South Africa’s Corbin Bosch celebrates after taking the wicket of UAE’s Aryansh Sharma during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 cricket match between South Africa and UAE, at Arun Jaitley Stadium, in New Delhi.

TimesofIndia.com in New Delhi: South Africa will go into the T20 World Cup Super Eight stage with a massive morale boost after beating the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by 6-wickets on Wednesday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.Already qualified for the next round, South Africa got the icing on the cake with an unbeaten run through, despite rain disrupting proceedings before the second innings.

Despite the weather gods playing a role, there was no loss of overs as South Africa began their chase of 123 in their trademark aggressive style.Aiden Markram (28) and Quinton de Kock (14) provided the early impetus.Dhruv Parashar dismissed dangerous Ryan Rickelton (30). Dewald Brevis (36) soon followed. But it was already too late. Tristan Stubbs (7) and Jason Smith (2) finished the job, taking the Proteas over the line as floodlights stayed on during the morning fixture.On the eve of the match, the sun was shining brightly, and the weather was as pleasant as a typical February afternoon in Delhi.But almost 24 hours later, conditions had changed drastically, with rain, steady gusts sweeping across the stadium and enough moisture in the air to make the pacers lick their lips.At the toss, skipper Aiden Markram opted to bowl first after assessing the conditions.“Obviously, a bit of rain around. There’s been moisture in here this morning, and we’ll be able to maybe find something in the wicket up front,” he said.However, the start betrayed that feeling of early help for the pacers as UAE openers Muhammad Waseem (22) and Aryansh Sharma (13) took on the Proteas pace trio of Kagiso Rabada (0/30), Kwena Maphaka (0/30) and Anrich Nortje (2/28) with some serious resolution.In the first four overs, they amassed 36 runs without losing a wicket. But George Linde (1/17) and Corbin Bosch (3/12) halted their progress, sending both openers back in successive overs.Alishan Sharafu, one of the most dependable batters in the UAE line-up, once again rose to the occasion to keep the scoreboard ticking, while Sohaib Khan (6) and Syed Haider (6) had a subpar day in the office.A few more could have followed if South Africa had been sharper in the field.Sharafu missed out on his second half-century of the tournament as he fell for 45 to Nortje.Despite being wicketless in the first four overs, the Protea pacers had the final laugh, with all six wickets falling to them.However, heading into the Super Eight, Rabada’s wicket drought and the fielding standards could be a couple of concerns for the 2024 T20 World Cup’s runners-up.

NEW DELHI: Calling Himanta Biswa Sarma “Assam’s Jinnah”, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi played down the exit of former state Congress chief Bhupen Borah from the party ahead of the assembly polls.Speaking at a press conference in Guwahati on Wednesday, Gogoi questioned Borah’s decision to quit the Congress and join the BJP on February 22.

On Borah’s resignation, Gogoi said, “There were many rumours regarding the close relationship between Himanta Biswa Sarma and Bhupen Bora. We tried our best not to believe these rumours and speculation. We always wondered as to how the information relating to confidential meetings was known to a particular journalist close to Himanta Biswa Sarma. These rumours have come out to be true…A day after resigning from Congress, Bhupen Borah had no qualms about joining the BJP and surrendering to Himanta Biswa Sarma.”He added, “It also shows Himanta Biswa Sarma’s desperation that today the entire state is wondering as to how 4000 acres of land belong to one family. Congress party, through its various programs, has been successful in uncovering the real estate empire of Himanta Biswa Sarma. This is why they have been forced to take this decision to distract the public. This will not affect the Congress party’s campaign. We will go on and continue the fight and remove Himanta Biswa Sarma from the seat of power…”Gogoi also pointed to what he called the chief minister’s shifting stance. “A few days ago, Himanta Biswa Sarma criticised Bhupen Bora for his vulgar actions in public when he was interacting with a leader of the Mahila Congress. There is an inquiry against Bhupen Bora by the Women’s Commission. Now, Himanta Biswa Sarma feels Bhupen Bora is the most upright Hindu neta…”Earlier, Borah, who served as Assam Congress president from 2021 to 2025, defended his decision, saying, “I gave 32 years to Congress… I suffered nose injury, bleeding took place infront of Rahul Gandhi. I wrote a letter to Gaurav Gogoi a month ago, saying that I will address a press meet against you because I can’t tolerate such humiliation.”He continued, “The high command spoke to me. Rahul Gandhi reminded me of our relation since 2007, how he helped me, but no one spoke about the issues I mentioned in my resignation letter. Gaurav Gogoi has no control over the party, he is the face of the party as APCC president. Rakibul Hussain, who is MP from Dhubri. is the sole and base of the party.”Sarma, who met Borah at his Guwahati residence, claimed the Congress was “not a place for Hindus” and described Borah as the “last recognised Hindu leader” in the party without family antecedents. He said Borah’s move would have a “psychological impact” on Congress workers.

IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is working with other countries to evolve a consensus on a framework to deal with AI and these are early days for the sector. In an interview with TOI on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit, the minister said that govt has used a combination of legal and technical solutions in dealing with IT and there is a need to strike a balance between regulation and development. He also touched upon the issue of restricting social media access to children and said that a solution will be based on discussion with stakeholders. Excerpts:How do you strike a balance between regulation and development and how is govt approaching the subject?The overwhelming sense is cautious optimism. People believe that this is a technology that can bring a major change in every sector of life and people are also aware of the harms which can come. India is working towards building a consensus — not just domestically, but globally — including with the Global South, to create a model of harmony. Overall, there is a shared view that a balance must be maintained between innovation and regulation. The thinking is about how AI technology can be used in a way that benefits every sector of the economy and every section of society.Is it time for some sort of basic regulations and what areas would that be?India’s approach has been techno-legal approach, a combination of using technical solutions, and legal structures. That approach is now appreciated by the global community. Some geographies have in the past used only regulation or a legal approach. That has not really delivered the kind of results which are needed. The second thing which we observed here is that there are a lot of innovations left. This is probably the first innings of the first match of a test series. So lots and lots of innovation is still up there. The IT industry is also very cognizant of the challenges and they are pivoting very rapidly away from the old model to create a new model of providing services, from software as a service to AI-based services. There are thousands and thousands of legacy systems in the world. Those legacy systems will have to be modernized, and our IT services companies are best placed to modernize them, using the new AI-based solutions. That opportunity is now clearly visible. Industry is getting prepared for it and govt, academia, and industry are harmonized, we are synchronized to bring those solutions to the country.PM Narendra Modi spoke about the need for IT services companies to graduate from merely providing services to developing products and platforms. How do you become enablers of this transition which have large cash piles with them? Are they investing enough to create products and platforms?Yes, our IT industry initially is calibrating these changes. They were trying to measure what this change would bring to their sector based on what they have studied and what they’ve done over the last few years. Lots and lots of very focused, small models is what the IT industry is putting their emphasis on, which can be placed in an enterprise where trust is the most important factor. For example, if you have to put an AI model in the banking sector, then we can’t have something which goes to a large language model or a frontier model because that would mean that the knowledge within that banking enterprise will go to the entire world and there is no there is no competitive advantage left. So, the IT industry has devised a bouquet of small models, and our sovereign models are complementing that. Today, models are commoditized already. So, a large number of models are available today, which can be used for providing that productivity gain.What is your sense from your talks with 30 countries and evolving a consensus? What about the big tech companies and AI companies, what is their feedback?They also understand the challenges and the opportunities, and they are very cognizant of the risks which are there. Big tech is pretty much working in sync with society and policymakers.There is discussion around regulating social media access for children. How is govt dealing with it?Social media is extremely powerful. There is the issue of freedom of expression and freedom of speech, but under India’s Constitution, there are defined responsibilities, of Parliament and of society, and serious deliberations are underway on these questions. There is a discussion going on what is the impact of social media on children and how it should be dealt with. Several countries have imposed restrictions and prohibitions and in India too, industry and public other stakeholders are discussing the issue. The right solution will emerge only through thoughtful deliberation.

