Abhishek Sharma (AP Photo)

NEW DELHI: Explosive India opener Abhishek Sharma lit up the Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Sunday with a breathtaking display of power-hitting, smashing the second-fastest T20I half-century by an Indian during the third T20I against New Zealand as India cruised to a dominant eight-wicket win.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Abhishek reached his fifty in just 14 balls, eclipsing Hardik Pandya’s 16-ball effort to move into elite company. Only Yuvraj Singh’s legendary 12-ball blitz against England in the 2007 T20 World Cup stands ahead of him.

Chasing a modest 154, India stormed to 94/2 inside the powerplay, with Abhishek setting the tone in emphatic fashion. The 25-year-old remained unbeaten on a stunning 68 off just 20 deliveries, striking five fours and four sixes as the hosts wrapped up the chase with ease.“That’s what my team wants from me and I just want to execute all the time,” Abhishek said after the match. “Obviously, it’s not easy to do it every time, but I think it’s all about mental as well and the atmosphere you get around your dressing room.”

When asked about the possibility of breaking Yuvraj’s iconic record, Abhishek was respectful yet quietly optimistic. “That’s more than impossible for anyone, but still, you never know,” he said. “Any batsman could do it because all the batters have been batting really well in this series and going forward, it’s going to be fun.”Abhishek also explained his fearless approach, including hitting another six off the first ball of the innings. “I wouldn’t say I want to go from the first ball. It’s just the instinct I get. I think about what the bowler could bowl to me and I just want to play on that ball,” he explained.Detailing his innovative footwork, he added, “It’s all about the field placement. If I get room for myself, then I have the whole off-side. I just want to play with the field.”Yuvraj Singh, meanwhile, responded with trademark wit. “Still can’t get a 50 off 12 balls, can you?” the World Cup hero posted on social media. “Well played — keep going strong!”

NEW DELHI: No new H-1B stamping dates seem to be available this calendar year and new interview dates are being deferred to 2027, creating major disruptions for Indian professionals working in the US. Visa offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad & Kolkata no longer have regular interview slots available. Immigration experts said there is no hope of the situation getting better. The US state department website simply shows ‘not available’ as the waiting period for next available appointment for interview required for petition-based (H, L, O, P, Q) visas in many places across the world, including Kolkata and Delhi.

No hope of US visa situation improving: Immigration experts

Those who had their interview dates in Jan & Feb also received emails for their respective consulates that their dates have been moved to April-May 2027.The pile-up is happening with the Trump administration reworking the H1-B programme. On Dec 29, 2025, US Citizenship and Immigration Services had published new rules for FY 2027.The annual cap of 85,000 visas remains unchanged, including 20,000 reserved for applicants with US postgraduate degrees.Apart from this, there have been overall changes in the Trump’s ever-tightening visa policies. US has introduced mandatory social media screening for visa applicants. The added scrutiny increased processing time per applicant and reduced the number of interviews consulates can conduct each day. The US no longer allows visa stamping in third countries, barring a few exceptions. That means the entire demand has to be met by consulates in India for Indians and has added to delays.Immigration attorney Emily Neumann said she did not hear about any new visa interview slots opening for India in the last 50 days. Neumann said H-1Bs who are in the US should not even try to get an appointment for visa stamping in India.“They are not in any hurry to give you a visa. They are trying to deny visas whenever they can. It is a completely different world from what we saw during the Biden administration. This administration does not want to give you visa,” Neumann said.Amid the delay in stamping, US State Department is also revoking visas prudentially, and H-4 visa holders are also getting their visas revoked because of their H-1B spouses.

India beat New Zealand to clinch series (ANI Photo)

NEW DELHI: India produced a ruthless all-round performance to crush New Zealand by eight wickets in the third T20I at Guwahati on Sunday and pocket the five-match series with a 3-0 score.After winning the toss, India opted to field, and their bowlers justified the decision with a disciplined and aggressive display.

