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At IndiaVerve, we go beyond the noise to bring you meaningful stories of change, resilience and progress—from India to the world stage. Our mission is to bring readers credible, wide-ranging coverage across politics, business, sports, culture, society and more.
At IndiaVerve, we go beyond the noise to bring you meaningful stories of change, resilience and progress—from India to the world stage. Our mission is to bring readers credible, wide-ranging coverage across politics, business, sports, culture, society and more.
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Day: February 8, 2026

ICC T20 World Cup: Nepal fall short of major upset against England in Mumbai thriller

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Mumbai: England narrowly avoided a major upset as Nepal pushed the defending contenders to the limit in a gripping Group C encounter of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here on Sunday.

Chasing 185 at the Wankhede Stadium, Nepal stayed in contention until the final delivery before finishing four runs short, triggering scenes of heartbreak among players and supporters alike.

Earlier, the England cricket team posted 184 for seven after electing to bat first. Jacob Bethell led the charge with a fluent 55 off 35 balls, while captain Harry Brook added 53 from 32 deliveries. Will Jacks provided late momentum with a brisk 39 off just 18 balls, ensuring England crossed the 180-run mark.

Nepal’s bowlers kept things tight despite the onslaught. Dipendra Singh Airee and Nandan Yadav claimed two wickets each, preventing England from pulling away completely in the closing overs.

In reply, the Nepal cricket team produced a fearless chase. Kushal Bhurtel gave the innings early impetus, Rohit Paudel anchored the middle overs, while Airee and Lokesh Bam attacked late to keep the contest alive. Bam’s unbeaten 39 off 20 balls brought Nepal within touching distance heading into the final over.

With 10 runs needed from the last six balls, England pacer Sam Curran delivered a masterclass in death bowling. Mixing yorkers and hard lengths, he denied Nepal the boundary they desperately sought. Bam was left needing a six off the final ball but could only manage a grounded stroke, sealing a dramatic escape for England.

The result marked another agonising near miss for Nepal, who once again demonstrated their growing competitiveness on the global stage. England, meanwhile, secured a crucial win but will reflect on a performance that exposed vulnerabilities under pressure.

England captian Harry Brooks acknowledged the fight back from Nepal side at the post match conversation. “It wasn’t easy at all, thankfully we got over the line. They played extremely well and not many teams take Adil Rashid like they did,” the England captain said.

Other Matches Played on 8th Feburary

New Zealand Vs Afghanistan at Chennai: In another high-scoring contest played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, New Zealand overcame early jitters to defeat the Afghanistan by five wickets, chasing down 183 with 13 balls to spare. Afghanistan rode Gulbadin Naib’s fluent 63 to post 182 for six on a lively surface, before Mujeeb Ur Rahman rocked New Zealand with two wickets in the second over. Tim Seifert’s counter-attacking 65 and a decisive 42 from Glenn Phillips wrested back momentum, with the pair neutralising Rashid Khan to tilt the game New Zealand’s way, as Daryl Mitchell finished the chase to secure an important win in a tightly contested group.

Brief Scores: Afghanistan: 182 for six in 20 overs (Gulbadin Naib 63; Lockie Fergusen 2/32). New Zealand: 183 for 5 in 17.5 overs (Tim Seifert 65; Mujeeb Ur Rahman 2/31).

Sri Lanka vs Ireland (Group B) at Colombo: In their tournament opener at Colombo, the Sri Lanka cricket team secured a workmanlike 20-run win over the Ireland cricket team in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, overcoming an inconsistent performance with decisive spells of spin. Sri Lanka recovered from a sluggish middle phase to post 163 for six, anchored by Kusal Mendis’ unbeaten 56 and a late, momentum-shifting 44 off 19 from Kamindu Mendis. Ireland’s chase began confidently and briefly tilted in their favour despite Wanindu Hasaranga struggling physically, but his three wickets, combined with Maheesh Theekshana’s equally incisive spell, triggered a collapse. After Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker threatened to pull off a chase, Sri Lanka struck in quick succession to bowl Ireland out for 143 in 19.5 overs, sealing two valuable early points.