The matter escalated in March 2023 when the wife overheard and discovered intimate remarks and letters exchanged between the husband and the other woman. (AI image)

In a significant examination of an emerging tort principle in Indian law, the Delhi High Court has held that a civil suit seeking damages from a third party for interfering in a marital relationship and alienating a spouse’s affection is maintainable before a Civil Court. The Court made it clear that these claims are based on tortious interference and not matrimonial relief as such and thus do not come under the exclusive jurisdiction of Family Courts.The order was passed by Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav in Shelly Mahajan v. Ms Bhanushree Bahl & Anr, where summons were issued to the husband and the paramour in a damages suit founded on the concept of “Alienation of Affection” (AoA). The Court denied that the preliminary objections to maintainability were sustained and that the plaint has revealed a civil cause of action that should be adjudicated in the trial.The Court articulated the governing principle:“….a spouse is held to possess a protectable interest in marital consortium, intimacy, and companionship, the correlative legal duty would be that any third party must not intentionally and wrongfully interfere with that relationship by acts calculated to alienate the affection of a spouse to the other spouse, which the other spouse is legally entitled to.”“At the same time, a spouse retains the inherent liberty to make personal choices. Where the conduct of a spouse is completely voluntary, not induced and uncoerced, that exercise of such liberty of one spouse will defeat third-party liability.”At the same time, it acknowledged autonomy in the marriage.Dispute Background and AllegationsThe suit was instituted by the wife (Plaintiff), seeking damages on the premise that she was entitled to the affection and companionship of her husband, who had withdrawn such affection on account of intentional conduct of another woman who had entered into a close relationship with him.The marriage was solemnized in 2012. The couple were blessed with twin children in 2018 and were also involved in shared professional engagements within the family enterprise. The relationship between the husband and the other woman (Defendants) developed after she joined a related venture and gradually became closely associated with him through travel and social interactions. This association continued despite her being aware of the subsisting marriage between the husband and his wife.The matter escalated in March 2023 when the wife overheard and discovered intimate remarks and letters exchanged between the husband and the other woman, indicating an extramarital relationship. This was followed by public association between the husband and the other woman despite confrontation and family intervention. In this backdrop, the husband-initiated divorce proceedings. In view of this, the wife instituted a civil action seeking damages for alienation of affection on the ground that there was deliberate interference by the third party which led to the breakdown of the marriage.Objections to MaintainabilityThe defendants opposed the maintainability of the suit on the grounds that the dispute was a result of a marital relationship and hence was exclusively within the jurisdiction of the Family Court under Section 7 of the Family Courts Act. It was further argued that the allegations of adultery were pending consideration in the matrimonial cases and that the suit was a parallel forum challenge. Additionally, the husband’s counsel used personal autonomy and the principles emerging from the Supreme Court’s decision decriminalizing adultery to argue against judicial interference in private choices.At the threshold, the Court dismissed such submissions, holding that the cause of action alleged was different from matrimonial reliefs including divorce and maintenance. Applying the “cause of action” test articulated in precedent, the Court stated that the suit was not a matrimonial dispute but concerned an independent tortious injury caused by a third party. It emphasized that jurisdiction of Civil Courts cannot be excluded unless expressly or necessarily barred.The Court observed that the claim was brought as compensation arising due to wrongful interference and not enforcement of marital obligations and therefore was not subject to Family Court exclusivity. The pendency of divorce proceedings did not preclude damages claim since remedies pursued in each forum were legally distinct.It held:“The relief sought in this suit, i.e., compensation for tortious interference, is distinct from the remedies pursued under the matrimonial law. Even if there is factual overlap, the Civil Court is competent to proceed…”Doctrinal Examination of Alienation of AffectionThe Court made an extensive doctrinal inquiry into the history of the tort, observing that Indian law does not specifically acknowledge alienation of affection and that the doctrine has its roots in Anglo-American common law ‘heart-balm’ actions. Referring to Supreme Court jurisprudence, it accepted that the interference with the marital consortium could technically be an intentional tort even though it recognized that the doctrine continues to be underdeveloped in India.The Court noted:“Although a third party may be instrumental in alienating the affection or companionship of a spouse, it is rare for the aggrieved spouse to pursue an action against such an intruder…. To date, no Indian Court appears to have granted relief in a civil suit seeking damages solely on the basis of AoA… the Courts have, thus far, not evolved any substantive law or remedies to support its enforcement in practice.”The Court additionally emphasized that while English common law principles may have persuasive value in shaping Indian tort jurisprudence, statutory developments in foreign jurisdictions do not apply proprio vigor, and domestic courts must evolve principles consistent with Indian constitutional and legislative frameworks.The Court, however, found that theoretical acknowledgment of the tort, and convincing common-law principles were sufficient to allow examination of such claims where pleaded facts disclosed intentional interference capable of causing compensable injury.Clarifying the analytical framework for such actions, the Court held that maintainability depends on whether the plaintiff can establish wrongful interference, causation, and measurable loss. It stated:“A civil action for wrongful interference in marriage is sustainable, so long as the plaintiff can… establish intentional and wrongful conduct… clear causation… and that the loss claimed is susceptible of rational assessment.”Elaborating further, the Court identified these requirements as forming the threshold structure governing such tort actions:

This articulation was the basis of allowing the suit to pass beyond threshold scrutiny.The Court further emphasized that recognition of autonomy following decriminalization of adultery does not extinguish civil consequences, stating:“The decision in Joseph Shine decriminalised adultery; it did not create a license to enter into intimate relationships beyond marriage, free from civil or legal implications… such conduct may nevertheless give rise to civil consequences.”By striking a balance between the personal freedoms and social norms, the Court saw marriage as a social and legal institution associated with the norms of exclusivity. It observed that although individual liberty safeguards intimate decision-making against criminal law, civil law could still acknowledge injury that results about the violation of obligating relationship in the event of third-party intervention being claimed.It also reiterated that liability would not arise if the spouse acted entirely independently:“Where the conduct of a spouse is completely voluntary… that exercise of such liberty… will defeat third-party liability.”However, factual determination of voluntariness and inducement requires trial evidence and cannot be resolved at the summons stage.The Court therefore held that the plaint disclosed a civil cause of action grounded in alleged tortious interference distinct from matrimonial remedies and not barred by Section 7 of the Family Courts Act. Finding no statutory exclusion of jurisdiction and noting that the issue required evidentiary adjudication, it directed issuance of summons to the defendants while reserving their right to seek rejection of the plaint at an appropriate stage.CS(OS) 602/2025 & I.A. 21712-21714/2025SHELLY MAHAJAN vs MS BHANUSHREE BAHL & ANR.For Plaintiff: Ms. Malavika Rajkotia, Ms. Purva Dua and Mr. Mayank Grover, Advocates.For Defendants: Mr. K.C. Jain, Advocate for D-1, Mr. Prabhjit Jauhar, Ms. Tulika Bhatnagar and Mr. Sehaj Kataria, Advocates for D-2.(Vatsal Chandra is a Delhi-based Advocate practicing before the courts of Delhi NCR.)

Abhishek Sharma (AP Photo)

AHMEDABAD: Fresh from a morale-boosting 61-run win over Pakistan in Colombo, India will hope Abhishek Sharma rediscovers form ahead of the Super 8s when they face the Netherlands in their final World Cup league match at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday. The contest may not test the defending champions fully, but it offers a valuable opportunity to acclimatise to a venue where India will play their opening Super 8 fixture against South Africa on February 22, and potentially the final on March 8.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Despite the fixture’s one-sided look on paper, a sizeable turnout is expected at the world’s largest cricket stadium. “We are expecting more than 70,000 spectators. Around 70,000 turned up for the South Africa-New Zealand game here last week,” Gujarat Cricket Association secretary Anil Patel told TOI.