Jasprit Bumrah led the attack superbly, finishing with figures of 3 for 17 and setting the tone from the outset. Harshit Rana struck early to remove Devon Conway, while Hardik Pandya kept things tight and picked up two key wickets, including Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell. Spinner Ravi Bishnoi was outstanding in the middle overs, claiming 2 for 18 and breaking a crucial partnership by dismissing Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman.Phillips was New Zealand’s top-scorer with 48, while Chapman contributed 32 and captain Mitchell Santner added a late 27. However, the visitors struggled to build sustained momentum as wickets fell regularly. Despite Santner’s late hitting, New Zealand were restricted to a modest 153 for 9 in their 20 overs.In reply, India made light work of the chase. The hosts suffered an early setback when Sanju Samson was bowled first ball, but that only sparked a fierce counterattack. Ishan Kishan played a brisk knock before falling, setting the platform for Abhishek Sharma and captain Suryakumar Yadav to take charge.Abhishek was sensational, blasting 68 not out off just 20 balls, while Suryakumar produced a trademark innings of 57 not out from 26 deliveries. The duo punished anything loose, found the boundaries at will, and kept the scoreboard racing. India reached 155 for 2 in just 10 overs, completing one of their most dominant chases in T20I cricket.The comprehensive win sealed the series for India and highlighted their depth, confidence, and firepower as they continued to build momentum at the international stage.

NEW DELHI: Veteran journalist and acclaimed author Mark Tully passed away at the age of 90 on Sunday at Max Hospital in Saket. The news was confirmed by his close friend and fellow journalist Satish Jacob. “Mark passed away at Max Hospital Saket this afternoon,” Jacob said. “He (Tully) was admitted to Max Hospital, Saket, on January 21, and died today. He (Tully) was admitted under the head of the nephrology department,” a hospital source told PTI.In an official statement issued, the hospital confirmed that Tully passed away at 2.35 pm. “The cause of death was multi-organ failure following a stroke. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with his family, loved ones, and all those affected by his passing,” the hospital said.

Life of Mark Tully

Born on October 24, 1935, in Kolkata, Tully spent his early years in India before being sent to England for further education. Returning to India in 1964 as the BBC’s correspondent, he eventually became the New Delhi bureau chief, a position he held for 22 years. A chronicler of India for over five decades, he covered landmark events in post-Independence Indian history, including the Bangladesh war of 1971, the Emergency of 1975-77, Operation Blue Star, the assassinations of Indira and Rajiv Gandhi and the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992.Tully was also an acclaimed author, penning 10 books, including No Full Stops in India, India in Slow Motion and The Heart of India. He presented BBC Radio 4’s programme Something Understood and participated in documentaries on India, the British Raj and the Indian Railways. He was knighted in 2002 and received the Padma Bhushan in 2005.Reflecting on Tully’s career, Satish Jacob said, “Mark was an extraordinary journalist who chronicled India’s history with empathy and insight.” His son Sam Tully, on the journalist’s 90th birthday, had written, “I think my father’s achievements are particularly significant for UK-India ties because of his abiding ties and affection for both countries. While he lives in India, he has powerful connections to the UK as well. ‘Dill hai Hindustani, magar thora Angrezi bhi!’ The heart is Indian but a bit English too!”Tully’s career spanned more than five decades, marked by his fearless reporting and commitment to journalistic integrity. Even after leaving the BBC in 1994, he continued as a freelance journalist in Delhi and remained a keen observer of India’s social and political pulse. Colleagues and readers remembered him as “the voice of truth,” whose reporting earned trust across generations.

A smartphone thief experienced a sudden change of heart upon unlocking the stolen device and seeing a spiritual leader’s image on the wallpaper. Overcome by the image, the man returned the phone and apologized, a moment captured and shared widely online, sparking discussions about conscience and faith.

