India kept their T20 World Cup semifinal hopes alive with a commanding 72-run victory over Zimbabwe in Chennai. Batting first after losing the toss, India posted their highest total of the tournament, scoring 256 for 4 in 20 overs. Abhishek Sharma hit 55 off 30 balls, Ishan Kishan added 38 off 24, and captain Suryakumar Yadav contributed 33 off 13. Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma powered the finish with an unbeaten 84-run stand from 31 balls, Pandya remaining not out on 50 and Varma scoring 44 off 16. India’s innings featured 17 sixes.

In reply, Zimbabwe reached 184 for 6 despite a valiant 97 off 59 balls from Brian Bennett. Arshdeep Singh broke Bennett’s 72-run partnership with Sikandar Raza and took 3 wickets for 24 runs in 4 overs. The defeat confirmed Zimbabwe’s exit from the tournament after consecutive losses, while India stayed in contention for a semifinal spot. South Africa had already secured their place in the last four earlier.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed India’s strong support for Israel during a speech at the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, on the first day of his two-day state visit. Modi, the first Indian leader to address the Knesset, condemned the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack as barbaric and said no cause can justify the killing of innocent civilians. He was warmly received by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who described India as a symbol of trust and Modi as more than a friend, a brother.

Despite international criticism over the Gaza war, Modi called India’s partnership with Israel essential for global peace and stability. He expressed support for the UN Security Council–approved Gaza peace initiative and pledged deeper cooperation in defense, security, artificial intelligence, and quantum technology. India remains Israel’s largest defense equipment buyer, with purchases worth about $20.5 billion between 2020 and 2024.

The visit has drawn mixed reactions in India. Opposition parties criticized Modi’s stance, citing India’s traditional support for Palestinian self-determination, while Israeli media highlighted the diplomatic significance of his presence amid global tensions.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Israel for two days starting Wednesday, a trip expected to reinforce what both governments describe as a “special relationship.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the visit will strengthen economic, diplomatic, and security cooperation. Modi is expected to address Israel’s parliament, attend a technology and innovation event in Jerusalem, and visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, but he will not travel to the occupied West Bank or Gaza.

The visit comes as India continues to support Israel diplomatically and militarily, even amid ongoing genocide allegations in The Hague. Under Modi’s leadership, India’s defense ties with Israel have expanded sharply, with a 175 percent rise in arms imports between 2015 and 2019. The two countries have also signed a bilateral investment treaty and are exploring joint projects in missile defense, drones, and laser-based systems.

According to Netanyahu’s office, cooperation will also expand in high-tech, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. While no new defense deal is expected, a memorandum of understanding may be signed to deepen strategic collaboration.

Bengaluru police detained 18 individuals on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals and later transferred them from Karnataka to West Bengal, according to a report published on February 25, 2026. The group includes women and children. Police sources cited by Anandabazar said the detainees were behaving suspiciously and lacked valid documents. They were taken to West Bengal on Tuesday afternoon, but their next destination remains unclear.

According to the report, except for the children, the detainees had been working as migrant laborers in Bengaluru for a long time. Police began questioning them after their recent activities raised suspicion. When asked to show legal papers, they failed to produce any. After being brought to Howrah station, authorities did not disclose where they would be taken next.

Police officials have not provided further details about the investigation or the detainees’ legal status, leaving uncertainty about the next steps in the case.

Authorities at Lucknow University in Uttar Pradesh sealed the historic Lal Baradari building, which houses the campus’s only mosque, without prior notice. The closure prevented Muslim students from offering prayers since the start of Ramadan, prompting protests by several student organizations. Demonstrations were held late Sunday and Monday nights, with additional police deployed to maintain order. Protesters alleged that the administration deliberately locked the mosque to restrict prayers during the holy month.

University officials stated that the mosque was sealed due to the building’s deteriorating condition, describing it as structurally unsafe. Students countered that the 200-year-old structure had long served as a prayer site and that the gate was welded shut without consultation. On February 22, Muslim students prayed outside the locked building while Hindu students formed a human shield to ensure their safety, an act praised locally as a symbol of communal harmony.

Separately, former BJP MP Sukhbir Singh Jaunpuria faced criticism after a viral video showed him refusing a blanket to a Muslim woman during a relief event in Rajasthan, drawing condemnation from opposition leaders.

