MBSG will play their upcoming home game against Odisha FC on March 5 at an empty Salt Lake Stadium. (Photo/AIFF)

NEW DELHI: The All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) disciplinary committee has fined Mohun Bagan Super Giants and ordered full stadium closure of the Salt Lake Stadium for using “multiple instances of pyrotechnics” during the season opener against Kerala Blasters on February 14.As a result, MBSG will play their upcoming home game against Odisha FC on March 5 at an empty Salt Lake Stadium.

In their statement, the AIFF disciplinary committee explained that the penalty was imposed for yet another ‘spectator misconduct,’ as the club had been warned and given a suspended sanction of one year in April 2025. Mohun Bagan fans were found guilty of launching fireworks during a home game against Bengaluru FC on April 12, 2025. They were then handed a suspended sentence but were warned that a repeat would invite harsh punishment.After the latest infraction, MBSG were notified on February 16 and allowed time until February 21 to give a written reply. A week later, on February 28, the Disciplinary Committee considered the written and oral submissions and found the club to have infringed on Article 67 of the Code, read with Rules 7.3.8 and 7.5.4 of the Indian Super League 2025-26 League Rules.AIFF deputy secretary general M Satyanarayan said in a statement, “As per Article 117 of the AIFF Disciplinary Code, 2024, any party that feels aggrieved by a decision of the AIFF Disciplinary Committee has the right to appeal to the AIFF Appeal Committee. Such an appeal must be filed in accordance with the procedural rules laid down in the Code.”“Mohun Bagan have sent an email to the AIFF Secretariat this morning requesting the stadium ban be lifted. However, it needs to come through proper channels and procedure as per the provisions of the AIFF Disciplinary Code, 2024,” he said. “Fans are one of the key stakeholders of the game, and we appreciate their contribution. However, at the same time, the security and safety of everyone in the stadium is of paramount importance, and it is something that all parties need to ensure.”

‘Fans deserve better’

Earlier in the day, MBSG said it has accepted the fine and the ban on spectators for its upcoming home game.“The AIFF Disciplinary Committee has charged Mohun Bagan Super Giant over alleged spectator misconduct during the match against Chennaiyin FC. While the Club has responsibly accepted the financial penalty imposed, AIFF has gone to the extreme of ordering a FULL stadium closure for our home game against Odisha FC on 6 March 2026,” Mohun Bagan said in a statement.“We are deeply disappointed with the AIFF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to impose a full stadium closure for our home fixture on 6 March 2026.“While we have accepted the financial penalty in good faith, we believe closing the stadium unfairly punishes thousands of passionate, law-abiding supporters who are the heartbeat of our Club,” it added.The club said that its appeal to reconsider the ban was “in the interest of our fans.” “Football belongs to the fans. They deserve better,” it said.Mohun Bagan Super Giants are currently top of the ISL standings with three wins in three matches, ahead of Jamshedpur FC on goal difference.

NEW DELHI: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will play five of their seven home matches of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The confirmation comes ahead of the new season, with the defending champions set to return to their primary home venue.This is a significant development for RCB following the horrific stampede that took place near the stadium because of mismanagement, as the franchise celebrated its maiden IPL title last year. According to a statement by RCB, as cited by news agency ANI, the development follows months of coordination with the concerned authorities to ensure matches could be hosted in Bengaluru. The remaining two home fixtures of their IPL 2026 campaign will be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur, as per prior commitment.“RCB extends its sincere gratitude to the Government of Karnataka, the Karnataka State Cricket Association and the Karnataka Police for their unwavering guidance, cooperation and support in facilitating the hosting of matches in Bengaluru. The collective efforts to ramp up infrastructure and safety measures in time for the IPL season have ensured that the defending champions will play the majority of their home games in their home ground,” a statement stated.Rajesh Menon, CEO, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, said, “The M Chinnaswamy Stadium is more than just our home ground; it is where our identity as a team truly comes alive. The energy our fans bring to Bengaluru has always been a driving force for our players, inspiring them through every phase of the game. Our fans have stood by us unconditionally, and they deserve the opportunity to watch their team compete at home.”“After detailed discussions and completing the necessary due process around permissions, we are pleased to confirm that RCB will play five matches in Bengaluru. We sincerely thank the Government of Karnataka, the KSCA, and the Karnataka Police for their support in making this possible,” Menon said.On June 4 last year, 11 people died and over 50 were injured in a stampede outside Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy stadium as a massive crowd of nearly 3 lakh people had gathered to witness the victory celebration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, celebrating their maiden IPL trophy win.