What was meant to be a quick snatch-and-run turned into something straight out of a spiritual storybook — and now the internet can’t stop replaying it.In a video that’s been bouncing around Instagram and X, a man who had just stolen a smartphone suddenly slows down. No sirens. No one chasing him. Just… a pause.Why?Because the moment he unlocked the phone, he was staring straight at the calm, serious face of spiritual guruPremanand Ji Maharaj on the wallpaper.And somehow, that was enough.You can actually see the shift happen. He looks at the screen. Then again. The swagger disappears. The confidence drains. And instead of powering off the phone and vanishing into the crowd, he does something no one saw coming — he tracks down the owner, hands the phone back, and says sorry.Yes. The thief returned the phone. On his own. With an apology.The clip was caught by someone nearby and uploaded online, where it took off within hours. Lakhs of views, thousands of comments, and a comment section filled with “Radhe Radhe” and folded-hands emojis.“Maharaj ji ki nazar hi kaafi hai,” one person wrote.Another said, “This is not luck. This is bhakti at work.”So who exactly is Premanand Ji Maharaj, and why did one photo hit so hard?Premanand Ji Maharaj is a well-known spiritual teacher and bhakti saint, deeply devoted to Radha and Krishna. Based in Vrindavan, he’s followed by millions who listen to his satsangs for their simple language, emotional honesty, and focus on living clean — no shortcuts, no wrongdoing, no ego.His talks often go viral because they’re gentle but sharp. About controlling the mind. About choosing the right path even when no one is watching. About how one wrong step can quietly change everything.Many devotees say just seeing his image brings a strange calm. And sometimes, a strange sense of guilt.Which is exactly what this moment looked like.No drama. No shouting. No police. Just a phone, a saint’s face, and a sudden realisation.For a lot of people watching online, this wasn’t just a feel-good clip about a returned phone. It felt like proof that conscience can wake up at the weirdest times. That faith — or fear, or respect — can still cut through impulse.And in a feed full of fights, scams and disasters, this one hit differently.As one user put it best:“Sometimes you don’t need CCTV or cops. You just need the right wallpaper.”And just like that, a thief didn’t walk away richer.He walked away… a little wiser.

Bangladesh cricket team (Photo by Kerry Marshall/Getty Images)

Former Bangladesh Cricket Board general secretary Suyed Ashraful Haque has criticised the decision taken by the Bangladesh government and the BCB to pull out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, calling it an unnecessary and damaging move. Speaking to ANI on Saturday, Haque said it was wrong to refuse participation in a global tournament over “security concerns” that, in his view, were linked to a Bangladeshi player being dropped from an IPL side. He said Bangladesh “has overplayed its hand in this matter” and warned that such decisions hurt the progress of the country’s cricket.