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 163 for 5 in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 24, Kusal Mendis 56 not out, Kamindu Mendis 44; George Dockrell 2/17, Barry McCarthy 2/40, Gareth Delany 1/24). Ireland 143 all out in 19.5 overs (Harry Tector 40, Ross Adair 34, Lorcan Tucker 30; Maheesh Theeksjana 2/23, W Hasaranga 2/25)

Kerala to get India’s first public transplant institute

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Bhubaneswar: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday laid the foundation stone for the Kerala Institute of Organ and Tissue Transplant (KIOTT) at Chevayur in Kozhikode. The institute will be the country’s first comprehensive public-sector facility dedicated exclusively to organ and tissue transplantation.

Conceived on the lines of advanced transplant centres in the US and China, KIOTT aims to provide state-of-the-art transplant care under one roof at nearly one-third the cost charged by private hospitals. The Rs525-crore project is supported by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board, the CM noted.

With nearly 90% of organ transplant surgeries in India currently carried out in the private sector, the KIOTT project marks a significant step towards strengthening public healthcare and expanding access to life-saving treatment.

In a post on X, the CM said: “KIOTT reaffirms a core principle of the Kerala Model: healthcare is a right, not a commodity.”

Meanwhile, the CM made it clear that the National Population Register (NPR) will not be implemented in Kerala under any circumstances. As preparations for Census 2027 begin nationwide, the State has issued a fresh notification ensuring that no data related to the NPR will be collected.

The government recalled that Kerala was the first State to challenge the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in the Supreme Court and to pass an Assembly resolution opposing it. Vijayan reaffirmed his government’s commitment to protecting constitutional values. The CM made it clear that he would not allow discriminatory processes such as NPR or NRC to threaten the rights of the people.

Assam BJP video featuring CM Himanta Biswa Sarma sparks Congress outrage

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New Delhi A since-deleted social media video posted by the Assam unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has triggered sharp criticism from the Congress, after it showed Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in an edited visual appearing to aim a gun at Muslim men.

The video, uploaded on the BJP Assam Pradesh handle on X with the caption “Point blank shot…”, was widely circulated before being taken down. Congress leaders described the imagery as disturbing and accused the ruling party of promoting hate politics in the election-bound state.

“It is deeply abhorrent and disturbing and cannot be dismissed as random troll content,” the Congress party said in a post on X.

Congress general secretary and Lok Sabha MP K C Venugopal said the video amounted to an explicit threat against minorities. Sharing screenshots, he alleged that an official BJP handle had depicted “targeted violence” and demanded judicial intervention. He also questioned whether institutions were responding adequately to the incident.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate shared a screen recording of the video and asked whether constitutional authorities were “sleeping” while such content was circulated from party platforms. She said the video could not be dismissed as casual or troll material.

The BJP has not issued a public response to the controversy. Attempts to access the original post now show that it has been deleted.

Rajya Sabha MP Imran Pratapgarhi termed the video an attack on constitutional values. In a post on X, he said the imagery symbolically targeted the Constitution itself and asked the Prime Minister whether he was willing to acknowledge or act on the issue.

The Congress demanded that Sarma be removed from office and issue a public apology. The party also linked the video to the chief minister’s past remarks about “Miya Muslims”, a term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam. Sarma has previously justified his comments by citing alleged illegal immigration, claims that have been contested by Opposition parties.

Assam is expected to go to polls by April, alongside West Bengal. The controversy adds to an already charged political atmosphere as parties intensify campaigning in the run-up to the elections.

India, Malaysia vow zero tolerance on terrorism, deepen strategic partnership

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New Delhi: India and Malaysia on Sunday unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border terrorism, and agreed on zero tolerance and sustained international cooperation to counter the threat.

The commitment was underscored at the start of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to Malaysia, as both leaders reaffirmed their resolve to combat radicalisation, terror financing, and the misuse of emerging technologies by terrorist networks.

“No double standards. No compromise,” Prime Minister Modi said during his joint press interaction in Kuala Lumpur, reiterating India’s firm position on terrorism.