Image credit: Air India newsroom

NEW DELHI: Amid the escalating tension in West Asia, Air India brought back 149 passengers stranded in Dubai to Delhi on Monday.This marked the first international arrival by an Indian carrier into the national capital for the day. “We are happy to welcome our guests and crew from Dubai aboard flight AI916D. This is the first flight by an Indian carrier to arrive in New Delhi today with 149 passengers and 8 operating crew members onboard, amid the ongoing situation in the Middle East,” announced Air India newsroom in a post on X.Further mentioning the role of the authorities, it added, “A heartfelt thank you to our teams, the Government of India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and the local authorities in Dubai for their continued cooperation and for making this homecoming possible.”Further expressing joy on the succesful flight it added, “There’s no better feeling than bringing our guests and crew back home.”Operations at Dubai’s airports are set to partially resume after days of disruption triggered by escalating regional tensions.Dubai Airports announced that limited flight operations would restart on the evening of March 2 (Monday), with select departures permitted from both Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC). The move comes after widespread cancellations caused by airspace restrictions across parts of the Middle East.The disruption followed US–Israel strikes on Iran on February 28, which prompted Tehran to launch retaliatory drone and missile attacks targeting multiple locations across the region. The ongoing escalations led several countries to temporarily close airspace corridors, grounding flights and leaving thousands of passengers stranded.As airlines gradually reinstate services, a semblance of normalcy is returning to the UAE’s aviation sector. For thousands of Indian travellers awaiting a chance to return home, the phased reopening offers cautious relief.Authorities, however, have urged passengers to remain vigilant. Travellers have been advised not to head to DXB or DWC unless they have received direct confirmation from their airline regarding a scheduled departure time, as operations remain limited and subject to change.

South Africa, unbeaten in the tournament so far, will look to continue their quest for a maiden World Cup title when they take on New Zealand. (ICC Photo)

NEW DELHI: New Zealand and South Africa are set to lock horns for a coveted place in the final when they meet in the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday.The rivalry between the two sides has produced some unforgettable moments, none more dramatic than the 2015 ODI World Cup semi-final. On that occasion, New Zealand clinched a thrilling last-over victory, a result that left South Africa shattered and further cemented their reputation for stumbling at crucial stages.

This Proteas side, however, carries a different aura. Guided by coach Shukri Conrad, South Africa have transformed into a mentally tougher and more composed outfit. Their World Test Championship triumph last year signalled a shift in belief and temperament. Though a major white-ball title still eludes them, the long-standing “chokers” narrative no longer hangs as heavily over the team.Much of the spotlight will fall on the two captains, both of whom have led from the front. Aiden Markram has been in destructive form, scoring 268 runs at a strike rate exceeding 175 and frequently seizing control during the powerplay. Mitchell Santner, meanwhile, has been equally influential in a different role — applying the brakes with the ball, boasting an impressive economy rate of 6.35 and consistently delivering in key phases.South Africa’s batting unit looks formidable on paper. Alongside Markram, the likes of Quinton de Kock, Dewald Brevis, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller and Marco Jansen provide depth, versatility and explosive finishing power. On a good batting surface, this line-up has the potential to overwhelm opposition attacks.New Zealand, though, bring balance and discipline, particularly through their spin department. Santner has marshalled his resources smartly, with Rachin Ravindra (nine wickets at an economy under seven), Glenn Phillips and Cole McConchie offering control and breakthroughs. Barring India, this may be the most effective spin combination South Africa have faced in the tournament.One possible weakness for the Black Caps is the lack of a consistent wrist-spin threat. Ish Sodhi has yet to make a significant impact in his appearances, which could leave New Zealand slightly short in that department.The Eden Gardens surface is expected to assist batters, raising the prospect of a high-scoring contest. South Africa might prefer chasing, especially since New Zealand’s Super Eight fixtures were played on slower pitches in Sri Lanka. On a truer Kolkata track, aggressive stroke-makers such as Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell could aim for a total in excess of 200.With the ball, Lungi Ngidi’s variations — including his slower deliveries, wide yorkers and leg-cutters — may be key for South Africa on a flat pitch. For New Zealand, much could hinge on Lockie Ferguson’s opening spell, which has the potential to set the tone in a high-stakes encounter.

T20 World Cup semifinal, SA vs NZ: What happens if rain washes out match?

Weather interruptions remain a talking point in Kolkata. If rain halts play on Wednesday (March 4), the match will not be abandoned immediately. Tournament regulations include a reserve day to ensure a result is achieved. The game would resume from the exact point it was stopped, preserving fairness.March 5 (Thursday) has been designated as the official reserve day. If both days are completely washed out, the team that finished higher in the Super Eight stage will advance to the final. South Africa topped Super 8 Group 1 with six points, while New Zealand qualified from Group 2 with three points. As a result, if the semi-final is completely washed out on both the scheduled day and the reserve day, South Africa would progress to the final by virtue of their superior Super Eight standing.

T20 World Cup semifinal, SA vs NZ: Weather Forecast in Kolkata

According to the latest forecast, Kolkata is expected to enjoy sunny conditions on March 4, with no rain or thunderstorms predicted. Temperatures are likely to peak at around 33°C, and the chance of precipitation remains minimal — making a washout appear unlikely for this crucial semi-final showdown.