Haque pointed out that the ICC replacing Bangladesh with Scotland was a normal and expected outcome. He said that when a team chooses not to take part, the ICC follows a standard process to bring in a replacement. “It was not right for Bangladesh to withdraw from the T20 World Cup just because a Bangladeshi player was not allowed to play in the IPL in India,” Haque told ANI. He added that comparisons between the IPL and the World Cup were misplaced. According to him, the IPL is a domestic competition, while an ICC event comes with far stricter and more comprehensive security arrangements. Haque said the decision to stay away from the tournament undermines the effort and hard work put into building Bangladeshi cricket over the years. “Bangladesh has overplayed its hand in this matter by choosing not to participate in the ICC T20 World Cup,” he said. On the Bangladesh government’s demand to shift the team’s matches to Sri Lanka, Haque said such a move was unrealistic. He stressed that ICC tournaments are planned well in advance and cannot be relocated at short notice. “Therefore, it couldn’t be transferred to Sri Lanka,” he said. Earlier on Saturday, the International Cricket Council confirmed that Scotland will replace Bangladesh in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after the BCB refused to participate as per the published schedule. The 20-team tournament is set to be played from February 7 to March 8. The ICC said the decision came after it rejected the BCB’s request to move Bangladesh’s matches out of India, citing the absence of any credible or verifiable security threat to the Bangladesh team. Following a meeting on Wednesday, the ICC Business Corporation Board asked the BCB to confirm within 24 hours whether the team would take part in the tournament as scheduled. When no confirmation was received within the deadline, the ICC moved ahead in line with its governance and qualification processes to identify a replacement side. In a release, the ICC said the decision followed an extensive process to address the concerns raised by the BCB about playing in India. “Over a period of more than three weeks, the ICC engaged with the BCB through multiple rounds of dialogue conducted in a transparent and constructive manner,” the statement said, adding that discussions took place both via video conference and in person. The ICC said it reviewed the concerns put forward by the BCB, commissioned independent security assessments from internal and external experts, and shared detailed security and operational plans. These included federal and state-level arrangements, along with enhanced and escalating security protocols for the event. The assurances were reiterated at several stages, including during meetings involving the IBC Board. “The ICC’s assessments concluded that there was no credible or verifiable security threat to the Bangladesh national team, officials or supporters in India,” the release said. The governing body said it decided against changing the schedule after considering the wider impact of such a move. “The ICC also noted the importance of preserving the integrity and sanctity of the tournament schedule, safeguarding the interests of all participating teams and fans, and avoiding the establishment of precedents that could undermine the neutrality and fairness of ICC events,” the statement said. Scotland, who now take Bangladesh’s place, are the highest-ranked T20I side that did not originally qualify for the tournament. They are currently ranked 14th in the world, ahead of Namibia, the United Arab Emirates, Nepal, the United States, Canada, Oman and Italy.

After his wedding with Smriti Mandhana was called off, Palash Muchhal has been in the news as a Sangli based actor, producer Vidnyan Mane alleged that the music composer, singer cheated him of Rs 40 lakh. Mane recently also accused him of cheating on Smriti. Now after Vidnyan’s allegations, Palash has announced that he’s filed a Rs 10 crore defamation case against him. Palash took to his Instagram stories and wrote, “A legal notice of defamation of ₹10 crore has been sent by my lawyer Shreyansh Mithare to Sangli based Vidnyan Mane for his false, outrageous and highly defamatory accusations made with the deliberate intent to malign my reputation and character.”

For those not in the know, earlier this week, news agency PTI reported that 34-year-old Vidnyan Mane had approached the police in Maharashtra’s Sangli district, alleging that he was duped by Palash of Rs 40 lakh. However, no FIR has been registered in the matter so far.According to the complaint, Mane met Muchhal in Sangli on December 5, 2023. During their interaction, Mane reportedly expressed interest in investing in film production, following which Palash allegedly suggested that he come on board as a producer for his upcoming project, ‘Nazaria’. As per Mane’s claims, Muchhal told him that an investment of Rs 25 lakh could yield a profit of Rs 12 lakh after the film’s release on OTT platforms, and also promised him a role in the project.The two allegedly met on two more occasions, after which Mane claims he paid a total of Rs 40 lakh to Muchhal by March 2025. However, the film was never completed. When Mane allegedly asked for his money to be returned, he claimed he received no response, prompting him to approach the Sangli police. In his complaint, Mane also accused Palash of cheating on Smriti Mandhana prior to their planned wedding.IMeanwhile, talking about Palash cheating on Smriti, Mane said in an interview with Hindustan Times, “I was at the wedding celebrations (November, 23, 2025) when he was caught red-handed with another woman in bed. Bhayanak scene tha, he was beaten up by the Indian female cricketers. The entire family is chindi chor. I thought he’d get married and settle in Sangli, but it has completely backfired on me.”