The strong message on counter-terrorism set the tone for wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Modi and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on February 8, during which both sides agreed to further consolidate the India–Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), elevated in August 2024. The leaders held detailed discussions covering defence and security, trade and investment, digital economy, energy, semiconductors, education, healthcare, culture, and regional and global issues.

Both leaders stressed closer cooperation in counter-terrorism frameworks, including at the United Nations and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and agreed to strengthen information-sharing, capacity building, and coordination against transnational organised crime. They also welcomed India and Malaysia’s co-chairmanship of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus Counter-Terrorism Working Group for the 2024–27 term.

Accordig to the joint statement released post the meeting of the two leaders, defence and maritime cooperation featured prominently, with the two sides expressing satisfaction over regular military exercises, staff talks, and naval engagements. The leaders welcomed the successful conduct of the fifth edition of the India–Malaysia joint military exercise Harimau Shakti and reaffirmed commitment to maritime security and freedom of navigation in accordance with international law and UNCLOS 1982.

On economic ties, the leaders acknowledged steady growth in bilateral trade and investments, identifying semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, digital economy, fintech, artificial intelligence, green technologies, and renewable energy as priority sectors. Both sides welcomed progress under the Malaysia–India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement and agreed to complete the review of the ASEAN–India Trade in Goods Agreement at the earliest to make it more trade-facilitative and aligned with global practices.

Prime Minister Modi described India as “a trusted partner of several nations” and said strategic trust between India and Malaysia could pave the way for economic transformation. The leaders also welcomed the outcomes of the 10th India–Malaysia CEO Forum and encouraged greater private sector collaboration.

Digital and financial cooperation emerged as another key pillar, with both leaders welcoming the formalisation of the Malaysia–India Digital Council and the integration of India’s UPI system with Malaysia’s payment network. The initiative is expected to ease cross-border payments for tourists, students, and small businesses.

Energy cooperation, particularly in renewable energy and green hydrogen, was highlighted, with Malaysian firms already active in India’s clean energy sector. The leaders also agreed to strengthen collaboration across the semiconductor value chain, including workforce development and supply chain resilience.

People-to-people ties received special emphasis. Prime Minister Modi referred to the Indian diaspora in Malaysia as a “living bridge” of strength between the two nations. Measures such as visa liberalisation, social security arrangements for Indian workers, enhanced air connectivity, and academic exchanges were identified as steps that would make the partnership more people-centric.

“Any partnership truly succeeds only when its benefits reach the people directly,” Modi said during the visit.

The leaders also discussed regional and multilateral cooperation, reaffirming support for ASEAN centrality, a free and open Indo-Pacific, and reforms of global institutions, including the UN Security Council. Malaysia reiterated its support for India’s permanent membership of a reformed UNSC, while India welcomed Malaysia’s engagement with BRICS.

Prime Minister Modi arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday to a grand red-carpet reception with his Malaysian counterpart personally receiving him at the airport. Modi was also accorded a ceremonial welcome at Perdana Putra on Sunday morning.

At the conclusion of his visit, Modi thanked the Malaysian leadership and people for their warm hospitality and invited Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to visit India, expressing confidence that the strengthened partnership would contribute to peace, stability, and prosperity in the region

Amaravati Quantum Valley foundation stone laid in Andhra Pradesh

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Bhubaneswar: India took a major step towards its quantum future on Saturday with the laying of the foundation stone for the country’s first Quantum Valley in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh.

Inaugurating the ceremony, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said the project aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s National Quantum Mission.

It reflects India’s ambition to become an Atmanirbhar Viksit Bharat, according to Naidu. Drawing a parallel with Hyderabad’s Hitec City, the CM said Amaravati is now poised to emerge as a hub for deep tech and frontier technologies, with quantum innovation at its core.

He described the launch as more than a ceremonial event, calling it a strong declaration of India’s intent to lead globally in quantum technologies by bringing industry, academia, and government onto a single platform.

As part of the initiative, 30 companies under the Amaravati Quantum Valley are set to begin operations from Medha Towers, while MoUs have been signed with 15 additional companies across key areas such as quantum computing, hardware, and algorithms.