T20 World Cup semifinal, SA vs NZ: Squads

South Africa Squad: Aiden Markram(c), Quinton de Kock(w), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, George Linde, Anrich Nortje, Kwena Maphaka, Jason SmithNew Zealand Squad: Tim Seifert(w), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner(c), Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, James Neesham, Jacob Duffy, Kyle Jamieson, Devon Conway

.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday boasted of America’s military capability, claiming an “unlimited supply of weapons” and saying the “war can be fought forever” amid escalating tensions with Iran. The remarks came after a joint US-Israeli strike killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.The situation in the Middle East continues to evolve, as Iran has launched retaliatory strikes following the death of its long-serving Supreme Leader Khamenei, an operation reportedly planned by Trump.

Most recently, the Khamenei-less and angered Tehran regime attacked the US embassy in Iran, while the US military said it had destroyed Iran’s “command and control” center in Tehran.Meanwhile, Israel and Hezbollah continue exchanging missile strikes, targeting each other’s positions.US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has reported that more than 700 civilians have been killed in Iran since the war began, including 176 children and hundreds more were injured.

Top developments

Can fight wars ‘forever’: TrumpUS President Donald Trump said on Truth Social on Tuesday that America’s munitions stockpiles at the “medium and upper medium grade” have “never been higher or better.” He claimed the United States has a “virtually unlimited supply” of such weapons and added, “Wars can be fought ‘forever,’ and very successfully, using just these supplies.”Trump said that while the country has a good supply of high-end weapons, it is “not where we want to be,” adding that additional high-grade weaponry is stored in other countries.Trump said he rebuilt the US military during his first term and continues to strengthen it. “The United States is stocked, and ready to WIN, BIG!!!” he wrote.US embassy attacked in RiyadhSaudi Arabia’s defence ministry said two drones hit the US diplomatic mission in Riyadh early Tuesday. A ministry spokesperson said preliminary assessments confirmed the embassy had been targeted. “The attack resulted in a limited fire and minor material damage to the building,” the statement noted.AFP journalists and residents reported hearing loud explosions in the diplomatic quarter, with one resident saying the blast shook homes nearby.Saudi forces also later said they intercepted and destroyed eight drones near Riyadh and Al Kharj. Trump signals retaliationUS President Trump said the US would response to the attack on its embassy in Riyadh. “If action is not taken now, it may never be possible in the future. You’ll soon find out,” he said.Trump also indicated the conflict could last longer than initially expected, saying the United States has the capability to continue operations if required.Vice President JD Vance meanwhile told Fox News the strikes were aimed at ensuring Iran “could never have a nuclear weapon.” He also said the administration did not intend to enter a multi-year conflict like Iraq or Afghanistan.

.

Netanyahu defends actionIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attack on Iran was urgent. He claimed Iran had begun constructing underground bunkers that would soon make its nuclear and missile programmes immune from air strikes.“The reason that we had to act now is because after we hit their nuclear sites and their ballistic missile program… they started building new sites, underground bunkers that would make their ballistic missile program and their atomic bomb program immune within months,” Netanyahu claimed in an interview with Fox News.“If no action was taken now, no action could be taken in the future,” he added.“Iran for 47 years has been chanting death to America,” he Netanyahu.”They bombed your embassies.They tried to assassinate Donald Trump, the president of the United States, twice. They murdered their own people, they massacred so many. And they spread a worldwide web of terror,” he added.

Israeli targets Iran’s air defencesIsraeli fighter jets have struck Iran’s air defence systems and missile launch platforms, according to Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee. In a post on X, Adraee said aircraft targeted personnel operating radar installations and missile launchers, and also hit sites linked to Iran’s ballistic missile platforms.Meanwhile, United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said it destroyed facilities belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including command centres, air defence systems, and missile and drone launch sites. CENTCOM did not provide evidence but said it would continue taking “decisive action” against what it called imminent threats from Iran.‘War of choice’: AraghchiIran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the United States of entering a “war of choice” to support Israel, responding sharply to remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In a post on X, Araghchi said, “Mr. Rubio admitted what we all knew: US has entered a war of choice on behalf of Israel. There was never any so-called Iranian ‘threat’.”He added that “shedding of both American and Iranian blood is thus on Israel Firsters,” and said the American public “deserve better and should take back their country.” Rubio had earlier told reporters that Washington was aware of Israel’s plans to strike Iran and joined the operation, arguing that Tehran was likely to retaliate against US assets in the region. Israel’s warning in Lebanon Israel asked residents in at least 59 locations across Lebanon to evacuate immediately, citing alleged activity by Hezbollah. In a post on X, Israeli military Arabic spokesperson urged civilians to move at least 1,000 metres away from their villages to open areas for their own safety. “Anyone present near Hezbollah elements, their facilities, and their combat means is endangering their life,” it wrote, adding, “Protect your safety and the safety of your loved ones and evacuate immediately.”

