Pollard becomes T20 cricket's leading run-scorer with century for MI New York
Following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a "revenge list" featuring 13 world leaders, including Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, with a graphic depicting them as targets, amidst escalating regional hostilities and US reports of an Iranian assassination plot against Trump.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital after his health deteriorated during his 21-day indefinite hunger strike, marking the first significant action under new Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar.
US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent ally of former President Donald Trump and an influential voice on American foreign policy, has passed away at 71 following a 'brief and sudden illness', leaving a significant void in Washington's political landscape.
Donald Trump announced he is replacing the 20% reimbursement fee for securing the Strait of Hormuz with massive trade and investment deals from Gulf States into the United States, while maintaining a full blockade on Iranian ship traffic.
Veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are set to return for India's three-match ODI series against an upbeat England, aiming to lift the team's spirits after a dismal T20I performance.
For India, the guiding principle should remain clear: Engage Bangladesh as a sovereign nation and society rather than through the prism of any individual leader or political party, suggests Manoj Mohanka.
An Indian crew member was killed and six other Indian nationals were among eight injured when Iranian cruise missiles struck two UAE tankers, Mombasa and Al Bahiyah, in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating regional tensions and drawing strong condemnation from the UAE.
India is waiting for assurance from the US on comparative advantage over other economies under the deal.
Young pacer Harshit Rana and veteran spinner Varun Chakravarthy have been ruled out of India's upcoming ODI and T20I assignments due to hamstring injuries. Prince Yadav will replace Rana in the ODI squad for England, while Ravi Bishnoi steps in for Chakravarthy for the T20I series in Zimbabwe.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Saturday (local time) announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz "until further notice," stating that the strategic waterway would remain shut until the United States ends its "interference" in the West Asia region, Press TV reported.
US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) said that he has "left instructions" to launch a massive military action against Iran, if Tehran succeeds in the plan of assassinating him, while stressing that the country would be bombed "at levels they have never seen before", New York Post reported.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi mocked US President Donald Trump's claim of the US being the 'guardian' of the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that Iran has always been and will remain the sole guardian, while also suggesting that any entity providing security should be compensated, though Trump's proposed '20 per cent' levy is 'too much'.
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.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi confirmed a peace deal with the United States, stating that Tehran will enter a 60-day negotiation period only after verifying Washington's commitments to ending hostilities, lifting the blockade, and releasing Iranian assets.
US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the G-7 summit in France, marking their first bilateral meeting since February last year. Both leaders will be attending the summit, with Trump also meeting other world leaders.
Hyderabad-based Midwest Ltd has become the first Indian private company to secure overseas critical mineral mines, sealing a deal with Indonesia's state-run PT Perusahaan Mineral Nasional (PERMINAS) to ensure a long-term supply of rare earths.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed responsibility for missile and drone strikes on US military installations in Bahrain, describing the operations as the second phase of its retaliatory campaign. This announcement follows US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirming its own large-scale offensive targeting Iranian military infrastructure.
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal announced that the legal scrubbing of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) text is expected to be completed within 10-12 days, with the final deal anticipated to be signed by December 31.
Indian all-rounder Axar Patel attributed his match-winning half-century against England in the opening ODI to a renewed focus on timing the ball, a strategic shift from his previous T20 approach of hitting too hard.
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.
The US Senate passed a resolution directing then-President Donald Trump to withdraw American forces from the conflict with Iran. This bipartisan vote, though largely symbolic as a concurrent resolution, highlighted congressional concerns over potential escalation and a desire to limit presidential military authority without legislative approval.
India has condemned an attack on a Cyprus-flagged commercial vessel off the coast of Oman, which resulted in one Indian crew member going missing. The incident occurred amidst escalating hostilities between Iran and the US in West Asia, prompting India to call for immediate de-escalation and an end to targeting commercial shipping in the region.
US President Donald Trump announced the 'reinstatement' of an 'Iranian Blockade' in the Strait of Hormuz, stating the US would charge a 20 per cent levy on transiting cargo for providing security, while Iran warned against any US interference, reaffirming its authority over the critical waterway.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has launched extensive precision strikes across multiple Iranian military installations, deploying both one-way attack aerial and sea drones for the first time, to degrade Tehran's ability to disrupt international maritime trade in the Strait of Hormuz.
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner successfully defended his Wimbledon men's singles title, defeating Alexander Zverev 6-7(7), 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-4 to lift his fifth Grand Slam trophy and first major title of the 2026 season, becoming only the 10th player in history to retain the Wimbledon men's singles crown.
The harsh truth is that the US is no longer a reliable partner, cautions Ramesh Menon.
India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has expressed strong support for veteran opener Rohit Sharma, dismissing concerns over his recent lean run in the ongoing ODI series against England. Despite Sharma's low scores in the first two matches and a challenging year with the bat, Kotak believes a player of his calibre does not feel pressure and expects him to return to form soon. England won the second ODI, levelling the series 1-1, with the decider set for Lord's.
Iran's state broadcaster IRIB reported that the Qatari oil tanker "Al-Raqayat" was targeted in the Strait of Hormuz after allegedly ignoring Iranian warnings and attempting to transit with US Navy support. This incident follows the expiry of a US-Iran agreement to halt strikes and comes amidst escalating tit-for-tat attacks in the vital waterway, raising concerns about maritime security.
The United States has removed four Indian companies from its sanctions list, which had been accused of supplying advanced technology and equipment to Russia's military-industrial complex. The de-listed firms include RRG Engineering Technologies, Lokesh Machines, Galaxy Bearings, and Shaurya Aeronautics, previously sanctioned for exporting dual-use items to Russian entities.
India continued their dismal run, suffering yet another defeat in the ongoing tour of England, going down by nine wickets in the fourth T20I to concede the five-match series in Bristol on Thursday.
The Indian team, which looked invincible under Suryakumar Yadav, has suddenly hit rock bottom a few months after winning the T20 World Cup.
Joe Root anchored England's chase with an unbeaten 99 as the hosts defeated India by four wickets in the second ODI to level the three-match series in Cardiff on Thursday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a significant policy shift, declaring that Israel's robust economy no longer requires American financial assistance. He also reiterated strong opposition to Palestinian statehood, affirmed an aggressive national defence strategy, warned of pre-emptive strikes against Iran, and confirmed the continued military presence in southern Lebanon.
Kuwait's air defence systems engaged 'hostile aerial targets', Jordan intercepted four missiles, and Bahrain sounded warning sirens after Iran launched retaliatory strikes targeting US military installations in the region.
Trump lauded the defence relations between India and US and affirmed support precisely for the PM Modi-led nation during conflict situations.
Iran on Tuesday said that the Islamic Republic has "no plans" to hold any meetings with the United States in the coming days at any level, even as diplomatic engagements continue separately in Doha on the related implementation of the 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at ending the hostilities in West Asia.
Chotrani, Anahat in Fire Open quarterfinals
Sagiv Steinberg, CEO of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA), described the recent US-Iran peace agreement as a temporary 60-day ceasefire, not a genuine peace deal, suggesting it's timed for the upcoming US midterm elections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump exchanged pleasantries and held a brief conversation at the G7 summit, their first in-person encounter in 16 months, setting the stage for high-stakes bilateral talks amidst continuing strain in India-US relations.
