In a shocking incident, a district president of a Shiv Sena faction, Mangat Rai Manga, was shot dead in Punjab’s Moga on Thursday night. The attack also left a 12-year-old boy injured, police confirmed on Friday.

Attack on Mangat Rai Manga

The incident took place around 10 pm when Manga had gone to buy milk. According to reports, three unidentified assailants opened fire at him, but the bullet missed and instead hit a young boy nearby. Sensing danger, Manga tried to escape on his two-wheeler but was pursued by the attackers. During the chase, they fired again, fatally hitting him before fleeing the scene.

Medical Response and Investigation

Police rushed Manga to the hospital, but doctors declared him ‘brought dead.’ Meanwhile, the injured child was first admitted to Moga Civil Hospital and later shifted to another medical facility for better treatment.

Authorities are currently investigating the case and verifying which faction of Shiv Sena Manga was associated with.

Reactions and Parallel Incidents

Joginder Sharma, national president of right-wing group Vishwa Hindu Shakti, expressed grief over the killing. “We got to know that some miscreants shot Manga dead. As soon as we got the information, we reached the hospital,” he said.

Manga’s daughter also demanded justice, stating that her father left home at 8 pm and was later informed at 11 pm about his death.

In another violent incident the same night, three motorcycle-borne attackers entered a salon in Bagiana Basti and opened fire on the owner, Devender Kumar. One bullet struck Kumar in the leg, after which he was taken to Moga Civil Hospital and later referred to another facility.

Police Investigation

DSP City Ravinder Singh confirmed that two shooting incidents took place on Thursday night—one at the salon and another on Stadium Road, where Manga was killed. “Manga’s body has been kept in the mortuary, and an investigation is underway,” he said.

Police are currently searching for the assailants and analyzing possible motives behind both shootings.

Moscow has expressed readiness to engage in discussions with the United States regarding a peace initiative on Ukraine. The announcement came from Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, who confirmed that diplomatic contacts could happen as early as Thursday.

Following high-level discussions between US and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Ukraine agreed to a 30-day ceasefire proposal, which the US subsequently relayed to Moscow.

Russia signals willingness for dialogue

Zakharova stated, “We are ready to discuss the initiatives set out there in future contacts with the United States. Such contacts are already possible as early as today.”

The Kremlin also confirmed that US negotiators were en route to Russia. Additionally, Russian foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov and US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz spoke over the phone on Wednesday, signaling active diplomatic engagement.

A potential step towards de-escalation?

The development marks a potential shift in the prolonged conflict, with Russia indicating a willingness to discuss peace terms. However, the outcome of these negotiations remains uncertain, with both sides maintaining firm positions on key issues.

As diplomatic efforts continue, the international community is closely monitoring whether this latest initiative will lead to meaningful de-escalation or if the conflict will persist without resolution.

In a surprising development, not a single Pakistani cricketer was selected in the 2025 draft for The Hundred, raising speculation about a possible ‘soft ban’ following the involvement of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises in the tournament.

A total of 45 Pakistani players had registered for the men’s draft, while five female cricketers were also in contention. While Pakistani women have not been selected in the past, this marks the first instance of no men’s cricketers being picked since the league’s inception.

Possible IPL influence?

Four of the eight teams in The Hundred now have partial or complete ownership by IPL franchises: Oval Invincibles (Mumbai Indians), Manchester Originals (Lucknow Super Giants). Northern Superchargers (SunRisers Hyderabad) and Southern Brave (Delhi Capitals)

This scenario mirrors the SA20 league in South Africa, where no Pakistani cricketer has participated in three seasons, fuelling concerns over potential influence from IPL franchise owners.

Scheduling conflicts with Pakistan’s international commitments

However, reports suggest that the main reason for Pakistani players’ exclusion could be their uncertain availability. Pakistan is expected to play a three-match ODI and T20I series against the West Indies from late July to mid-August, coinciding with The Hundred’s schedule. There is also speculation about additional T20Is against Afghanistan and Bangladesh before the Asia Cup in September.

Furthermore, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has previously withheld No Objection Certificates (NoCs) for players, as seen last season when pacer Shaheen Afridi pulled out of The Hundred due to personal reasons, only to later be denied an NoC by the PCB.

ECB dismisses ownership concerns

Despite the speculation, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chair Richard Gould previously assured that Pakistani players’ participation in The Hundred would not be affected by ownership changes. “We’re aware of that in other regions, but that won’t be happening here,” Gould stated last month.

Meanwhile, no Indian male cricketers participated in the draft, consistent with the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) policy. However, Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma will represent London Spirit in the women’s competition.