.

Oil prices climbOil prices rose for a third straight day amid fears of supply disruption through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude crossed $79 per barrel on Tuesday as markets reacted to the escalating conflict. The situation remains fluid, with both sides signalling further military action.“With no quick de-escalation in sight, the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed and Iran showing a willingness to target energy infrastructure in the region, upside risks remain and they grow the longer the conflict drags on,” Tony Sycamore, IG market analyst, was quoted by Reuters as saying.

Amazon acknowledged late Monday, March 3, that two of its data centers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and a facility in Bahrain were damaged by drone strikes, taking the facilities offline. Amazon Web Services (AWS) update at 7:19 p.m. EST said that the outages were caused by drone strikes tied to the “ongoing conflict in the Middle East.” AWS said, “In the UAE, two of our facilities were directly struck, while in Bahrain, a drone strike in close proximity to one of our facilities caused physical impacts to our infrastructure.” It added, “These strikes have caused structural damage, disrupted power delivery to our infrastructure, and in some cases required fire suppression activities that resulted in additional water damage.”The company warned that instability is likely to continue in the Middle East, making operations “unpredictable.” AWS added notices to the top of its marketplaces in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE alerting customers of an “extended delivery time in your area.”The incident occurred March 1 morning, with the company posting to its Amazon Web Services health dashboard at the time that “objects” hit data centers in the UAE, causing “sparks and fire”. In an update to its AWS health dashboard, the company said that two facilities in the United Arab Emirates were “directly struck” by drones on Sunday, causing extensive damage. A site in Bahrain was damaged due to a drone strike that occurred nearby.

Operational issue – Multiple services (UAE); Services impacted: Multiple services; Severity: Disrupted