In a post on X, the Andhra Pradesh CM said: “My sincere thanks to all the experts from industry and academia who joined us today and contributed their insights to shaping India’s quantum future.”

Meanwhile, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu termed the launch a historic milestone for India’s technological journey. He said the Amaravati Quantum Valley aims to position Andhra Pradesh as a global centre for quantum research, innovation, talent development, and industry collaboration.

He also credited IT Minister Nara Lokesh for his focused efforts in building a strong, technology-driven ecosystem in Andhra Pradesh. He said the quantum initiative will bring together research institutions, startups, and industry partners, driving high-impact growth and strengthening India’s leadership in next-generation technologies.

India, Seychelles explore maritime cooperation

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New Delhi: India and Seychelles on Saturday discussed ways to expand cooperation in maritime trade, the blue economy, and sustainable development during an Indo–Seychelles Business Roundtable held in Mumbai.

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said India’s capabilities in port-driven growth, logistics systems, maritime services, and renewable energy align closely with Seychelles’ development needs. He added that Mumbai’s strong financial and fintech ecosystem could play a role in supporting innovation and improving access to financial services.

The roundtable was attended by Dr. Patrick Herminie, President of the Republic of Seychelles, along with senior officials and business representatives from both countries.

Sonowal said the relationship between India and Seychelles is deeply rooted in history, noting that maritime connections between the two countries existed long before formal diplomatic ties.

He said the partnership has steadily evolved into a close and friendly relationship based on shared democratic values, pluralism, and mutual respect. Cooperation, he added, extends across development assistance, capacity building, education, healthcare, maritime security, and disaster response.

He further said India’s engagement with Seychelles is guided by the Maritime Heads for Active Security And Growth for All in the Region vision, which focuses on mutual growth, sustainability, and security across the Indian Ocean Region.

The minister noted India’s approach towards island nations in the Indian Ocean has gained renewed momentum under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose emphasis on neighbourhood-first policy, ocean-based cooperation, and inclusive growth has shaped India’s regional strategy.

He noted that both India and Seychelles view the Indian Ocean as a zone of peace, stability, and shared prosperity, according to an official statement.

Highlighting areas of potential collaboration, Sonowal said the blue economy offers wide-ranging opportunities, particularly in fisheries, aquaculture, port development, and marine research. He also pointed to tourism and hospitality, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, financial services, fintech, education, and skills development as promising sectors for deeper engagement.

The business roundtable saw participation from Indian companies operating in infrastructure, ports, fisheries, healthcare, education, fintech and the automobile sector.

Sonowal said Mumbai’s long-standing role as a port city, combined with its logistics networks, maritime services, shipbuilding capacity and financial institutions, makes it a natural hub to advance India–Seychelles cooperation in maritime trade and ocean-related industries.

Budget 2026–27 futuristic, youth-centric: Pradhan

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Bhubaneswar: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday hailed the Union Budget 2026–27, describing it as futuristic, youth-focused, people-centric, and employment-oriented.

Addressing a press conference at the party office in Bhubaneswar, Pradhan said the budget reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas.”

He said the budget aims to fulfil the aspirations of people across all sections of society.

Highlighting the ‘Purvodaya’ initiative, Pradhan said the budget lays out a clear roadmap to develop Odisha as a major growth hub, with special emphasis on the new-age economy.

In a post on X, he said, “Sectors such as biopharma power, India Semiconductor 2.0, education-to-employment, development of National Waterway No. 5, a new rare earth corridor, and the East Coast Development Corridor will significantly benefit Odisha.”

BJP state President Manmohan Samal also participated in the press conference and said the budget paves the way for building a developed India and a developed Odisha.

Samal said a record allocation of ₹10,928 crore for railways, along with the development of National Waterway No. 5, the rare earth corridor, and the East Coast Development Corridor, will help Odisha emerge as a new centre for industry and employment. He added that the reduction of tax on kendupatra (tendu leaves) from 5% to 2% will directly benefit 15 lakh kendupatra workers and tribal communities.

