'Was the five-day pause ever meant to hold, or was it simply another instrument of signaling, of positioning, of buying time in a war where even the pauses are tactical?' asks Prem Panicker in his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
The following is a list of teams that have qualified for the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
Serena Williams' former coach Rick Macci believes the tennis star is preparing for a comeback to competitive tennis, despite her previous statements about 'evolving away' from the sport.
For weeks, the war skirted the edge of catastrophe without tipping over. Missiles flew, there was much destruction, commanders were assassinated, cities across the Gulf and even in Israel struggled to absorb the shock. But one line held: Energy infrastructure, the arteries of the global economy, remained largely untouched. That is no longer true. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
Iran is fighting a different war: Older, slower, and in some ways more dangerous. Iran doesn't need to shoot down an F/A-18. It only needs to make the Strait of Hormuz feel dangerous long enough for insurance markets, shipping companies, and oil futures traders to do the rest. Prem Panicker continues his must-read daily blog on the war in the Middle East.
It all ended in tears as Argentina and Colombia went out in the round of 16, the latter on penalties, while Uruguay and Brazil both lost their quarter-finals on Friday, to France and Belgium respectively.
After an impressive debut season where Soorma finished third, the club has chosen to keep its core intact, retaining the players who formed its backbone
Iran launched retaliatory military strikes targeting Israel and American military bases across the region, including in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.
Long before he became Venezuela's president, Nicolas Maduro's life intersected with India in a profound personal way.
The purge in Washington does not pause the war. Strikes continue, Hormuz remains closed, and Brent crude is still dancing around $109 a barrel. For India, the command chaos in the Pentagon is another layer of uncertainty piled on five weeks of conflict that was already straining every buffer Delhi has.
The Oscar fever kickstarts with this week's OTT menu. Take your pick from Sukanya Verma's eclectic menu.
'The entire US ecosystem built over decades at the bases in the Gulf region, especially the UAE, costing trillions of dollars have been decimated, dealing a mortal blow to the US Central Command's war capability,' points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Success percentage rates of some of these toughest exams in the world is in single digits
The question is no longer whether the war will expand. It has. The next few days will tell us whether the war stabilises around Hormuz or whether the Strait itself becomes the trigger for a far larger rupture. What to watch for over the next 48 hours is simple: Any move by the US toward direct naval control of the Strait; any credible Iranian attempt to disrupt or mine shipping lanes and, critically, whether energy infrastructure in the Gulf continues to be targeted.If those lines are crossed in tandem, the war will no longer be containable within the region.
To be sure, Trump is furious, as the trajectory of the war is in a state of Zugzwang, as chess players call it. Trump and Netanyahu stare at two choices -- retreat in humiliation and concede Tehran's demands -- recognition of its rights, reparations, and binding security guarantees -- or perish in a quagmire, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Should FIFA approve the 64-team format, it would be a one-off birthday bash, with the tournament expected to shrink back to 48 in 2034.
This weekend, Donald Trump has begun to say the quiet part out loud -- that he wants to take control of Iran's oil, a formulation more in line with his robber-baron style of international relations.
Arsenal seized control of the Premier League title race as Bukayo Saka's goal secured a priceless 1-0 win at Brighton and Hove Albion and Manchester City could only draw 2-2 at home to relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest.
The pause gives the US time to breathe, to regroup, to move its expeditionary force into position without risk of interception along the way. It gives Iran nothing -- on the ground, attacks against its infrastructure continue apace. Prem Panicker in his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
'Don't let the world put you in a box. If the world tries to put you in a box, don't stay in it. Step out of it. And if you have to, burn that box completely,' says Siddhata Patil.
Superstition is likely to rule the day with many believing that a small movement could result in the fall of a wicket.
England will begin their World Cup quest next June against a very familiar foe with seasoned tournament regulars Croatia the first hurdle for Thomas Tuchel's highly-fancied team.
'India was not obliged to protect the Iranian ship.' 'Once the Iranian ship left Indian waters, she was on her own.' 'Guilt tripping India is wrong.'
Six different teams have lifted the trophy over the years, with the West Indies, England and reigning champions India the only nations to have won it twice.
Ketchup isn't just some chillar side condiment for your parathas or toast or chips. It's a global star.
Argentina's national team unveiled a revamped 31-man squad on Monday, led by Lionel Messi, for the South American qualifiers against Venezuela and Ecuador for the 2026 World Cup.
MLS begins a transformative season with Lionel Messi, Son Heung-min and record transfers as North America prepares to host the World Cup.
It is learnt that India was mulling various options relating to the project after Trump administration threatened a 25 per cent additional tariff on countries doing business with Tehran.
Following a joint attack by the US and Israel on Iran, India is calling for restraint and de-escalation to avoid further military confrontation in the Middle East.
Al-Attiyah retains overall lead; Sixth-placed Sebastien Loeb, the nine-times world rally champion driving for Dacia, remained in contention and was within 17 minutes of his leading teammate.
Brazil beat Senegal 2-0 in feisty friendly at the Emirates
'TTP has vowed to take revenge for the attacks that Pakistan is carrying out against Afghanistan.' 'To diminish this threat, Pakistan is hitting Afghanistan hard.'
The deal shifts the US posture towards India from hostile to neutral, and that matters for growth, points out T T Ram Mohan.
'No, India and China were not about to go to all-out war over a few rocks of Galwan.' 'The full picture of what went on at the highest level between two heads of State will not be known for a very, very long time and rightly so,' points out Colonel Anil A Athale, former head of the history division, ministry of defence.
When everyone has footage and no one can verify it, the loudest voice wins, notes Prem Panicker who begins a daily blog on the War in the Middle East.
Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended marginally higher on Wednesday as a sharp decline in IT blue-chip stocks restricted the rally in the markets.
Israel and the United States had a plan. Iran punched back. And now the Gulf is reeling, the world is beginning to feel the pain and, as on date, no one in Washington or Tel Aviv appears willing to admit that the punch has landed, notes Prem Panicker, continuing his must-read blog on the war in the Middle East.
The victory lifted Brazil to second in South American qualifying with 21 points, four behind leaders Argentina and one ahead of Uruguay in third, both of whom have a game in hand and will clash on Friday.
'Ancelotti hasn't had time to show us his game plan yet. It's only been two or three days of training.'
A trade deal makes sense only if it is fair and reciprocal. If the cost is strategic dependence or loss of policy space, waiting is the wiser option, asserts Ajay Srivastava.