Mar 02 4:19 PM PST: We are providing an update on the ongoing service disruptions affecting the AWS Middle East (UAE) Region (ME-CENTRAL-1) and the AWS Middle East (Bahrain) Region (ME-SOUTH-1). Due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, both affected regions have experienced physical impacts to infrastructure as a result of drone strikes. In the UAE, two of our facilities were directly struck, while in Bahrain, a drone strike in close proximity to one of our facilities caused physical impacts to our infrastructure. These strikes have caused structural damage, disrupted power delivery to our infrastructure, and in some cases required fire suppression activities that resulted in additional water damage. We are working closely with local authorities and prioritizing the safety of our personnel throughout our recovery efforts.In the ME-CENTRAL-1 (UAE) Region, two of our three Availability Zones (mec1-az2 and mec1-az3) remain significantly impaired. The third Availability Zone (mec1-az1) continues to operate normally, though some services have experienced indirect impact due to dependencies on the affected zones. In the ME-SOUTH-1 (Bahrain) Region, one facility has been impacted. Across both regions, customers are experiencing elevated error rates and degraded availability for services including Amazon EC2, Amazon S3, Amazon DynamoDB, AWS Lambda, Amazon Kinesis, Amazon CloudWatch, Amazon RDS, and the AWS Management Console and CLI. We are working to restore full service availability as quickly as possible, though we expect recovery to be prolonged given the nature of the physical damage involved.In parallel with efforts to restore the physical infrastructure at the affected sites, we are pursuing multiple software-based recovery paths that do not depend on the underlying facilities being fully brought back online. For Amazon S3 and Amazon DynamoDB, we are actively working to restore data access and service availability through software mitigations, including deploying updates to enable S3 to operate within the current infrastructure constraints and remediating impaired DynamoDB tables to restore read and write availability for dependent services. Our focus on restoring these foundational services is deliberate, as recovery of Amazon S3 and Amazon DynamoDB will in turn enable a broad range of dependent AWS services to recover. For other affected service APIs, we are deploying targeted software updates to reduce error rates and restore functionality where possible, independent of the physical recovery timeline. We are also working to restore access to the AWS Management Console and CLI through network-level changes that route traffic away from the affected infrastructure. While these software-based mitigations can address many of the service-level impacts, some recovery actions are constrained by the physical state of the affected facilities — meaning that full restoration of certain services will require the underlying infrastructure to be repaired and brought back online. Across all services, our teams are working in parallel on both the physical restoration of the affected facilities and these software-based mitigations, with the goal of restoring as much customer access as possible as quickly as possible, even ahead of full infrastructure recovery. In addition, we are prioritizing the restoration of services and tools that enable customers to back up and migrate their data and applications out of the affected regions.Finally, even as we work to restore these facilities, the ongoing conflict in the region means that the broader operating environment in the Middle East remains unpredictable. We recommend that customers with workloads running in the Middle East consider taking action now to backup data and potentially migrate your workloads to alternate AWS Regions. We recommend customers exercise their disaster recovery plans, recover from remote backups stored in other regions, and update their applications to direct traffic away from the affected regions. For customers requiring guidance on alternate regions, we recommend considering AWS Regions in the United States, Europe, or Asia Pacific, as appropriate for your latency and data residency requirements.We will continue to provide updates as recovery progresses and as the situation evolves. Our next update will be provided by 9:00 PM PST on March 2, 2026, or sooner if new information becomes available.Mar 02 1:36 PM PST: We continue to work towards recovery of the two impaired Availability Zones (mec1-az2 and mec1-az3) in the ME-CENTRAL-1 Region. We have partially restored access to the AWS Management Console, however, some pages will continue to load unsuccessfully until we have recovered core services and power. In parallel to the power and recovery efforts, we are working to restore access to tools and utilities to allow customers to backup and migrate their data. We have no updated guidance on expected recovery times, and still expect this to take at least a day to fully restore power and connectivity. We continue advising customers enact their disaster recovery plans and recover from remote backups into alternate AWS Regions. We will provide you with another update by 6:00 PM PST, or sooner if new information becomes available.Mar 02 9:59 AM PST: We continue to work towards recovery of the two impaired Availability Zones (mec1-az2 and mec1-az3) in the ME-CENTRAL-1 Region. The impact is causing elevated errors rates for both the Management Console and CLI. Our current expectation is that recovery will take at least a day to complete. We continue to recommend customers enact their disaster recovery plans and recover from remote backups into alternate AWS Regions. We will continue to provide periodic updates on recovery efforts. Our next update will be by 2:00 PM PST or sooner if new information becomes available.Mar 02 6:22 AM PST: We continue to work towards recovery of the two impaired Availability Zones (mec1-az2 and mec1-az3) in the ME-CENTRAL-1 Region. We are expecting recovery to take at least a day, as it requires repair of facilities, cooling and power systems, coordination with local authorities, and careful assessment to ensure the safety of our operators. EC2, Amazon DynamoDB and other AWS Services continue to experience significant error rates and elevated latencies.We recommend customers enact their disaster recovery plans and recover from remote backups into alternate AWS Regions, ideally in Europe. Further, we strongly advise customers to update their applications to ingest S3 data to an alternate AWS Region. We will provide an update by 11:00 AM PST on March 2, or sooner if we have additional information to share.Mar 02 2:53 AM PST We wanted to provide more information on Amazon S3 given that there are two impaired Availability Zones (mec1-az2 and mec1-az3) in the ME-CENTRAL-1 Region. Amazon S3 is a regional service and designed to withstand the total loss of a single Availability Zone while maintaining S3’s durability and availability. When the mec1-az2 AZ was powered off at approximately 4:00 AM PST on Sunday, March 1, S3 continued to operate normally. As the second AZ became impaired, S3 error rates increased. With two Availability Zones significantly impacted, customers are seeing high failure rates for data ingest and egress. We strongly advise customers to update their applications to ingest S3 data to an alternate AWS Region. As soon as practically possible, we will begin the restoration of our two Availability Zones which will include a careful assessment of data health and any repair of storage if necessary.In addition, we can confirm that the AWS Management Console and command line interface (CLI) are disrupted by the failure of two Availability Zones. We continue to work towards recovery across all services, and we will provide an update by 6:00 AM PST on March 2, or sooner if we have additional information to share.Mar 02 12:52 AM PST: We continue to work on a localized power issue affecting multiple Availability Zones in the ME-CENTRAL-1 Region (mec1-az2 and mec1-az3). Customers are experiencing increased EC2 API errors and instance launch failures across the region, and it is not currently possible to launch new instances; existing instances in mec1-az1 should not be affected. Amazon DynamoDB and Amazon S3 are also experiencing significant error rates and elevated latencies. We are actively working to restore power and connectivity, after which we will begin recovery of affected resources; full recovery is still expected to be many hours away. We recommend that affected customers failover, and backup any critical data, to another AWS Region. We will provide an update by 2:00 AM PST, or sooner if the situation changes.Mar 01 10:46 PM PST: We can confirm that a localized power issue has affected another