log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SUNDAY FEBRUARY 15, 2026 MOVIES »PAGE 16 Reimagined: Love, lust and literary sacrilege Mayasabha: Living in the projection light >> SEE PG 2 CRICKET OVER FOOTBALL: THE SILENT SHIFT MAGAZINE MAGAZ Understanding epilepsy: Awareness that can save lives 10 Clever ways to help you stop eating late at night The dream they kneaded today: The story of Cocoa Moga 11 Replacement vessel, renewed questions: Advertising and equality in Goa Welcome to "The Mindful Goan," a weekly SUNDAY column written by Dr Ubaldinha Noronha, Head of Department of Psychology at St Xavier's College, Mapusa. In a world where stress, emotions and distractions often overshadow genuine human interactions, this space aims to foster understanding, mindfulness, and compassion, helping navigate life’s challenges. Turn on to our Sunday Magazine (Page 9) IN SHORT >> ED seizes properties worth over `  crore 2 PANAJI: The Directorate of Enforcement, Panaji has provisionally attached three immovable properties worth Rs 2.29 crore under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act at Sawantwadi & Mumbai in 2010 Jiwa Mines money laundering case.  >> See pg 3 St Inez Creek: Locals seek accountability PANAJI: Panaji’s lifeline has been choking for decades. The St Inez Creek lies in a state of neglect. Unchecked encroachments and the consequent raw sewage there have reduced it to a foul drain and the promises for its revival have all gone in vain.   >> See pg 3 Indian student goes missing in US CALIFORNIA: A 22-year-old Indian postgraduate student has gone missing in the US state of California. Saketh Sreenivasaiah, a UC Berkeley student hailing from Karnataka, disappeared on Tuesday. Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 16 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 238 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 PLAY & PAUSE »PAGE 13 LIVE SMART »PAGE 14 In their own realm Understanding Skillcations SPORTS »PAGE 8 Markram’s blitzkrieg propels South Africa past New Zealand MODERN LOVE = SHARE GOOGLE Tucker's 94 powers Ireland to massive 96-run win over Oman Pune-based rock trio Nemophilis’ Akarsh Singh reflects on their musical journey India is leaning on purpose-driven travel, turning vacations into learning experiences AN EVENING OF MERRIMENTA Centre unveils `  0k crore 1 booster dose for startups SUNDAY SHOWSTOPPER INDIA V/S PAK BLOCKBUSTER CLASH TODAY Arch-rivals India and Pakistan are set to ignite another chapter in cricket’s fiercest saga as they lock horns in the T20 World Cup showdown at Colombo’s iconic Premadasa stadium on Sunday. FOCUS ON MOBILE VENTURE CAPITAL, DEEP TECH ENTITIES, TECH-DRIVEN MODERN MANUFACTURING PTI NEW DELHI The government on Saturday said it has approved a Rs 10,000 crore Fund of Funds to mobile venture capital and support deep tech, tech-driven innovative manufacturing startups, and early-growth stage enterprises. This was the second part of the Fund of Funds (FoF) scheme under the Startup India initiative. The first was established in 2016. The FOF 2.0 has been designed to continue the momentum of investments in startups, with an expanded scope over FFS 1.0. “The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the establishment of the Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 with a total corpus of Rs 10,000 crore for the purpose of mobilising venture capital for the startup ecosystem of the country,” a government statement said. The Cabinet approved the India’s first road-cum-rail tunnel under Brahmaputra river gets cabinet nod NEW DELHI: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the construction of India’s first 34-km-long twin-tube underwater road-cum-rail tunnel between Gohpur and Numaligarh in Assam. Addressing media, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the first under-river tunnel in India was constructed in Kolkata under the Hooghly River, and work is currently underway on the first undersea tunnel for Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project. Officials said, the proposed Gohpur-Numaligarh project will be the first under-river twin tunnel in the country where both rail and road transport will operate side by side.  >> See pg 6 second tranche of the Startup India Fund of Funds Scheme on Friday. The scheme, it said, is designed to accelerate the next phase of India’s startup journey by mobilising long-term domestic capital, strengthening the venture capital ecosystem, and supporting innovation-led entrepreneurship across the country. In 2016, the government constituted a Fund of Funds worth Rs 10,000 crore to provide seed capital and enable startups to take calculated risks. Following the successful utilisation of the first tranche, a second phase of Rs 10,000 crore was sanctioned in the Pope appoints Goan priest as Bishop of Sindhudurg RAIA-BORN FR AGNELO WELL-KNOWN FOR CHAMPIONING COMMUNAL HARMONY THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Pope Leo XIV on Saturday appointed Fr Francisco Antonio Agnelo Jacinto Pinheiro, a priest of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, as the new Bishop of the diocese of Sindhudurg in Maharashtra. Fr Pinheiro, 53, popularly known as Fr Agnelo, was born in Raia on July 6, 1972, the last among nine children born to late Pedro Santana Pinheiro and late Maria Margarida Quadros. His brother, Fr Richard Pinheiro, Parish Priest of Santa Cruz, is the fourth among the five girls and four boys. After completing his SSC at St Theresa’s High School, Raia, in 1988, Fr Agnelo joined the Diocesan Minor Seminary and St Xavier’s Higher Secondary School at Mapusa. In May 1990, he secured the 4th rank at the HSSC