counter that faith has long played a role in American political life.Between the linesThe religious controversy emerges as the Trump administration faces mounting questions about why the US launched the war against Iran.Reporting by Politico and the Financial Times suggests the White House has struggled to present a consistent explanation for the conflict.Officials have cited multiple justifications for the attacks, including nuclear threats, ballistic missile development and the defense of Israel.Secretary of state Marco Rubio said the administration acted pre-emptively to avoid future attacks.Rubio told reporters, “We knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties.”But critics argue that the rationale for the war has shifted repeatedly since the strikes began.Democratic congressman Jake Auchincloss told the Financial Times that the administration had offered several explanations in quick succession.He said President Donald Trump had presented “four different rationales for the war in the last 72 hours.”

What they are sayingPolitical allies and commentators within the MAGA movement have also raised concerns about the administration’s messaging.According to a Politico report, some Trump allies fear that a prolonged conflict could undermine support among voters who backed the president’s promise to avoid new Middle Eastern wars.A former Trump administration official told Politico that rising casualties could change the public narrative.The official said, “I don’t put a timeline, I put a bodycount.”Republican strategist Matthew Bartlett also warned that questions about the war’s purpose could intensify if the conflict drags on.He said, “A significant, if not majority of the base, will be with him no matter what he does, but there are growing voices in this coalition.”Conservative communications executive Vanessa Santos told Politico that political support depends heavily on how quickly the war ends.She said, “MAGA is not anti-force; It is anti-forever war.”What’s nextThe future of the US- Iran conflict may depend on two factors: How long the war lasts and whether the administration can articulate a clear strategy.President Donald Trump himself has offered shifting timelines for the conflict.At times he has suggested the fighting could end within weeks, while at other moments he has warned it could continue indefinitely.Trump said, “Whatever it takes.”Meanwhile, the war is already reshaping the geopolitical landscape. The conflict has destabilized oil markets, disrupted regional shipping routes and triggered retaliatory strikes across the Middle East.As the fighting intensifies, the allegations of religious rhetoric within military briefings could add another layer of controversy to a war that remains politically and strategically unsettled.(With inputs from agencies)

The stage is perfectly set for a thrilling contest as defending champions India prepare to face England in the second semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, March 5. With a place in the final at stake, fans can expect a high-intensity battle between two of the strongest sides in world cricket.

Interestingly, this will be the third straight T20 World Cup semi-final clash between India and England. Their recent meetings have produced contrasting results – England dominated with a 10-wicket win in 2022, while India responded strongly with a commanding 68-run victory in 2024. That history adds even more drama to what is already a highly anticipated encounter.

India have looked impressive throughout most of the tournament. They topped their group with an unbeaten record before suffering a setback against South Africa in the Super Eight stage. However, the team quickly regained momentum with convincing wins over Zimbabwe and the West Indies. One of the standout moments came from Sanju Samson, whose brilliant unbeaten 97 off just 50 balls against the Caribbean side powered India into the semi-finals.

England, on the other hand, had a slightly shaky start to the tournament. They suffered a defeat to West Indies in the group stage and narrowly escaped against teams like Nepal and Italy. But as the competition progressed, Harry Brook’s side found their rhythm. England have been in superb form in the Super Eight stage, winning all three matches and extending their current winning streak to five games.

IND vs ENG, T20 World Cup 2026 Semifinal 2: Match details

• Date and Time: March 5; 7:00 pm IST / 1:30 pm GMT
• Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

IND vs ENG, Head-to-Head Record in T20Is

Matches played: 29 | India won: 17 | England won: 12 | No result: 0

Wankhede Pitch Report

The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai has delivered more balanced playing conditions than many expected during the T20 World Cup 2026. In the seven matches played so far, the average first-innings score has hovered around 162, indicating that the pitch has not behaved like the typically high-scoring IPL surfaces seen at the venue. As expected, teams batting second have enjoyed greater success, winning four of those matches, while in three games the target has been successfully defended.

The surface has offered noticeable assistance to bowlers, particularly in the early overs, making it crucial for batters to take time to settle before accelerating. Instead of relying purely on power-hitting, teams have found success by rotating the strike, building partnerships, and playing calculated strokes to reach competitive totals.

Traditionally, Wankhede is known as a chasing venue due to the possibility of dew in night games. Therefore, the captain winning the toss is still likely to opt for bowling first.

Squads

India: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Sanju Samson, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj

England: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Harry Brook (c), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Ben Duckett, Luke Wood, Josh Tongue, Jamie Overton

Also READ: T20 World Cup 2026 – India vs England 2nd Semi-Final Ticket Prices and Sitting Details

IND vs ENG, T20 World Cup 2026 Semifinal 2: Today’s Match Prediction

Case 1:

• India wins the toss and bowls first
• England’s powerplay score: 40-50 (6 overs)
• England’s total score: 180-190

Case 2:

• England wins the toss and bowls first
• India’s powerplay score: 50-60 (6 overs)
• India’s total score: 210-220

Match result: India to win the contest.

Also READ: Mohammad Amir makes a bold prediction ahead of India’s T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final clash with England