indian express

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he had ordered the country's military to take control of 70 per cent of the Gaza Strip, in defiance of the terms of a fragile ceasefire that took effect in October. "We are currently squeezing Hamas. We now control 60 per cent of the territory in the strip," he said at a conference in an occupied West Bank settlement, according to a video aired by Israel's Channel 12 network. He said the military had controlled 50 per cent of Gaza under the terms of the ceasefire, adding: "My directive is to move to... 70 percent". "We're squeezing them from all (sides). We'll deal with what's left afterwards." The first phase of the truce saw the last hostages seized in Hamas's October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, which triggered the war in Gaza, released in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel. The transition to the second phase, which was supposed to involve Hamas's disar...

The clamour for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 's fast-tracked inclusion into the senior Indian men's team is growing deafening. Barely a year since his IPL debut, the cricket world is already convinced the 15-year-old prodigy is ready for the highest level. Fans won't have to wait long for a glimpse of his talent as the teenager is set to feature for India-A as early as next month, when the Tilak Varma -led squad heads to Sri Lanka for a tri-series. Sooryavanshi has scored nearly 600 runs (583) in the IPL this term. IPL chairman Arun Dhumal hit the nail right on the head when asked about the way forward for the teenager, calling him a 'special talent' while insisting that the BCCI and RR's continued guidance would make him even better. "I feel the BCCI and the franchise would need to handhold him in terms of showing him the right way so that his temperament stays intact. Because sport is not only about physical skill, it is also about mental toughness," Dhu...

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi looked unstoppable. The cricket world waited with bated breath. The teenager had already scored 97 off 28 balls. Three more runs in one ball against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 Eliminator and the 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals opener would have shattered Chris Gayle 's record for the fastest IPL ton (30 balls vs Pune Warriors, 2013). It was not to be. He was dismissed by Praful Hinge . His final score read 97 runs (29 balls, 12x6s, 5x4s). Wearing the Orange Cap after a breathtaking 28-ball 97 in a high-pressure Eliminator, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi said he consciously shut out the pressure of the occasion and backed his natural game as Rajasthan Royals piled up 243 for 8 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in New Chandigarh on Wednesday. "Yes, I had that in my mind," Sooryavanshi said when asked if the occasion crossed his mind while batting. "My coaches told me to play freely, enjoy the game, and not take any pre...

A 26-year-old woman in Lucknow died by suicide on Monday, barely six months after her marriage, with her family accusing her husband and in-laws of sustained dowry harassment that drove her to take her own life. Shweta Singh was found hanging at her in-laws' residence in Lucknow's Thakurganj area. Her family has alleged that she faced repeated demands for dowry, including pressure for a four-wheeler, and that her in-laws murdered her before staging the scene to look like suicide. Shweta had married Bhupendra Singh, also known as Shubham Singh, on November 22, 2025. According to her father, Umesh Kumar Singh, the harassment began soon after the wedding. He claims her husband mentally tortured her on a daily basis. Her mother-in-law is said to have involved her own relatives in taunting Shweta, which left the young woman severely distressed. Police registered a case on Tuesday following a complaint lodged by Umesh Kumar Singh.  The accused include Bhupendra Singh, his mot...

What began as a scenic cable car ride over the snow-covered peaks of Jammu and Kashmir's Gulmarg turned into a terrifying ordeal for nearly 300 tourists on Sunday after the famed Gulmarg Gondola service suffered a sudden technical breakdown, leaving visitors stranded mid-air for hours. A massive multi-agency rescue operation involving the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, paramilitary forces and Civil Defence teams was launched immediately to evacuate tourists trapped inside multiple chair cars suspended above the mountainous terrain. Officials said the technical snag occurred around 1 pm, disrupting operations in the first phase of the Gulmarg Gondola service in north Kashmir's premier tourist resort. "A sudden technical fault hit the operations in the first phase of the Gulmarg cable car," a senior official of the Gulmarg Development Authority said. The first phase of the Gondola runs from the Gulmarg bowl to Kangdori, while the second phase extends up to Apha...

Kristian Trend, a 40-year-old wellness coach from Leicester, England, died last month after taking part in a 'cleansing' ritual involving Kambo, a toxic secretion derived from the Amazonian giant leaf frog. According to a Telegraph report, he is believed to be the first British person to die following the use of the substance. The incident occurred at a flat in Clarendon Park, Leicester, where Trend reportedly participated in a traditional "purging" ceremony commonly associated with South American spiritual and healing practices. During such rituals, Kambo is typically applied to small burns made on the skin, allowing the toxin to enter the bloodstream. Emergency services were called to the property on April 11 after Trend became seriously unwell during the ceremony. He was treated at the scene before being rushed to hospital, where he later died. Leicestershire Police confirmed that a 41-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of administering poison in connect...