New Delhi: Imagine a world where your home unlocks as you approach, adjusts the temperature before you feel the chill, quietly monitors your health, and safeguards your property without a single visible barrier. Your car becomes a rolling living room, steering, braking, and navigating hazards long before they enter your line of sight. In factories, humans no longer wrestle with machines but supervise fleets of intelligent systems. This, said Lars Reger, global chief technology officer at NXP Semiconductors, is the next phase of technological evolution: “A world that anticipates and automates.” Over the next decade, Reger predicts that tens of billions of smart, connected robots will be embedded in homes, cars, hospitals and infrastructure. However different their form factors, they will share four essential capabilities: Sensing, thinking, connecting, and acting. Devices will perceive their environment, draw on cloud intelligence, make decisions, and execute them physically. Yet none of this matters, he warned, if users cannot trust the device. Trust means functional safety and cybersecurity – braking systems that never fail, thermostats that do not overheat homes, and cars that cannot be hacked. Autonomous systems have faltered before because, in his view, they were designed incorrectly. The solution, he argued, is to take inspiration from biology. The human body separates fast, deterministic reflexes from higher cognition, Not every decision requires a vast AI brain. “How big does the AI really have to be?” he asked, noting that an ant’s 100,000 neurons can create an efficient transportation system. The future, according to Reger, lies at the edge: Ultra-low-power chips, AI accelerators consuming as little as seven watts, radar that can see through fog and car-to-car communication that functions almost like telepathy. Data centres will remain important, but the real democratisation of AI, he insisted, “lies at the famous edge in the end device” – in billions of quiet, trusted machines that anticipate our needs before we voice them.

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan (AP Photo)

A number of prominent figures from the cricketing world — including Indian icons Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar — have extended support to former Pakistan all-rounder Imran Khan, who has been incarcerated for more than two years. Reports suggest that Khan, Pakistan’s Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022, has nearly lost vision in one eye, allegedly due to medical negligence during his imprisonment. He was ousted from office following multiple corruption charges.The push for better treatment of Khan gathered momentum earlier this week when former Australia captain Greg Chappell initiated a petition urging authorities to ensure proper medical care for the jailed leader. The appeal has been endorsed by several former international captains.In a conversation with Australian journalists Gideon Haigh and Peter Lalor, Chappell explained what prompted him to take action.“And so, you know, I’ve been following and keeping in contact with him as much as possible, but since he’s been in jail, it’s been impossible. I’m in touch with one of his very best friends on a regular basis, and not even his family have been able to see him while he’s in jail. So, this has been sort of troubling me for a while, but I thought, well… What difference does one voice make? And it was in conversation with my friend [name not clear], and he said, Well, why don’t you talk to other captains, and see if you can get a group of captains that make a statement that that might carry a bit more weight.”Given the long-standing political tensions between India and Pakistan, and Khan’s firm stance toward India during his tenure as Prime Minister, public backing from Indian cricket greats was far from certain. Although Khan had visited India multiple times as both a cricketer and political leader and had forged personal bonds there, many of his Indian acquaintances had stayed silent following his imprisonment.Chappell admitted he was struck by how swiftly Gavaskar and Kapil agreed to support the initiative. “Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev probably had more pressure than the rest of us, but they both reacted instantly. You’ve probably seen Sunny’s comments… They’ve been friends for a long time,” he said.Earlier, Gavaskar had spoken about his long association with Khan in remarks that drew attention on both sides of the border. “I have known Imran since he was 17 years old, when India was playing at Worcester… after the Test series win at The Oval. He was trying to qualify as an overseas player for Worcestershire then. Whatever the political differences there, we believe that he should be looked after in a humane manner and given proper medical care,” he told The Indian Express.Others who have signed the petition include Ian Chappell, Clive Lloyd, Allan Border, Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain, Michael Brearley, David Gower, Steve Waugh, John Wright, Kim Hughes and Belinda Clark.

Mistral CEO Arthur Mensch

New Delhi: Warning about concentration risk from a few companies dominating AI, Arthur Mensch, co-founder and CEO of Mistral, said India should support open-source models and collaborate with global startup labs and researchers to maintain strategic autonomy and ensure the country benefits from AI-driven productivity and economic growth. Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit on Thursday, he said, “AI will contribute significant double-digit growth to GDP in the coming years. It is critical that everyone has access to the on and off switch to ensure business continuity and that countries are not dependent on external providers who can effectively shut off access. The global AI landscape is rapidly evolving and is highly focused on control, surveillance and leverage. Countries need a future grounded in openness, trust, and autonomy. It is a fundamental right for countries to own their AI destiny. This is crucial for preserving digital autonomy and shaping our own future.” He also argued that the leverage of larger players must be curbed, noting that India’s market size gives it the power to build a different pathway for AI progress. Mensch, a key figure in the French AI startup ecosystem and one of the few competing in large language model development, said open source is not a radical idea, pointing out that it underpinned the internet and cloud computing. As of Sept last year, the French AI startup was valued at nearly $14 billion. “Today we are facing a dichotomy between open source, where a few companies like Mistral compete, and models developed by large private corporations that are using them as leverage.” He called for collaboration to build better open-source AI, especially for low-resource languages, with a special focus on India’s 22 official languages. “Our key goal is to ensure that more languages are properly represented in these models. To do this, Mistral works with local ecosystems and labs that can help acquire and curate high-quality text and speech data in these languages. The idea is that by feeding this diverse content into open-source models, they become more accurate and useful for local populations, not just English-speaking users.“

Former England stars David Lloyd, Michael Vaughan, Phil Tufnell, and Alastair Cook reacted to India’s dominance in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The former cricketers discussed whether any team can realistically stop Suryakumar Yadav’s side from winning the title in subcontinent conditions.

