Trump may strike. He may announce productive talks and extend again. He may do both at the same time. Iran will not open the Strait on someone else's terms, so no matter what happens, that problem will remain unsolved. And the IRGC will still be collecting its $2 million toll from every ship bold enough to ask permission to pass.
It is a real zari kanjeevaram sari from the House of Angadi, Bengaluru.
During Valentine's Week, Mihika Shenoy and Trishina Kirpalani share the story on how they met and fell in love.
The violence in Kennedy is often unflinching and the characters offer no easy sympathy, but you stay hooked on how it all plays out. And that's when the classic Anurag Kashyap twist arrives, bringing an unexpected emotional payoff that lands just right, observes Mayur Sanap.
The intriguing bit is that Trump is likely to attend the talks in Islamabad this weekend -- if he does, it will be the clearest signal yet that the US is ready to exit the war with some sort of win to show, since he cannot afford to go for the talks and return empty-handed, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War
We should be relieved that we got the doses but we must also know where they came from and who was and who was not responsible for this achievement, notes Aakar Patel.
Abhishek Bidwai tells Rishika Shah how he met his wife, Prajakta.
Tim David, Rajat Patidar and Devdutt Padikkal went ballistic with marauding knocks while bowlers came up with a clinical showing as Royal Challengers Bengaluru trounced Chennai Super Kings by 43 runs.
'Our diplomacy should have been focused on preventing war and avoiding the inevitable disruptions it would cause, posing a real risk to India's growth story,' asserts former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
Queen of Chess is a moving and powerful sports documentary about the highest-rated woman player in the history of chess. 'For me, it is a deeply personal reminder of where we came from, and what it took to get there,' notes Susan Polgar as she reviews her sister Judit Polgar's Netflix documentary, Queen Of Chess.
IPL 2026 will feel like a fresh start for players like Prithvi Shaw, Jofra Archer and Rishabh Pant, it's not only about numbers on the scoreboard anymore but it's about getting their story back on track.
'I came to hear you sing Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon. I am glad I have heard you sing.'
In many ways, this is only the beginning -- of a new chapter in India's nuclear story, and of a future where its vast thorium reserves could finally power its ambitions.
Songs Of Paradise is the story of a female achiever that needed to be told, just as her songs of love and longing deserve to be rediscovered and shared with music aficionados, observes Deepa Gahlot.
'I suspect that Bangladesh being given permission stuck in India's official craw, and this story was an attempt to balance the scales by giving the impression that a similar waiver had been given to India as well.'
A recap of the action of the third week of IPL 2026.
On Valentine's Day, Kshitij Sabnis and Priyal Pitre share their romantic proposal story.
'I want to show bearded men actually caring and loving for their sons or a woman from Pakistan in a position of power. How radical is that?'
Dining With The Kapoors offers a perfectly edited, heart-warming family reunion, but it stops just short of showing the messy nok-jhoks and real moments that could have made it more immersive, notes Divya Nair.
Marketed as a Valentine's Day treat, audiences can expect to be mildly entertained by the surface-level intimate scenes in Wuthering Heights that only leave you thirsty for the real, raw passion, notes Divya Nair.
Nine individuals, including a government medical officer and four police officers, have been arrested in Jalgaon for allegedly conspiring to fraudulently claim insurance money by faking a road accident death.
Alliances fight wars effectively only when they share an endgame. If Israel acted without US knowledge, then the military alliance is operating without real coordination at the level of strategic targeting. Neither picture is reassuring in a war that is no longer regional in its consequences. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
'Storytelling will never change.' 'As long as storytelling can be unpredictable... AI cannot tell you an unpredictable story.'
Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo emphasises the importance of holistic development and grassroots governance for India's progress at a national conference in Jammu.
It goes without saying that the best performers are in the private sector, says TN Ninan.
Mohammed Siraj said he was not able to believe that he was called up to the Indian team for the T20 World Cup when he got a call from captain Suryakumar Yadav.
'The BJP is keeping its options open and that the final decision is still tightly held.' 'That is consistent with the party's tendency to preserve suspense, avoid premature factional conflict, and use leadership selection as a way of resetting internal hierarchies.'
'We were in a heavily nuclearised environment. China had tested for Pakistan in the 1980s and helped their missile programme stay just one step behind us.'
Discover the latest OTT releases, streaming between February 23 and March 1.
During Valentine's week, Mukul Shah tells us how he met his wife Mamta.
'I'm a guy who is sure of what he wants and confident of getting it.' 'Jab prem kiya, I knew that one day, I would marry the woman I love and spend my life with her.'
By all available indications, the White House drafted a face-saving note and handed it, ready-made, to Islamabad. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was supposed to then post it in the guise of a plea urging Trump to extend the deadline by two weeks 'to allow diplomacy to run its course'. Trump would then graciously accept Pakistan's 'request' and declare a ceasefire. Sharif dutifully posted the message on X. Except that he, or whoever was handling the account, forgot to delete the tell-tale first line visible in the edit history: 'Draft - Pakistan's PM Message on X'. Prem Panicker's must read blog on the Iran War.
Krystle's beach pose... Where's Vaani holidaying?... Who's Shalini writing a love letter to?...
The poor monsoon is only a hiccup for the unfolding India growth story and will not dampen high growth rates, says Rajeev Malik.
'We are profoundly energy-dependent on the Gulf. That dependency must now be redirected towards the United States, because we require American permission to procure oil.' 'We additionally require Iranian permission to acquire oil from that source. So India now has to seek two separate permissions merely to secure its energy supply.' 'Should we be compelled to source from America, or from Venezuela -- which is, in effect, American-controlled supply -- that will inevitably carry a price premium, an elevated shipping cost, and a considerably extended delivery timeline, given the distances involved.'
What we are watching is something different: A fog manufactured and maintained by the people who started the war, so that the question of why it was started never has to be answered, observes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the war in the Middle East.
The 'rescue' operation occurred within kilometres of Iran's underground tunnel complex at Isfahan, assessed by the IAEA and US intelligence as holding a substantial portion of the country's 60 per cent enriched uranium stockpile. Retired senior US military officers have highlighted that the mission's footprint -- hundreds of special operators, multiple heavy-lift aircraft deep inside Iran -- appears outsized for recovering a single airman. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
'I don't think I have any fan in the house.'
'Commitment isn't about grand promises; it's about showing up consistently, even when it's inconvenient.'
Taking Kharg would give the US control over virtually all of Iran's oil exports and thus provide significant leverage, notes Prem Panicker in his must read daily blog on the Gulf War. It would also put American troops within range of Iran's remaining missiles, drones, and artillery on a piece of real estate that is just eight square miles in size, and just 15 miles from the Iranian mainland.
