Maharashtra
ICC, BCCI, ECB and CA to bankroll plan to support Afghan women cricketers: Report
Mumbai, April 16: The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) plans to support the exiled female cricketers from Afghanistan will be bankrolled via contributions by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Cricket Australia (CA), a report claimed on Wednesday.
The initiative to assist Afghanistan’s displaced women cricketers, which will include coaching and mentorship, “will be constituted through a dedicated fund,” and it will be fully funded by the ICC and the three boards.
An ICC spokesperson confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that the fund will not include any contribution from the Afghanistan Cricket Board. The ACB will continue to receive its full amount from the ICC.
The ICC has recently announced that it will put in place a plan to support women cricketers exiled from Afghanistan after the Taliban took control of the country and banned the participation of females in sports and disbanded the teams.
“Last year, the prospect of ring-fencing an amount for women’s cricket from the ACB’s portion of the ICC’s revenue distributions was discussed but that plan did not come to fruition. The ACB is the only Full Member board that does not field a women’s team, and is not able to because of the severe restrictions on women’s rights after the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021,” the report claimed.
The report also said, the ICC’s latest plan to engage with Afghanistan’s female cricketers neither amounts to official recognition nor does it clear the path for Afghanistan to field a women’s team, as such a team can only be ratified by the ACB. Instead, the ICC hopes to work with Afghanistan’s female cricketers to provide them with both access to the game and funding for further education.
“The ICC does not select a team for Afghanistan. Rather, we are committed to addressing the complexities of the issue and finding a solution that fits within the ICC’s legal and constitutional framework,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying in the report.
The report also confirmed that the ICC’s initiative will not be limited to the 19 Afghan cricketers resident in Australia but, “the plan is to include all displaced Afghan women cricketers regardless of their location.”
The ICC has so far not clarified on what will the Afghanistan women cricketers in exile do after getting coaching and mentorship from this fund.
Maharashtra
Milind’s gangsters are a symbol of the city’s destruction, action is being taken under MPDA

Mumbai: Milind Police have taken action against Tek Shankar Dhotre, who created terror here by intimidating shopkeepers, passers-by and rickshaw drivers and collected money by threatening them. The action has been taken on the instructions of Additional Commissioner Mahesh Patil. The accused is a terror in the area. A total of 6 cases of violence against him have been registered against him for collecting money. He intimidates traders and shopkeepers and collects money from him every month. No one used to speak out against him. In such a situation, the police took the complainant into confidence and took action against him. He is a terror in Milind. After taking action under the MPDA, the accused was taken into custody and deported from Mumbai to other cities. The Mumbai Police has now started action against such goons to restore the trust of the public towards the police so that the public’s trust in the police is established and the fear of the police remains in the hearts of the goons.
Maharashtra
Mumbai Weather Update: City Continues To See Smog-Filled Morning Amid Rising Pollution; Overall AQI Remains In Unhealthy Range At 281

WETHER
Mumbai: Mumbai began its Friday with a deceptively pleasant chill, as minimum temperatures dipped just below 22°C, offering residents a brief sense of relief. However, this early coolness quickly gave way to discomfort as people stepped outside to find the city blanketed in a dense, lingering smog. Commuters heading out during peak morning hours encountered reduced visibility along with eye irritation, throat discomfort and difficulty breathing, clear signs of an atmosphere overloaded with pollutants.
What initially felt like a refreshing morning soon became yet another stark indicator of Mumbai’s steadily worsening air-quality crisis. A thick haze settled over major roads, residential complexes, commercial hubs and transit routes. With only weak winds sweeping across the region, there was little natural movement to disperse the pollutants that have been steadily accumulating throughout November.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the city is expected to experience clear skies through the day, with temperatures likely climbing to around 33°C in the afternoon. While the mild morning chill is expected to persist over the next few days, experts noted that there is still no sign of when Mumbai’s air quality might improve. The stagnant atmospheric conditions continue to trap particulate matter close to the surface, aggravating the city’s pollution load.
On Friday, Mumbai’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) rose to a worrying 281, placing it firmly in the unhealthy category. This spike represents a major deterioration from earlier in the month, when several neighbourhoods reported moderate or merely poor readings. The decline is now citywide, affecting coastal stretches, industrial belts and densely populated residential areas alike.
Among the worst-affected locations, the Wadala Truck Terminal recorded an alarming AQI of 395, marking it as the most polluted spot of the day. Colaba followed with a reading of 317, while Chakala reported 310, both falling within the severe category.
Prominent business zones were not spared either: Worli and the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) each logged AQI levels of 310, showing how uniformly pollution has spread across Mumbai’s central, western and eastern sectors.
Some suburbs fared marginally better but still failed to reach healthy levels. Kandivali East recorded the day’s lowest AQI at 130, classified as poor. Powai stood at 200, Malad West at 210, Parel Bhoiwada at 220, and Mulund West at 237, placing all within the poor to unhealthy range.
For context, an AQI of 0–50 is considered good, 51–100 moderate, 101–150 poor, 151–200 unhealthy, and anything above 200 classified as severe or hazardous. With much of the city now above that threshold, Mumbai continues to grapple with an air-quality crisis that shows no signs of easing.
Maharashtra
Mumbai: Massive Fire Breaks Out Inside Godown In Kurla’s Kismat Nagar;

Mumbai: A major fire erupted inside a godown in Kurla West’s Kismat Nagar area on Thursday night, triggering a swift response from the Mumbai Fire Department. Videos circulating on social media showed towering flames accompanied by dense black smoke rising high above the godown, visible from several hundred metres away.
According to officials, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Fire Brigade received an emergency call at 11:08 pm, following which multiple fire tenders were rushed to the spot. Initial assessments categorised the blaze as a Level-II fire, but as flames rapidly spread across adjoining structures, the situation escalated. By 11:44 pm, the Mumbai Fire Brigade declared it a Level-III (major) fire after the inferno engulfed nearly 10 to 12 chawl structures.
Firefighters battled the spreading flames through the night, working to prevent the blaze from reaching densely packed residential units in the vicinity. The godown where the fire originated was located within a chawl cluster, making containment especially challenging. Thick plumes of smoke blanketed surrounding localities as emergency teams attempted to bring the situation under control.
Several agencies were deployed as part of the coordinated response effort, including the BMC Fire Brigade, local police, ward officials, the Electricity Distribution Company and a 108 ambulance unit. Despite the scale of the fire and the proximity to residential structures, authorities reported no injuries so far. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident late Wednesday night, a car fire on the Bandra Worli Sea Link caused major disruption to traffic. The vehicle, identified as a Honda sedan, reportedly rammed into the side barrier at high speed before catching fire. Motorists on the busy sea link were left stranded as a long traffic snarl developed, with many unsure of the cause until videos began circulating online.
Footage showed the vehicle completely charred, with firefighters working quickly to extinguish the flames. Though the fire generated thick smoke and intense heat, no casualties have been confirmed. Fire officials later stated that the blaze was brought under control after brief yet intense firefighting efforts.
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