With India already through to the next stage — where they will face South Africa (Feb 22, Ahmedabad), Zimbabwe (Feb 26, Chennai) and West Indies (March 1, Kolkata) — staying mentally sharp for what is effectively an inconsequential tie could be the bigger challenge.The spotlight, meanwhile, is on Abhishek. The explosive left-hander arrived at his maiden T20 World Cup with considerable hype after 18 months of destructive opening batting, but has endured a barren run — dismissed for ducks in both matches he has played. In fact, the 25-year-old Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad batter has four ducks in his last six innings. He also missed the Namibia game in Delhi due to illness.India’s strong start from Ishan Kishan — the team’s leading run-scorer with 158 runs at a strike rate of 197.50 — has masked Abhishek’s lean patch. But against stronger opponents in the Super 8s, India would want their left-handed aggressor firing on all cylinders. Perhaps a slight recalibration is needed. Yet this is also the kind of game where Abhishek’s high-risk, high-reward approach can flourish. Against Pakistan, he fell to Salman Ali Agha off the fourth ball; against USA, he perished first ball to Ali Khan.

The Netherlands clash presents an ideal chance for him to regain rhythm. India’s middle order, too, will look to fine-tune their approach against spin on surfaces offering assistance. Team combination could be another talking point. With three Super 8 matches in nine days, India may consider resting pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. If so, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh could share new-ball duties.On slower tracks, India opted for wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav ahead of Arshdeep in Colombo. Whether they stick with Kuldeep remains to be seen. The Netherlands began the tournament brightly, pushing Pakistan to the brink and defeating Namibia by seven wickets. But a 93-run thrashing by USA in Chennai has dented their momentum. To compete against a settled and well-rounded Indian side, the Dutch will need a significant uplift.In their opening match of the T20 World Cup, South Africa made 213 for four against Canada here — the highest score in India so far in the tournament. If India’s bevy of shot-makers get going, they total may be breached.

The United States moved more than 50 fighter jets toward the Middle East in the past 24 hours as Washington and Iran held high-stakes nuclear talks. The aircraft include F-22, F-35, and F-16 jets, along with several refueling planes tracked by social media accounts that monitor military flights. Flight tracking data in recent days also showed unusually heavy movement of US airpower toward bases in Europe and the Middle East, according to open-source flight tracking data, cited by Times of Israel.The military buildup also includes continued deliveries of US air defense systems to the region, according to a US official, cited by CNN. Several American units already deployed in the Middle East that were due to rotate out in the coming weeks have had their deployments extended, a source familiar with the matter said. Flight-tracking data shows dozens of US military cargo planes have carried equipment from the United States to Jordan, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, with more than 250 US cargo flights into the region recorded overall.Some of the aircraft moved are the same types used in last June’s Operation Midnight Hammer on Iranian nuclear facilities, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.The deployments come as Washington and Iran held a second round of talks in Geneva over Tehran’s nuclear program. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said the meeting produced agreement on “guiding principles” for future negotiations, with both sides planning to exchange draft texts for a potential deal. No timeline has been set for the exchange or for further talks.“We have reached understandings on the guiding principles, but the drafting and writing phase of the agreement will be more difficult,” he said, as quoted by CNN. “Right now we have a much clearer picture of what work needs to happen and what work needs to continue of course both sides still have work to do to get closer together but at least now we have a framework and a clearer path to go on.”The Trump administration is demanding that Iran agree to a new nuclear accord prohibiting uranium enrichment. President Donald Trump has threatened military action for weeks, initially warning Iranian leaders last month that he was prepared to order an attack if the government did not stop killing protesters. The first round of talks on Feb. 6 was held in Oman and conducted indirectly, with SUVs flying the American flag entering the palace venue only after it appeared Iranian officials had left.

The US Capitol police detained an 18-year-old man after he ran toward the west side of the Capitol building, carrying a loaded shotgun, prompting a swift law enforcement response.Authorities said the incident is under investigation, including whether members of Congress were the intended target. The arrest comes a week before President Donald Trump’s scheduled State of the Union address, though officials said security plans remain unchanged.