The five-day annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) ended on Friday, January 23. As many as 64 heads of state or government attended the event at Davos, Switzerland. The 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum convened leaders from government, business, civil society and academia under the theme “A Spirit of Dialogue”, against the most complex geopolitical backdrop in decades.In the closing remarks, Larry Fink, Interim Co-Chair, World Economic Forum, and CEO, BlackRock, quoted Tesla CEO Elon Musk. “It’s better for your quality of life to be an optimist who’s wrong than a pessimist who’s right,” said Fink, quoting Musk. Elon Musk marked his debut at WEF 2026 with a critique of US solar tariffs and aggressive targets for Tesla, including humanoid robot sales next year, as well as flagging European approval for self-driving tech within weeks. After years of describing the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting as elitist, unaccountable and disconnected from ordinary people, the world’s richest man was interviewed by Larry Fink. The BlackRock CEO expressed his admiration for Musk at the start of the wide-ranging discussion, which covered the future of robots and AI, the economic benefits of reusable rockets and Musk’s childhood fascination with science fiction.As per WEF 2026 release, the event was attended by close to 3,000 leaders from across regions, sectors and generations from 130 countries, including a record 400 top political leaders, a majority of G7 leaders, close to 830 of the world’s top CEOs and chairs, and almost 80 leading unicorns and technology pioneers. “This is a moment of uncertainty, but also possibility; not a moment to retreat, but a moment to engage,” WEF President and CEO Borge Brende said at the closing session.“This year, Davos has reached a new level. Not only was it the intended platform for dialogue, but it also marked turning points and drove decisions,” WEF’s Interim Co-Chair and Roche Holding Vice Chairman Andre Hoffmann said.

Tech leaders at WEF 2026

AI and emerging technologies are fundamentally transforming every industry sector and the global labour market, driving profound changes in skill requirements and entire professions across both advanced and emerging economies. CEOs across regions highlighted practical strategies for deploying AI on complex, mission-critical tasks and for driving long-term transformation, looking at actionable insights on how to redesign capabilities, decision-making and operating models to unlock AI’s full enterprise value.“I would advocate for the developing countries: build your infrastructure, get engaged in AI and recognize that AI is likely to close the technology divide,” said Jensen Huang, Chief Executive Officer, Nvidia.“Right now, the Zeitgeist is a little bit about the admiration for AI in its abstract form or as a technology,” said Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft. “But, I think we as a global community have to get to a point where we’re using this to do something useful that changes the outcomes of people and communities and countries and industries.”“The capability overhang [of AI] is massive,” said Sarah Friar, Chief Financial Officer, Open AI OpCo. “Even if models [did not improve at all] from today, there is still so much productivity to be had just with what’s in people’s hands.”

Shashi Tharoor (PTI photo)

NEW DELHI: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday clarified that he has never violated the party line in Parliament, asserting that his only public disagreement in principle was over Operation Sindoor, when he led India’s delegation to countries in the Americas to present New Delhi’s position on counterterrorism and Pakistan’s role in terrorism.Responding to questions at the Kerala Literature Festival, Tharoor, as quoted by news agency PTI, said he had taken a strong stand on the issue and remained “unapologetic.”He said, “I have at no stage violated any of the Congress’ positions in Parliament; the only issue on which there has been public disagreement on principle is about Operation Sindoor where I did take a very strong stand, and I remain unapologetic about that.”His remarks come amid recent reports highlighting “Tharoor’s differences with the party leadership,” with speculation that he is upset over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi not adequately acknowledging him at a recent event in Kochi, as well as over alleged repeated attempts by state leaders to sideline him.The senior Congress leader skipped a key party meeting with the state leadership and the AICC high command on Friday ahead of the Kerala assembly polls. This was followed by reactions from party colleagues, including Sandeep Dixit, who said the Thiruvananthapuram MP was no longer “relevant” to the party.Explaining his position, Tharoor said that as an observer and writer, he had penned a newspaper column after the Pahalgam incident, arguing that the attack should not go unpunished and calling for a kinetic response.He said that while India remains focused on development, it should not be drawn into a prolonged conflict with Pakistan, and that any action should be limited to targeting terrorist camps.Tharoor added that he was surprised to see the government act in line with what he had suggested.Referring to Jawaharlal Nehru, Tharoor recalled the former prime minister’s famous question: “Who lives if India dies?”“When India is at stake—when its security and its place in the world are involved—India comes first,” he said.He added that while political parties may differ as part of the democratic process, national interest must always prevail over political differences.On the partyline differences, Tharoor also recalled the time when BJP came into power in 2014 and said, “It was even reported that the RSS ideologue Govindacharya was writing the draft of a new constitution. And yet the Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the constitution was his holy book.”