He further said that special assistance for cocoa, cashew and coconut cultivation in coastal areas, strengthening the blue economy for fishermen, and tourism development through projects like ‘Turtle Trails’ at places such as Gahirmatha reflect the Modi government’s commitment to Odisha’s all-round development.

Indian shooters shine at Asian Rifle Pistol Championship

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New Delhi: India delivered another commanding performance at the Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship in New Delhi on Saturday, collecting multiple gold medals across several categories.

With 10 gold medals on the fourth day alone, India’s overall tally rose to 43 medals. The count now stands at 27 gold, 10 silver, and eight bronze.

Elavenil Valarivan won gold in the women’s 10m air rifle event with a score of 251.5. She finished ahead of Japan’s Misaki Nobata, who took silver.
India’s Meghana Sajjanar secured bronze with 229.5, according to the Asian Shooting Confederation.

Earlier, Indians swept the men’s 50m pistol podium as former world No.1 Saurabh Chaudhary claimed gold with 563-12x.
Kamaljeet Chaudhary followed with silver, scoring 561-16x, while world champion Ravinder Singh took bronze with 559-10x.
Yogesh Kumar added another gold in the junior category.

Shambhavi Kshirsagar created history by setting a new Asian Junior record in the junior women’s 10m air rifle final. She shot 253.7 to win gold, breaking Isha Anil Taksale’s 253.1 mark from 2024.
Manyata Singh finished second with 249.7, while Aneesha Sharma claimed bronze with 227.5.
India also secured team gold through Shambhavi, Aneesha, and Sandrata Roy with a total of 1884.2.

In the youth women’s category, Ojasvi Thakur clinched gold with 250.4, while Sri Lanka’s Umaya Ovitigala Withanage took silver.
Indonesia’s Yasmin Figila Achadiat won bronze.
Ojasvi later teamed up with Anvii Vikram Rathod and Hrudya Shri Kondur to claim team gold with a score of 1890.6.

India add medals at Zagreb Open 2026

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New Delhi: India enjoyed a strong outing at the Zagreb Open 2026 wrestling tournament in Croatia, picking up more medals on Friday and taking the overall tally to 11.

Chetan and Pulkit won silver medals in the Greco-Roman 63kg and women’s freestyle 65kg categories, respectively. Anjli and Nisha Dahiya added bronze medals in women’s 62kg and 68kg events.

Chetan led India’s Greco-Roman campaign with an impressive run. He edged Kazakhstan’s Dastan Zarlykhanov 7-6 in the qualifiers, according to the olympics.com.
He then dominated Serbia’s Dejan Berkec 9-0 in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, he shocked former world champion Meysam Dalkhani of Iran 14-5. Chetan settled for silver after losing 8-4 to Iran’s Erfan Behnam Jarkani in the final.

Pulkit, the U17 world champion, secured silver through the Nordic system. She defeated Sweden’s Agnes Nygren 10-1 and Romania’s Kriszta Incze 2-0. She also received a win by injury against Croatia’s Marijana Sumski. A narrow 3-1 loss to Japan’s Nana Ikehata kept her from gold.

In the women’s 62kg division, Anjli started strongly with a 12-0 win over Croatia’s Lana Nogic. She beat Brazil’s Lais Nunes 5-3 in the quarter-finals.
Her campaign stalled after a 10-0 semi-final loss to Sweden’s Johanna Lindborg. Anjli bounced back to win bronze, edging Bhagyashree Fand 5-4.

Bhagyashree reached the bronze bout via repechage. She had earlier beaten USA’s Alara Boyd before losing to Lindborg.

Nisha Dahiya battled through a tough field to claim the bronze medal in the women’s 68kg category. She opened with an 8-1 win over Azerbaijan’s Birgul Soltanova.
A 10-0 quarter-final loss to Turkiye’s Nesrin Baş pushed her into repechage. After beating Germany’s Laura Koehler, she received a walkover in the bronze match as the USA’s Kennedy Blades withdrew due to injury.

India’s medal haul now stands at one gold, four silver, and six bronze.