A renewed debate has emerged in India over whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is adopting an “Israeli model” in its governance of Kashmir. The discussion resurfaced after former Indian Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty, speaking at a private event in New York in November 2019, suggested applying such a model in Indian-administered Kashmir. His remarks came months after the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status in August 2019, amid strict security measures and political detentions.

Analysts cited in the report argue that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s Hindutva-based ideology shares similarities with Israel’s identity-driven state model, influencing closer bilateral ties. The article also highlights domestic controversies such as “bulldozer justice” in BJP-ruled states, where homes of alleged rioters were demolished, and the Supreme Court’s 2024 ruling against property destruction without due process. Defense cooperation between India and Israel has deepened, including drone purchases and joint training.

Further disputes involve surveillance technology, notably allegations of Pegasus spyware use against journalists and opposition figures. Critics claim Kashmir remains under heavy militarization and surveillance since 2019, while the government maintains these measures are necessary for counterterrorism and development.

An air ambulance carrying seven people crashed near Simaria in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Monday, February 23, killing everyone on board. The aircraft, operated by Redbird Airways Private Limited, had departed from Ranchi at 7:11 p.m. for Delhi but lost contact with radar about half an hour later. It was later found wrecked in a forested area under Bariatu Panchayat. Officials confirmed that all seven passengers, including the patient being transferred, died in the crash.

According to Ranchi airport director Vinod Kumar, the plane had communicated with Kolkata Air Traffic Control shortly after takeoff before disappearing from radar. Local residents reported heavy rain, lightning, and strong winds at the time of the incident, and authorities suspect adverse weather conditions as the likely cause. The patient’s relatives said the air transfer was chosen on medical advice due to risks associated with road travel.

India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has launched a full investigation into the crash to determine the exact cause and contributing factors.

India and Israel have built a strong strategic partnership based on shared interests in defense, technology, agriculture, and counterterrorism since normalizing relations in 1992. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have described the relationship as a powerful alliance, with Modi scheduled to visit Israel on February 27–28, 2026, during his third term. Israel has become India’s top defense supplier, while India serves as a major market for Israeli technology.

Critics argue that this growing partnership marks a departure from India’s historic anti-colonial and pro-Palestinian stance, aligning it with Israel’s militarized and occupation-based policies. Concerns have been raised about the use of Israeli surveillance and drone technologies in India and their implications for human rights. The collaboration has also been linked to rising Islamophobia and the marginalization of minorities.

Despite strengthening military ties with Israel, India continues to maintain diplomatic and humanitarian relations with the Palestinian Authority. Recent statements suggest India is attempting to rebalance its Middle East policy by reaffirming support for a two-state solution and criticizing Israeli actions in the West Bank.

India’s campaign in the T20 World Cup Super Eight stage suffered a major setback after a 76-run loss to South Africa. Despite entering the match as favorites, India collapsed for 111 runs while chasing a 188-run target. The defeat left India’s net run rate at –3.800, making their path to the semifinals significantly harder.

To qualify, India must now win both remaining Super Eight matches against West Indies and Zimbabwe. Two wins would give them four points, which usually secures a semifinal spot, but other results could complicate the scenario. If South Africa lose one of their remaining games and West Indies or Zimbabwe also beat them, three teams could finish with equal points, leaving net run rate as the deciding factor.

If India win only one of their next two matches, qualification becomes even more difficult. Their semifinal chances would then depend on South Africa winning all their matches and India’s victory coming against the right opponent. The large margin of defeat has left India’s campaign hanging on delicate mathematical possibilities.

A video from Tonk Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan has gone viral showing BJP leader and former MP Sukhbir Singh Jaunpuria refusing to give blankets to Muslim women during a distribution event. The footage shows him asking a woman’s name and then denying her a blanket after learning she was Muslim. He was heard saying that those who insult Prime Minister Modi have no right to receive blankets.

The video also shows several people confronting Jaunpuria, protesting that the women had waited for hours only to be turned away. Jaunpuria responded that he did not want to argue and left the scene, later claiming the blankets were distributed from his personal initiative without any government funds.

Congress MP Harish Chandra Meena, who currently represents Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, shared the video and strongly condemned the former MP’s behavior, warning that such attitudes could damage India’s social fabric. He questioned whether the Prime Minister had instructed party members to deny aid to those who did not support the ruling party.