exams in the State. He began his priestly formation at the Patriarchal Bishop-elect Fr Agnelo Pinheiro ON PAGE 5 Sindhudurg bishopelect appointment hailed Seminary of Rachol in June 1991. Between 1993 and 1996, he completed his graduation in psychology with distinction at St Xavier’s College, Mapusa. Fr Agnelo was ordained a priest on October 28, 2000. He first served as Assistant Parish Priest at St Alex Church, Cal- angute. From 2001 to 2002, he completed his pastoral training at the Pastoral Institute St. Pius X, Old Goa. In 2004, he obtained his Master’s Degree in Philosophy from Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune and was appointed Professor of Philosophy at Rachol Seminary. From 2013 to 2016, he pursued doctoral studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. In June 2017, Fr Agnelo returned to the Patriarchal Seminary of Rachol as Professor of Philosophy, a ministry he continues to exercise. From June 2022 to May 2023, he also served as Parochial Administrator of St Joseph’s Church, Dramapur. Since 2018, Fr Agnelo has been serving as In-Charge of the Apostolate of Inter-Religious Dialogue in the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman. He is well known for his contribution to promoting understanding and harmony among >Continued on P6 Carnival fervour sweeps through Panaji Thousands throng riverfront to witness spectacular floats THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI oa’s Carnival festivities were formally ushered in on Saturday with the traditional float parade along Dayanand Bandodkar Road in Panaji, flagged off by Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant.  Thousands of Goans and tourists lined the riverfront stretch from Patto Bridge to Kala Academy to witness the spectacle, a highlight of the State’s cultural calendar. The parade opened with King Momo atop the lead float, setting the tone for the celebrations. However, the Instagram.com/thegoanonline G MOMO MOMENT: Enthusiastic revellers rush to capture King Momo’s float as it rolls through the vibrant streets of Panaji on Saturday. (More photos on pg 9) Narayan Pissurlenkar excitement quickly gave way to frustration as spectators were left waiting nearly an hour before subsequent floats appeared.  With no explanation forth- coming from officials, the delay sparked visible discontent, with many in the crowd voicing their displeasure at the organizational lapse. Despite the glitch, the parade showcased a vibrant mix of themes, music, and dance, reaffirming Carnival’s reputation as one of Goa’s most anticipated events.  This year’s celebrations had a curtain-raiser in Porvorim, the constituency of Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte, whose department oversees the festivities.  The Carnival festivities will continue until February 17, with parades scheduled in Margao on Sunday, Vasco on Monday, and Mapusa and Morjim on Tuesday, alongside traditional celebrations in villages across the State. Union Budget for 2025-26. There are about 100 unicorns at present. A unicorn refers to a startup valued at USD 1 billion or more. Since the launch of Startup India in 2016, the number of government-recognised startups has risen from about 500 units recognised as startups to over two lakh at present. More than 49,400 startups were recognised in 2025, the highest in a single year. “The Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 follows the strong performance of the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS 1.0), which was launched in 2016 to address funding gaps and catalyse the domestic venture capital market for startups,” the statement said. Under the part of the fund, the entire corpus of Rs 10,000 crore has been committed to 145 Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs). Such supported AIFs have invested over Rs 25,500 crore in more than 1,370 startups across the country. HEAD TO HEAD „„India has an upper hand over Pak in T20 World Cup history „„Out of 8 matches played Team India won 7 times „„Pak’s won in 2021 when they defeated India by 10 wickets HANDSHAKE DOUBT FIVE KEY BATTLES „„Farhan V/s Bumrah „„Hardik V/s Tariq „„Azam V/s Kuldeep „„Ishan Kishan V/s Afridi „„Dube V/s Abrar „„Shadab Ahmed RAIN THREAT The question about handshake hangs in balance… Wait for 24 hours, said SKY while Salman Agha said “wait till tomorrow”. „„The marquee clash is likely to be marred by heavy rainfall with Sri Lankan Met Dept warning of a potential low-pressure system forming over the Bay of Bengal. PITCH REPORT „„Early bounce will help openers play their strokes „„Under lights, making a fourth-innings chase will be difficult ARMED GUARD COVER „„Both teams will be protected by armed guards from the time they step out of the airport till they return to their aircraft after the match. Match starts at 7 pm IST (Report on pg 8 Villagers halt bore well work near Bondvoll lake THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Santa Cruz villagers on Saturday morning stopped a private contractor from boring a well near Bondvoll lake, a notified wetland, sparking brief tension at the site.  Officials from the Water Resources Department (WRD), the local Comunidade, and police later arrived and the situation was defused. Domnick Pereira, a Santa Cruz panch and among those who intervened, expressed shock that the contractor had obtained permissions from both the WRD and the Santa Cruz Panchayat earlier this month.  “Villagers have raised an issue about a construction in the lake’s vicinity. We have also put our demand for a re-survey of the lake’s zone of influence to the Chief Minister, who has promised to look into it. How come such >Continued on P6