India defeated the Netherlands by 17 runs in their final Group A match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, February 18. The Men in Blue stayed unbeaten, winning all four group matches. They finished on top of the Group A points table and sealed qualification for the Super 8 stage.

Former England Cricketers Discuss How to Challenge India

Former England cricketers shared their views on how teams might challenge India during the T20 World Cup 2026. Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, Michael Vaughan said that Abhishek Sharma is a dangerous batter despite three consecutive ducks in the World Cup.

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“Abhishek Sharma, who’s been a gun, he’s got four noughts out of five in his last. So he’s due,” Vaughan said.

Phil Tufnell stated that beating India is never straightforward. He said that associate teams pushed India close at times, but added that pressure is the only thing capable of stopping India.

“You’ve got to hope. I mean, it is a bit of a lottery at the end of the day, isn’t it? I know these associates have got close, but you’d like to think, as you were saying Sir Alastair, as the pressure ramps up. Pressure is the only thing beating India in India,” Phil Tufnell said.

I don’t think anyone will in this comp … https://t.co/jtxL1jV0Zp

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) February 19, 2026

USA Are the Team That’s Got the Closest to Them So Far” – Michael Vaughan

David Lloyd asked whether teams should bat or bowl first against India. Alastair Cook said that the best option is to bat first and put runs on the board, then hope to take early wickets and build pressure. Michael Vaughan added that the USA have come closest to troubling India so far.

“What do you want to do? Do you want to bat first or bowl against India tactically?” David Lloyd asked.

“I think you have to put runs on the board. Old school. And just hope that you can get a couple early, and then the pressure of them needing to go at nine or ten per over. The reason they are so good is that they play so much of it in those conditions that for every scenario they come across, they seem to have a way of finding like the first game, 70 for 7 against the USA,” Alastair Cook stated.

“Well, the USA are the team that’s got the closest to them so far,” Michael Vaughan opined.

India Finish Group Stage Unbeaten With 17-Run Win Over Netherlands

India finished the group stage of the T20 World Cup 2026 unbeaten with a 17-run win over the Netherlands. They opted to bat first and scored 193/6 in 20 overs.

India lost an early wicket, but the middle order steadied the innings. Suryakumar Yadav scored 34 off 28 balls, Tilak Varma made 31 off 27, and Hardik Pandya added 30.

Shivam Dube then took control of the innings. He smashed 66 off just 31 balls, hitting four fours and six sixes at a strike rate of 212.9. For the Netherlands, Logan van Beek picked up three wickets, while Aryan Dutt took two.

In reply, the Netherlands fought hard and finished on 176/7 in 20 overs. Varun Chakaravarthy was the pick of the bowlers for India with figures of 3/14, and Dube also claimed two wickets to win the Player of the Match award.

Also read: “I am still not happy…” – India batting coach on Tilak Varma’s struggles in T20 World Cup 2026

In the cinematic realm, Shahid Kapoor’s latest film ‘O’ Romeo’ has faced an uphill battle at the box office. Despite the actor’s compelling performance, the storyline has left fans underwhelmed, contributing to a steady decline in ticket sales after its debut. As it stands after a week, the film has amassed about Rs 47 crore. Read on to know more in detail.

Shahid Kapoor‘s ‘O’Romeo’ has completed a week since its release in theaters. The film has been showing a downward trend from the beginning as it failed to pull the audience to the theaters. While the performances of the actors are being praised, the story of the film didn’t impress the moviegoers. Now, let’s take a look at its Day 7 collection and how much it will earn on Day 8.O’ Romeo Movie Review

‘O’ Romeo’ box office collection Day 7 (first Thursday)

The Vishal Bhardwaj film was supposed to bring back Shahid Kapoor on top; however, from the box office numbers, it seems like it has disappointed the audience and the actor’s fans. Now, according to the Sacnilk report, the film has earned Rs 3.15 crore on Day 7 (first Thursday).

‘O’ Romeo’ box office collection Day 8 LIVE (Today)

This section will be updated as soon as the numbers are updated.

Total and worldwide collection

According to the report, the total collection of the film now stands at Rs 47.15 crore. Meanwhile, the worldwide earnings of the romantic revenge drama have been reported as Rs 72.25 crore.

Day-wise collection

Day 1 [1st Friday]: Rs 8.5 croreDay 2 [1st Saturday]: Rs 12.65 croreDay 3 [1st Sunday]: Rs 9.00 croreDay 4 [1st Monday]: Rs 4.85 croreDay 5 [1st Tuesday]: Rs 5.35 croreDay 6 [1st Wednesday]: Rs 3.65 croreDay 7 [1st Thursday]: Rs 3.15 croreDay 8 [2nd Friday]: Rs (will be updated)Total: Rs 47.15 crore (This number will increase as the day progresses)

Occupancy

On February 19, 2026, the Shahid Kapoor starrer ‘O’ Romeo’ had an overall 8.14% Hindi occupancy on Thursday.

More about ‘O’ Romeo’

Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film features Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri in the lead roles. The movie also features actors like Nana Patekar, Avinash Tiwary, Tamannaah Bhatia, Disha Patani, Vikrant Massey, and Farida Jalal. It was released in theaters on February 13, 2026.