The Indian government has advised its citizens currently in Iran to leave the country immediately due to escalating tensions and fears of potential U.S. military strikes. The Indian Embassy in Tehran issued a statement on social media platform X on Monday, urging all Indian nationals to depart using any available commercial flights or other transportation options. The embassy also requested citizens to stay in contact with embassy officials and keep emergency contact numbers handy.

According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, around 10,000 Indian nationals typically reside in Iran. The advisory follows an increase in U.S. military presence in the Middle East, with the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and additional fighter aircraft already deployed to the region. The USS Gerald R. Ford is also expected to be stationed there soon.

Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump set a 10 to 15-day deadline for talks with Iran and warned that limited military strikes were being considered to pressure Tehran into a “serious” agreement.

An Indian Air Force (IAF) Tejas fighter jet, built with indigenous technology, was involved in an accident on February 7 at a key military base, according to an IAF statement released on Monday. The single-seat aircraft was returning from a training flight when its brakes failed during landing, causing it to veer off the runway and sustain damage. The pilot ejected safely, and no casualties were reported.

The Tejas, developed by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), was formally inducted into the IAF on January 17, 2015. The crashed jet belonged to a batch of about 30 single-seat Tejas aircraft currently in service. Following the incident, all aircraft from the same batch have been temporarily grounded for inspection.

This marks the third Tejas crash to date. The first occurred in March 2024 near Jaisalmer, and the second during the Dubai Air Show, which resulted in the death of Wing Commander Naman Sale. The February 7 crash is the latest in this sequence.

Kashmiri traders working across northern India are facing increasing hostility and violence, forcing many to change their routines for safety. In Hisar, Haryana, 28-year-old Ayaz Ahmad, who sells shawls and handicrafts door to door, now uses a WhatsApp group to warn fellow Kashmiri vendors about areas to avoid. He told Al Jazeera that harassment has become a daily concern, making personal safety a higher priority than business.

The shift follows a violent incident in Uttarakhand’s Vikasnagar, where an 18-year-old Kashmiri shawl seller, Tabish Ahmad Gani, was beaten with an iron rod by a Hindu shopkeeper who declared that Kashmiris could not work in the village. The attack left Tabish seriously injured, requiring stitches and leaving him unable to walk. He said he was targeted solely for being a Kashmiri Muslim.

According to the report, such assaults are not isolated but reflect a broader pattern of hate against Kashmiri traders and migrant workers across India, fueled by political rhetoric portraying Kashmiris as traitors and security threats.

Indian diplomat and intellectual Jahar Sarkar has offered a detailed analysis of Bangladesh’s recent political changes and election results. Speaking from Kolkata, he advised that India should patiently rebuild its long-standing friendship with Dhaka while avoiding overt involvement in Bangladesh’s internal affairs. Sarkar emphasized that the political deadlock surrounding Sheikh Hasina needs swift resolution so that bilateral relations are not hindered.

According to Sarkar, India’s policy is undergoing a significant shift as Delhi realizes the risks of relying on a single political figure. After a year of distance, India is now showing greater interest in engaging with the BNP, which he observed has adopted a more moderate stance. He also noted that Jamaat-e-Islami is attempting to improve its image despite limited electoral success, with its growing influence in border areas posing concern for India.

Sarkar expressed mixed views on Dr. Muhammad Yunus’s interim government, praising institutional reforms and the popular “July Charter” but noting shortcomings in law enforcement and bilateral management. He urged India to normalize border trade, ease visa access, and support Bangladesh’s economic stability under Tarique Rahman’s new government.

Two sisters, Shobha (25) and Bimla (23), died under mysterious circumstances in Manai village of Jodhpur district, Rajasthan, on the night before their wedding. The incident occurred late Friday, February 21, 2026, when the sisters reportedly consumed a toxic substance. Family members rushed them to a private hospital in Jodhpur after their health deteriorated around 4 a.m., but doctors declared them dead upon arrival.

According to police, the family had been celebrating the upcoming wedding until late Friday night. After the deaths, the family began funeral preparations, but police intervened and halted the process to conduct an investigation. The bodies were sent for autopsy and later handed over to the family. Preliminary findings suggest poisoning, though the exact cause of death will be confirmed after the final post-mortem report.

Police are investigating why the sisters might have taken such an extreme step. No suicide note has been recovered so far, and the investigation remains ongoing.