Availability Zone in the ME-CENTRAL-1 Region (mec1-az3). Customers are also experiencing increased EC2 APIs and instance launch errors for the remaining zone (mec1-az1). At this point it is not possible to launch new instances in the region, although existing instances should not be affected in mec1-az1. Other AWS Services, such as DynamoDB and S3 are also experiencing significant error rates and latencies. We are actively working to restore power and connectivity, at which time we will begin to work to recover affected resources. As of this time, we expect recovery is multiple hours away. For customers that can, we recommend failing away to another AWS Region at this time. We will provide an update by 12:00 AM PST, or sooner if we have additional information to share.Mar 01 9:59 PM PST: We are investigating additional connectivity issues and error rates in the ME-CENTRAL-1 Region.Mar 01 6:01 PM PST We confirm the recovery of the AssociateAddress API requests. We have also applied a change that enables customers to disassociate Elastic IP addresses from resources that are impacted by the underlying power issue. With these mitigations, customers can now successfully create and associate new network addresses in the unaffected AZs as well as re-associate Elastic IPs from resources in the affected zone to resources in the unaffected zones. We still do not have an ETA for power restoration at this time. For customers that can, we recommend using alternate Availability Zones or other AWS Regions where applicable. We will provide another update by 10:00 PM, or sooner if we have additional information to share.Mar 01 4:26 PM PST: We are seeing significant signs of recovery for AssociateAddress requests, and continue to work toward fully mitigating this issue. This combined with the earlier recovery of the AllocateAddress API means customers can now successfully create and associate new network addresses in the unaffected AZs. Other AWS Services are also now observing sustained improvement as a result of the EC2 Networking APIs recovery. We are now focusing on implementing a change that will allow customers to Disassociate Elastic IP addresses from resources that are impacted by the underlying power issue. We expect this specific mitigation to take another hour to complete. We do not have an ETA for power restoration at this time. For customers that can, we recommend using alternate Availability Zones or other AWS Regions where applicable. We will provide another update by 6:30 PM, or sooner if we have additional information to share.Mar 01 2:28 PM PST: We are seeing positive signs of recovery for many of the EC2 APIs, such as Describes and AllocateAddress. We recognize that customers are still experiencing errors when attempting to call the AssociateAddress API, and are unable to disassociate addresses from resources that are affected by the underlying power issue. We continue to work on multiple parallel paths to mitigate both of these issues. We recommend continuing to retry requests wherever possible. We expect our current mitigation efforts for these specific issues to complete within the the two to three hours. As we progress with these mitigation efforts, customers will observe higher success rates for these operations. Additionally, we are investigating ways to speed up these specific mitigation efforts, but are ensuring we do so safely. As of this time, power restoration is still several hours away. We will provide another update by 5:30 PM PST, or sooner if we have additional information to share.Mar 01 12:14 PM PST: We are aware that some customers are experiencing errors when calling EC2 APIs, specifically networking related APIs (AllocateAddress, AssociateAddress, DescribeRouteTable, DescribeNetworkInterfaces). We are actively working on multiple paths to mitigate these issues. For customers experiencing throttling errors on the AllocateAddress APIs, we recommend retrying any failed API requests. We are deploying a configuration change to mitigate the AssociateAddress API errors and expect recovery in the next few hours. DescribeRouteTable and DescribeNetworkInterfaces API calls without specifying zone, Interface or Instance IDs are expected to fail until we restore the impacted zone. We recommend customers to pass these IDs explicitly in these API requests. For customers that can, we recommend considering using alternate AWS Regions. We will provide another update by 3:30 PM PST, or sooner if we have more to share.Mar 01 9:41 AM PST: We want to provide some additional information on the power issue in a single Availability Zone in the ME-CENTRAL-1 Region. At around 4:30 AM PST, one of our Availability Zones (mec1-az2) was impacted by objects that struck the data center, creating sparks and fire. The fire department shut off power to the facility and generators as they worked to put out the fire. We are still awaiting permission to turn the power back on, and once we have, we will ensure we restore power and connectivity safely. It will take several hours to restore connectivity to the impacted AZ. The other AZs in the region are functioning normally. Customers who were running their applications redundantly across the AZs are not impacted by this event. EC2 Instance launches will continue to be impaired in the impacted AZ. We recommend that customers continue to retry any failed API requests. If immediate recovery of an affected resource (EC2 Instance, EBS Volume, RDS DB Instance, etc.) is required, we recommend restoring from your most recent backup, by launching replacement resources in one of the unaffected zones, or an alternate AWS Region. We will provide an update by 12:30 PM PST, or sooner if we have additional information to share.Mar 01 8:59 AM PST: We continue to work toward restoring power in the affected Availability Zone in the ME-CENTRAL-1 Region (mec1-az2). In parallel, we are actively working on improving error rates and latencies that some customers are observing for EC2 Networking and EC2 Describe APIs. Due to increased demand in the unaffected Availability Zones, customers may experience longer than usual provisioning times or may need to retry requests for certain instance types, or pick an alternative instance type. We will provide an update by 10:30 AM PST, or sooner if we have additional information to share.Mar 01 7:09 AM PST: We wanted to provide some additional information on the isolated power issue. At this time, most AWS Services have weighted away from the affected Availability Zone (mec1-az2) and are seeing recovery for their affected operations and workflows. For EC2 Instances, EBS Volumes, and other resources that are impacted in the affected Zone, we will have a longer tail of recovery. At this time, power has not yet been restored to the affected AZ. For now, we recommend continuing to retry any failed API requests. If immediate recovery is required, we recommend customers restore from EBS Snapshots and/or replace affected resources by launching replacement resources in one of the unaffected zones, or an alternate region. As of this time, recovery is still several hours away. We will provide an update by 8:30 AM PST, or sooner if we have additional information to share.Mar 01 6:09 AM PST: We can confirm that a localized power issue has affected a single Availability Zone in the ME-CENTRAL-1 Region (mec1-az2). EC2 Instances, DB Instances, EBS Volumes, and others resources are currently unavailable and will experience connectivity issues at this time. Other AWS Services are also experiencing error rates and latencies for some workflows. We have weighed away traffic for most services at this time. We recommend customers utilize one of the other Availability Zones in the ME-CENTRAL-1 Region at this time, as existing instances in other AZ’s remain unaffected by this issue. We are actively working to restore power and connectivity, at which time we will begin to work to recover affected resources. As of this time, we expect recovery is multiple hours away. We will provide an update by 7:15 AM PST, or sooner if we have additional information to share.Mar 01 5:19 AM PST: We are investigating connectivity and power issues affecting APIs and instances in a single Availability Zone (mec1-az2) in the ME-CENTRAL-1 Region due to a localized power issue. Existing instances in this zone will also be affected. Other AWS Services may also be experiencing increased errors and latencies for their workflows, and we are working to route requests away from this affected Availability Zone. We recommend customers make use of other Availability Zones at this time. Targeting new launches using RunInstances in the remaining AZs should succeed. Existing instances in the other AZs are not affected.Mar 01 4:51 AM PST: We are investigating issues with AWS services in the ME-CENTRAL-1 Region.