How the events unfolded

According to Capitol police chief Michael Sullivan, the suspect parked a Mercedes SUV near the Capitol before exiting the vehicle and running several hundred yards toward the building while armed with a shotgun.Officers quickly intercepted him and ordered him to drop the weapon and lie on the ground, after which he was taken into custody without injuries.Sullivan said the shotgun was loaded, and the suspect was carrying additional ammunition.Police also recovered a tactical vest and gloves worn by the suspect, while a Kevlar helmet and gas mask were found inside the vehicle.Authorities said they have video footage of the incident and have appealed to members of the public to share any additional recordings that may assist the investigation.

Who is the detainee?

The suspect has been identified as Carter Camacho, an 18-year-old from Smyrna, Georgia.Police said he was not previously known to authorities and was not from the Washington area. Officials also noted that the vehicle used in the incident was not registered in his name and that he has multiple listed addresses.Camacho is currently being held on charges including unlawful activities, carrying a rifle without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm and possession of unregistered ammunition, according to a Capitol Police press release.

Preparations and past scares at Capitol

Chief Sullivan said the department had recently conducted active shooter drills in nearly the same area where the incident occurred, highlighting the preparedness of officers on duty. “Who knows what would have happened if we hadn’t had officers standing here?” he said during a press briefing.The Capitol has seen similar security incidents in recent years. In 2023, Capitol Police arrested an Atlanta man armed with a rifle after he was spotted in a park near the Senate.Officials emphasised that Tuesday’s arrest will not affect security arrangements for the upcoming State of the Union address, noting that the event is treated with the highest level of security planning.

Federal oversight

The incident comes amid broader discussions around crime and security in Washington DC.Authorities said crime levels in the city have declined significantly in 2026 compared with 2025, which itself saw a sharp drop from the previous year. Last August, President Trump declared an emergency in the city to address crime, leading to the deployment of more than 2,000 National Guard members along with additional federal law enforcement personnel, many of whom remain stationed across Washington.Separately, a recent encounter involving US Marshals resulted in the death of a Washington resident after authorities responded to a report of a person allegedly threatening to kidnap and harm someone while armed.The incident is under investigation, and local activists have called for greater transparency from officials.

MUMBAI: Adani Group will invest $100 billion to build renewable energy-powered AI-ready data centres by 2035 as the ports-to-power conglomerate seeks to cash in on India’s attempt to pitch itself as the hub of AI infrastructure. The investment is expected to “catalyse” an additional $150 billion investment across server manufacturing, advanced electrical infrastructure and related sectors, potentially fueling a $250 billion AI infrastructure ecosystem in India over the decade, flagship Adani Enterprises said in a statement on Tuesday.From Google to Amazon and Reliance Industries, deep-pocketed business giants from across the world have pledged several billion dollars of investments to set up data centres in India, fueled by rapid adoption of AI by enterprises, lower costs (of building data centres compared to other places) and data localisation norms mandated by the govt. The recent investment will build on AdaniConneX’s existing 2GW national data centre which is expanding towards a 5GW target, helped by partnerships with tech majors Google and Microsoft, the company said.In Oct last year, Adani Enterprises through its joint venture company AdaniConneX announced a partnership with Google, which is spending $15 billion to build India’s largest AI data centre hub and energy infrastructure in Visakhapatnam.With Microsoft, it is setting up campuses across Hyderabad and Pune, the statement indicated without sharing additional details.The Adani Group is also in discussions with other major players looking to build large-scale data centre campuses across India, it said, adding that the company will also partner with Walmart’s Flipkart to develop a second AI data centre to support Flipkart’s AI workloads and next-generation digital commerce.The announcement coincides with the inaugural AI Impact summit being hosted by New Delhi where top global tech leaders including Google’s Sundar Pichai, OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei will be in attendance. “At Adani, we are building on our foundation in data centres and green energy to expand into the complete five-layer AI stack focused on India’s technological sovereignty. India will not be a mere consumer in the AI age. We will be the creators, builders and the exporters of intelligence,” said Gautam Adani, chairman, Adani Group.Adani Enterprises said that it will also invest another $55 billion to expand its renewable energy portfolio, including one of world’s largest battery energy storage systems.