Author: xorance@gmail.com

Wars are not decided by intent alone; they are decided by sustainability. The United States today faces a decision matrix in which military capability is not the central question. Escalation control is. American forces in the Arabian Sea signal readiness. Diplomacy through Oman signals restraint. Yet readiness and restraint can coexist only until the first irreversible exchange. The closer Washington moves toward punitive action against Iran, the more it must calculate not how to begin a conflict, but how to prevent it from expanding beyond design.STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADPunitive strikes on critical assets of Iran would be a prolonged…

Arundhati Reddy during practice. Photo: X/@BCCIWOMEN. Pacer Arundhati Reddy’s four-wicket haul in India’s win in the first women’s T20I against Australia was a reflection of her preparedness, said bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi in Canberra on Wednesday (February 19, 2026). Arundhati claimed 4/22 to help India bowl Australia out for a mere 133 and win the contest by 21 runs via DLS Method in Sydney to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. “Arundhati is a very hard-working girl. She comes prepared for any of the tournaments that she comes into,” Salvi told reporters on the eve of the second…

The partial government shutdown that went into effect Saturday is throwing the fate of oversight at the Department of Homeland Security into peril, with the department’s independent watchdog warning a lapse in funding could jeopardize several ongoing investigations. DHS’s inspector general currently has eight active probes into the Trump administration’s nationwide immigration crackdown, including reviews of the use of facial recognition and allegations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents using excessive force. But with a lapse in funding for DHS, the Office of the Inspector General has been forced to suspend approximately 85 percent of its audits, evaluations and inspections,…

Unpopular opinion: Osaka > Tokyo. Admittedly, Tokyo is fantastic, futuristic, sweeping you up with its quick pace, skyscrapers, neighbourhoods with quirky fashion, pop culture, neon lights, trendy districts like Ginza, Michelin-star restaurants, immersive art exhibitions, bustling nightlife and food scene. The vibe, I thought, was unmatched, till I reached Osaka. This port city, on the Japanese island of Honshu, has me wrapped around its little finger. I do not know if it is the laid-back charm, the geniality of the locals, their interesting fashion choices (I saw a lot of pinks, from candy floss and neon to raspberry and fuchsia),…

It may be argued that the end of the Cold War, America’s triumphalism, the trauma of 9/11, the acceleration of globalisation, and the consolidation of a liberal international order together laid the foundations of what the 21st century now confronts as a ‘polycrisis’. We are witnessing the simultaneous unfolding of multiple, interconnected, and mutually reinforcing crises — financial instability, climate stress, technological disruption, supply-chain vulnerabilities, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet it would not be incorrect to suggest that the defining rupture of this polycrisis has been the 2022 war in Ukraine, whose cascading consequences continue to reshape global politics.STORY CONTINUES…

A scintillating year with the bat saw Smriti Mandhana power India to a maiden Women’s ODI World Cup crown, while Deepti Sharma’s allround heroics earned her the Player of the Tournament honour in India’s triumph at home.Boxer Jaismine Lamboria clinched her maiden World Championship while Divya Deshmukh not only became the first Indian to win the FIDE Chess World Cup, thereby booking a place in the Candidates tournament but also ticked off a major milestone by earning the Grandmaster titleMaking wavesSeventeen-year old Anahat Singh, who continues to make waves in the global squash circuit, contributed to India’s World Cup triumph.…

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s national political ambitions could be stymied by Democrats in his own backyard. The governor’s power play to redraw the state’s congressional lines and snare Democrats a single House seat has earned him accolades from progressive activists and party leaders in Washington, raising his profile as he weighs a 2028 presidential run. But Moore also has been outmaneuvered at times by members of own party, particularly those in the Maryland Senate where his gerrymander blitz is facing an unceremonious death. The redistricting gambit is one of the first big political tests Moore has faced that has national…

The Chowmahalla experience is a rare cultural experiment — a curated fine-dining experience inside Chowmahalla Palace, the former seat of the Nizams, opened specially after public hours for curated events | Photo Credit: SIDDHANT THAKUR When the 19 Belgian Crystal chandeliers, of the 300-year-old Chowmahalla Palace in Hyderabad’s Old City are lit, the moment feels almost theatrical. I have visited the palace several times — as a tourist, a reporter and a wedding guest — and each experience has felt distinct. But seeing Chowmahalla after sunset reveals a version of the palace that few ever encounter.Usually open only during the…

An old French proverb says, “With money, one can buy almost anything — except time.” That captures the wager India is making as it deepens its defence relationship with France. New Delhi is prepared to spend lavishly to compress decades of technological learning into a single purchasing cycle. Whether Paris can — or will — sell India the future it wants in its entirety, especially source codes for the Rafale, will determine the extent of acceleration for the Indian defence ecosystem.STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADA giant boost for Make in IndiaEven so, the technology transfer will be of a very…

West Indies’ Shamar Joseph celebrates the wicket of Italy’s Ali Hasan during the T20 World Cup cricket match between West Indies and Italy in Kolkata, India, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP Shai Hope’s second consecutive fifty and a disciplined performance by bowlers powered West Indies to a comfortable 42-run victory over Italy, signing off their Group C campaign in the T20 World Cup in style, here on Thursday (February 19, 2026).Despite a shaky batting performance, the Caribbean pace and spin attack clicked in unison, ensuring a winning momentum heading into the Super Eights.Set a target of 166,…