US President Donald Trump. (AP photo)

US President Donald Trump has said he would not rule out ‘boots on the ground’ in Iran, if the situation demands it.In an interview with the New York Post on Monday, Trump said he was keeping all military options open following the launch of operations against Iran over the weekend.“I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the ground — like every president says, ‘There will be no boots on the ground.’ I don’t say it,” Trump told the NY Post in one of several brief interviews since Saturday’s action.He added that ground troops would “probably” not be necessary, but stressed they could be used if required. “I say ‘probably don’t need them,’ [or] ‘if they were necessary,’” he said.

What does ‘boots on the ground’ mean?

“Boots on the ground” is a military expression referring to the deployment of combat troops physically present in a foreign country, rather than relying solely on airstrikes, drones, or naval forces.In simple terms, it means sending soldiers into active combat zones. Linguistically, the phrase is an example of synecdoche — a figure of speech in which a part (boots) represents the whole (soldiers).The phrase has previously been used by leaders such as Barack Obama and David Cameron, particularly during debates over military interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.During World War I, “boot” was sometimes used informally to mean a soldier, and military training became known as “boot camp.”A similar phrase, “Feet on the Ground,” appeared in a 1966 book by British counter-insurgency expert Sir Robert Grainger Ker Thompson about Malaya and Vietnam. However, the earliest confirmed use of the exact phrase “boots on the ground” dates to 1980, during the Iranian hostage crisis.

US embassy in Riyadh. (Screenshot)

Two drones struck the US embassy in Riyadh early Tuesday, triggering a small fire and causing minor damage to the building, Saudi authorities said, as Iran continued its wave of retaliatory strikes across the Gulf.In a statement, a spokesperson for Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said preliminary assessments confirmed that the US diplomatic mission in Riyadh had been targeted. “The attack resulted in a limited fire and minor material damage to the building,” the statement noted.According to AFP, smoke was seen rising from the compound housing the embassy and a source close to the Saudi military, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said air defence systems intercepted four drones aimed at Riyadh’s diplomatic quarter during the incident.Following the attack, the US embassy issued a shelter-in-place advisory for American citizens in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran as a precautionary measure. Non-essential travel to military installations in the region is being restricted. The mission said it continues to closely monitor the evolving regional situation and urged US nationals to review the latest security alerts and reassess travel plans in case of disruptions.The advisory recommended staying indoors, remaining aware of surroundings, avoiding demonstrations, large gatherings and areas with heavy police presence, and following instructions from local authorities. The mission advised US nationals to enrol or re-enrol in the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates and facilitate contact in case of emergency. It also reminded citizens to ensure they hold a valid US passport for any short-notice travel.Saudi Arabia’s unified emergency number — covering police, fire and traffic services — is 911. Other emergency contacts include police (999), highway security (996) and ambulance services (997).The US Embassy in Riyadh can be reached at +966-11-835-4000, the Consulate General in Jeddah at +966-12-220-5000, and the Consulate General in Dhahran at +966-13-839-5700. The Bureau of Consular Affairs is available at 888-407-4747 from the US and Canada, and at +1-202-501-4444 from other locations.Reacting to the news, US President Donald Trump indicated that a response is imminent. Speaking to NewsNation, the US President said the nature of the retaliation would be revealed soon, according to a reporter from the outlet who shared details of the interview on X on Monday.Earlier, Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said that two drones struck the US embassy in Riyadh, sparking a limited fire and causing minor material damage, based on an initial assessment shared in a post on X on Tuesday.