US President Donald Trump’s renewed focus on Greenland has taken an unusual turn, with the White House sharing an AI-generated image featuring the President walking alongside a penguin toward the Arctic island. The post, captioned “Embrace the penguin,” quickly drew attention online, not least because penguins do not live in Greenland or anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere.The image is now going viral on social media, triggering criticism and mockery from users who pointed out the geographical error, and others who were simply livid over Trump’s repeated assertion. The post came amid Trump’s continued rhetoric around Greenland, even as he has paused tariff-related tensions with Europe, and was seen by many as another symbolic assertion linked to his long-standing interest in the strategically located territory. However, the White House post was not the starting point of the internet’s sudden fascination with penguins. Even before Trump’s image went viral, penguins were already trending online, driven by a resurfaced documentary clip that has spawned millions of memes and sparked widespread debate over its meaning.

What’s the buzz about?

A short clip showing a lone penguin walking away from its colony toward distant Antarctic mountains has gone viral, earning the nickname “Nihilist Penguin.” Netizens have cast the animal as a symbol of existential crisis, rebellion and self-discovery. The footage originates from ‘Encounters at the End of the World’, a 2007 documentary by filmmaker Werner Herzog. In the scene, an Adélie penguin leaves its coastal colony and heads inland toward icy mountain ranges roughly 70 km from the sea — a direction that offers no food or breeding grounds for the species. Adélie penguins typically remain close to the coastline, where they breed and hunt. Long, purposeful inland treks are rare and not considered normal survival behaviour. The clip’s stark visuals and solitary subject have helped it gain renewed traction online nearly two decades after it was filmed.

Social media reacts

On social media platforms, users have overlaid the video with captions such as “The penguin knows” and “heading toward oblivion,” projecting human emotions and philosophical meaning onto the animal’s movement. Wildlife experts caution against such interpretations.Scientists say there are several possible explanations for the penguin’s behaviour. These include disorientation, particularly among younger or inexperienced birds; illness or injury affecting navigation; or rare instances of exploration or dispersal. “Well, I’ve never seen a penguin bashing its head against a rock,” says seabird ecologist Dr David Ainley in the documentary. However, he adds, “They do get disoriented.”He went on to say further that “even if they would have brought that lone penguin back into his colony, he probably would have again gone back towards the mountains.”Many stress that deviations from typical animal behaviour do not imply intent or awareness. In wildlife biology, such actions are usually attributed to individual variation, environmental stressors or health-related factors rather than conscious decision-making.

A psychological explanation

The big question is – Why did that penguin do so? Though there could be several permutations and combinations that could be brought together to present an explanation, one of them could be: In 1920 Sigmund Freud wrote a book – ‘Beyond the pleasure principle’ – in which he went on to divide human behaviour into two parts.One ‘Eros’ – the life instinct. This is the force that keeps us alive, pushing for survival and reproduction.Second ‘Thanatoos’ – the death drive. And this is the more dangerous of two.Freud argues life is full of chaos and tensions and Thanatoos being the force of repulsion and destruction pushes to put that chaos to end and return to silence. He makes the point that when one everyday wakes up and goes about daily life they push away Thanatoos.Probably that penguin didn’t have consciousness and couldn’t push away the Thanatoos.While the internet has turned the clip into a cultural symbol, scientists view it as an isolated and scientifically interesting observation — a reminder of the limits of human interpretation when applied to animal behaviour.