'India-Pakistan match, if it does not happen, no big deal. Honestly, for a long time now, the actual game has never lived up to the hype and the drama we built up before the match.'
US Vice President JD Vance is set to arrive in Islamabad on Monday evening to lead a high-level American delegation in a second round of ceasefire negotiations with Iran, CNN reported, citing White House on Sunday.
Ahead of the expiry on Tuesday of the two-week ceasefire declared by US President Donald Trump in the conflict with Iran, US media outlets reported on Sunday that negotiators Steve Witkoff, special envoy for peace missions and Jared Kushner will head to Islamabad for talks with Iran.
India is among six countries on the priority watch list in a US report addressing the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights.
US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are travelling to Pakistan for direct talks with an Iranian delegation as part of efforts to end the seven-week war, the White House announced.
Iranian representatives have conveyed to the Trump administration that they are unwilling to resume talks with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, preferring instead to engage with Vice President J D Vance.
Iran's Foreign Ministry has denied reports of planned talks with the United States during a visit to Islamabad, Pakistan, despite US envoys also visiting the region.
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.
Despite a ceasefire extension, Iran has rejected the United States' conditions for negotiations, creating uncertainty in ongoing diplomatic efforts.
Uncertainty surrounds the planned second round of peace talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad, as both sides engage in brinkmanship. Despite Pakistan's security preparations, Iran has yet to confirm its attendance, citing a lack of seriousness from the US in pursuing diplomacy and violations of the ceasefire.
Courts cannot be the only hope for those fighting hate speech. Countering its effects on the ground takes more effort. With our political parties unwilling to put in that amount of effort, it's left to citizens to do so, points out Jyoti Punwani.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has offered to host talks between the US and Iran to help resolve the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, following reports of Pakistan's involvement in backchannel diplomacy.
Talks between Iran and the US in Pakistan concluded without a deal due to disagreements over key issues, including Iran's nuclear programme and sanctions, despite efforts to find common ground.
US President Donald Trump on Monday confirmed that a high-level American negotiating team, including Vice President JD Vance, Jared Kushner, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, is en route to Pakistan to initiate critical negotiations with the Iranian leadership.
The United States and Iran concluded the first phase of in-person talks in Islamabad, with both delegations exchanging written texts to formalise areas of understanding. The discussions, involving key representatives from both sides, are aimed at reducing tensions and exploring possibilities of a structured understanding.
USA captain Monank Patel reflects on sharing the Wankhede with Jasprit Bumrah, his move to the US, cricket's rise in America and leading a diverse team at the T20 World Cup.
A memorial has been erected in Pahalgam to honour the victims of a terror attack last year. Security has been increased across Kashmir ahead of the anniversary.
Direct talks between the US and Iran, mediated by Pakistan, have failed to produce an agreement after 21 hours of negotiations, with disagreements over Iran's nuclear ambitions and sanctions proving insurmountable.
US Vice President J D Vance stated that while progress was made during peace talks in Islamabad, it is now up to Iran to further the discussions and address US concerns regarding its nuclear ambitions.
...reopen for up to six months. Until then, the Strait stays nearly closed. The world pays. And no one, including the man who started this, can say when it ends, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
The Congress party has criticised the Indian government's diplomatic strategy, claiming a 'severe setback' if reports of Pakistan mediating between the US-Israel and Iran are accurate. The party alleges Pakistan's diplomatic engagement has surpassed India's, despite military successes.
Trump has said he would be present at the signing ceremony in Islamabad. Don't be surprised if the Pakistani hosts make it a grand event in the geopolitics of the region. Trump would love that, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Chaffing under public ridicule in the US as well as internationally for having 'lost' the war, Trump is under immense pressure to do something, cautions Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
This election is different. It is no longer simply about governance or welfare. It is about identity, fear, and who belongs. The BJP has successfully shifted the terms of the debate from what the government has delivered to who the real Bengali is and who is an outsider, points out Ramesh Menon.
Not just my lips every part of my body prayed for dropped catch: Faheem Ashraf
The core issues to be settled -- access to Hormuz, Israel's aggression in Lebanon, the question of Iran's nuclear programme, sanctions relief and compensation -- are thorny enough to require weeks of patient negotiation. The most likely outcome of the opening sessions is that both sides take the measure of each other, establish what is and is not negotiable, and return home without having broken anything. That would count as progress.
The LPG squeeze on India's restaurant sector is the quotidian face of a deeper crisis.
The deployment of the army in all sectors along the Line of Actual Control, the de facto border between India and China, is 'robust, well poised and prepared to deal with any emerging contingency'.
'The next two to three weeks will not be decided in Washington.' 'They will be decided in Tehran, in whatever calculation Iran makes about the costs of continued resistance against the costs of appearing to have yielded.'
The United States, which entered this war in expectation of a short, sharp win along the Venezuela model, is now preparing for deeper involvement in a conflict it does not fully control, without the allies it typically relies on, against an adversary that is not behaving as expected, in a global environment that is already absorbing economic shock. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
USA all-rounder Harmeet Singh doesn't want his side to put any team "on a pedestal", urging them to showcase same brand of cricket that they displayed two years ago in the T20 World Cup.
From the USA to UAE, Canada to Italy, Indian-origin cricketers will represent associate nations at the T20 World Cup. Meet the Desis chasing global glory at a home away from home.
Suryakumar Yadav believes there are no weak teams in the T20 World Cup and wants India to stay relaxed, play fearless cricket and give fans pure entertainment.
The funeral of Bangladesh's former prime minister Khaleda Zia will be held on Wednesday, and she will be buried with full state honors beside her husband, late president Ziaur Rahman.
Saurabh Netravalkar emphasizes the importance of a strong defensive strategy for the USA against India in the T20 World Cup, highlighting the team's experience and the significance of playing at Wankhede Stadium.
India strongly responded to Pakistan's remarks on Jammu and Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty at the UN Security Council, accusing Pakistan of supporting terrorism and violating the spirit of the Indus Waters Treaty.
'Some success has been achieved in raising the costs of terrorism for Pakistan.'
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Monday emphasised the need to counter terrorism in all its forms for overall regional peace and stability during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing.
Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka and open their campaign against Bangladesh on October 2, followed by matches against India (October 5), Australia (October 8), England (October 15), New Zealand (October 18), South Africa (October 21) and hosts Sri Lanka (October 24).
'Mark had such a profound understanding of India, which was, of course, the land of his birth as well as of his death... He loved India, and lived two-thirds of his life here.'
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