Sanju Samson said time away from his phone and social media, along with self-reflection, helped him return to form as he scored an unbeaten 97 to guide India into the semifinals of the T20 World Cup 2026.India defeated West Indies by five wickets in their Super 8 match on Sunday at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Chasing 196, Suryakumar Yadav’s side reached the target with Samson making 97 not out from 50 balls.Samson had struggled for runs before the tournament. In the five-match T20I series against New Zealand at home, he scored 46 runs in five innings and was left out of the playing XI for the match against USA in the World Cup. He also did not feature against Pakistan, Netherlands and South Africa. He returned for the match against Zimbabwe, scoring 24 off 15 balls, before producing the match-winning knock against West Indies.Speaking on JioHotstar, Samson spoke about dealing with a difficult phase and making small technical adjustments.“Our human nature is that we often start from a negative thought like, ‘Can I do it? I don’t think I can.’ When I have that thought, I try to alter it with a very positive one. When I had a series like New Zealand where I wanted to perform and be part of the World Cup team, things did not work out well, but luckily I got a 10-day gap. I did not play any games and was not in the side. I kept thinking, ‘Sanju, what else? Why didn’t it work? What else should I do?’ So I did some soul-searching. I worked on my base, how I set myself up, and came back to it,” Sanju Samson said.He said he chose to step away from outside opinions during that period.“A lot of people had suggestions and I saw a lot of valid points, but at the same time I felt, ‘Sanju, you have scored three international hundreds with the same setup.’ Shot selection was something I kept working on. I did not want to change too much because I knew I had performed with the same setup, so I kept believing in myself, switched off my phone, switched off social media and listened to my own self. I am very happy it happened in a very special game,” he added.Samson described the innings as a moment he had long imagined.“More than a hundred cricketers in India dream about a day like this. I dared to dream. A young guy from Trivandrum, Kerala, dreaming about playing for the country and winning a game in such a crucial match. I dared to dream and it happened,” Samson said.In the match, India won the toss and chose to field. West Indies openers Roston Chase (40 off 25 balls, five fours and a six) and captain Shai Hope (32 off 33 balls, three fours and a six) added 68 for the first wicket. Despite a quick 27 off 12 balls from Shimron Hetmyer, West Indies were 119/4 in 14.1 overs.Jason Holder (37 not out off 22 balls, two fours and three sixes) and Rovman Powell (34 not out off 19 balls, three fours and two sixes) then added 76 runs in 35 balls to take West Indies to 195/4 in 20 overs.Jasprit Bumrah was India’s leading bowler with 2/36 in four overs. Varun Chakaravarthy and Hardik Pandya took one wicket each, conceding 40 runs in their four overs.India lost two early wickets and were 41/2 in the powerplay. A 58-run partnership between Samson and Suryakumar Yadav (18) steadied the chase. Samson then added runs with Tilak Varma (27 off 15 balls, four boundaries and a six), Hardik Pandya (17) and Shivam Dube (8 not out) to seal the win with five wickets in hand.

Republicans on the House Oversight Committee have released video footage of closed-door depositions given by Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton as part of their investigation into the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, bringing hours of previously unseen testimony into the public domain.The recordings show both former Democratic leaders repeatedly distancing themselves from Epstein and denying any knowledge of his criminal conduct. Lawmakers from both parties questioned the pair for roughly four and a half hours each last week in Chappaqua, New York.During his deposition, Bill Clinton was asked whether President Donald Trump should be compelled to testify. “That’s for you to decide,” he replied, before volunteering details of a conversation he said he had with Trump in the early 2000s at a golf course fundraiser. According to Clinton, Trump told him he had fallen out with Epstein over a property deal. “He never said anything to me to make me think he was involved in anything improper,” Clinton said, adding that there was no “sexual spin” to the exchange.

Lawmakers pressed the former president over photographs drawn from justice department files, including an image of him in a hot tub with a woman whose identity was redacted. Clinton said he did not know the woman and denied any sexual activity. He told the panel he believed the photograph was taken in Brunei at the end of an official trip, recalling that he had briefly used a hotel pool at the suggestion of the Sultan before going to bed exhausted. He insisted no children were present and that he had “done nothing wrong”.Clinton also faced questions about his name appearing in flight logs for Epstein’s private plane and Epstein’s appearances in White House visitor records. He acknowledged flying on the aircraft in the early 2000s in connection with foundation work but denied ever visiting Epstein’s private Caribbean island. He maintained he had ended contact before Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting sex from a minor.Hillary Clinton told investigators she had never met or communicated with Epstein and had no knowledge of his activities. In a pointed remark, she suggested lawmakers should question Trump “directly under oath” about his own appearances in Epstein-related files.

Epstein died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide. Democrats have accused Republicans of weaponising the inquiry for political purposes, while the committee says it is seeking accountability from anyone who may have been aware of Epstein’s abuse.