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File photo: General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Iran is launching significantly fewer missiles and drones than it did at the start of the war on Saturday, the United States’ top military officer said on Wednesday, even as Washington signalled an expansion of its offensive deeper into Iranian territory.“We will now begin to expand inland striking progressively deeper into Iranian territory, and creating additional freedom of maneuver for US forces,” General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at the Pentagon.
Caine said the number of ballistic missiles fired by Iran had dropped by 86% from Saturday’s levels, with a 23% decline in launches over the past 24 hours. One-way attack drone launches were also down 73% from the opening days of the conflict, he added, according to news agency AP.However, some experts believe that Iran may be conserving weapons to prolong the conflict.The escalating war has already killed more than 1,000 people in Iran, over 50 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel, according to officials in those countries.
US defense secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States was prevailing in the conflict, even as he confirmed that six American troops had been killed so far.“The United States will outlast Iran,” Hegseth said, as quoted by Reuters.He also confirmed that a US submarine sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, describing it as the first sinking of an enemy vessel by torpedo since World War Two.“An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet death,” Hegseth said.Caine later specified that the US Navy fast-attack submarine used a single Mark 48 torpedo in the strike. A US official confirmed the vessel was the Iranian warship Dena.
The conflict has widened across the region. Israel struck targets in Tehran and hit the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon, while Iran fired missiles at Bahrain, Kuwait and Israel.Turkey said Nato defenses intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran before it entered Turkish airspace. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that a Malta-flagged merchant ship was struck in the Strait of Hormuz, with Oman’s navy rescuing the crew.Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran had pursued diplomacy but was forced into self-defence following US and Israeli attacks.“We respect your sovereignty,” Pezeshkian said on X in a message to neighbouring countries, adding that regional stability must come through collective efforts.
The war has triggered mass displacement in Lebanon, with more than 83,000 people uprooted, and nearly 60,000 displaced in the last 24 hours alone, including about 18,000 children, Lebanese authorities and UNICEF said.In Tehran, residents described emptier streets, heavy smoke and intermittent anti-aircraft fire as strikes intensified,.Oil prices have surged following Iranian attacks on traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, and global stock markets have been rattled amid fears that rising energy costs could slow the global economy.Despite the mounting violence, the White House said there are currently no plans to deploy US ground troops into Iran. “It’s not part of the current plan, but I’m not going to remove an option for the president that is on the table,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
NEW DELHI: India are heading into their sixth T20 World Cup semi-final in 10 editions and will take on England at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, hoping to defend their title.Their journey in this tournament goes back to 2007, when they reached the semis in the very first edition. India beat Australia in Durban and then defeated Pakistan in the final in Johannesburg to win their first T20 World Cup.
Gautam Gambhir scored 75 in the final, while bowlers like RP Singh and Irfan Pathan played key roles under captain MS Dhoni.After that high, India failed to make the semis in 2009, 2010 and 2012. They returned to the last four in 2014, beating South Africa thanks to Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 72. However, despite Kohli’s 77 in the final, Sri Lanka chased down 131 to deny India the trophy.In 2016, at home, India again reached the semis but lost to eventual champions West Indies in Mumbai.A big moment came in 2022 when India faced England in a knockout for the first time. India made 168/6, with Kohli and Hardik Pandya scoring fifties, but England’s openers chased it down without losing a wicket, winning by 10 wickets before lifting the title.The rivalry continued in 2024. India batted first and scored 171, led by Rohit Sharma’s 57. This time, England collapsed for 103, and India won by 68 runs. They went on to beat South Africa in the final and claim their second T20 World Cup title.Now, India and England are set to meet in the semi-final for the third straight edition. And it is expected to add another chapter to their growing World Cup rivalry.
TimesofIndia.com in Mumbai: West Indies were going along nicely at the halfway mark of their virtual quarter-final clash against India at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.At 82/1, West Indies had a set batter in Roston Chase, an in-form Shimron Hetmyer at the other end, and plenty of firepower waiting their turn in the dugout. While some fielding lapses prevented India from adding to the wickets column, they managed to keep a close grip on proceedings with a tactical masterclass.
Both Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy had bowled only one over each, and Axar Patel had bowled three when the two right-handed openers were still at the crease.Captain Suryakumar Yadav brought the left-arm spinner into the attack early due to the better matchup, and Varun Chakravarthy’s delayed entry gave the spinner a better chance to take wickets against the fiery middle order that followed. The hosts controlled most of the innings not just through how they managed the overs, but also by paying attention to favourable matchups.
Jasprit Bumrah of India celebrates the wicket of Roston Chase of West Indies during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026 Super 8 match between India and West Indies at Eden Gardens on March 01, 2026 in Kolkata, India. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)
From Bumrah’s introduction against Hetmyer to the angled plan for Sherfane Rutherford, India were a step ahead with their planning and have only gotten better with every game in the ongoing 2026 T20 World Cup. At the end of the 14th over, when drinks were called, West Indies were 119/3, with the dangerous pair of Rutherford and Rovman Powell at the crease. During the break, coach Gautam Gambhir went straight to Hardik Pandya and raised his arms to point towards the third-man region. Pandya was set to bowl the next over from the High Court End, and Gambhir wanted him to angle it away from the left-hander, probably making him play towards the region between third man and point.Pandya stuck to the plan and angled an off-cutter away from the batter, who could only edge it to Sanju Samson behind the stumps. The bowler was delighted and raised his arms towards the dressing room while Rutherford took the long walk back. There have been plenty of such small moments where India have exhibited tactical brilliance, and their handling of Bumrah, in particular, has been very match- and matchup-specific so far.Surya continued to use him in different phases. He was unleashed for two overs in the games against South Africa, Pakistan and the Netherlands, but bowled only one over each against Zimbabwe and the West Indies during the powerplay. Against Namibia, he bowled all his overs after the powerplay. Gambhir explained that the calls were very opposition-specific and were taken to give other bowlers some cushion during difficult periods of play.
Suryakumar Yadav Captain of India and Gautam Gambhir Head Coach of India during an India ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026 net session at Eden Gardens on February 28, 2026 in Kolkata, India. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)
“I think it’s more to do with the opposition, where their firepower lies. Especially we knew that West Indies has got a lot of firepower in the middle, with Hetmyer, Rovman and Sherfane. And we know that those guys are quality players, those guys can take the game away from us. So we always knew that we needed someone like Bumrah in the middle to bowl at them. And I thought Hardik did a really good job because sometimes bowling against these guys on this kind of a wicket, your fifth bowler, actually can always be under pressure. Hardik and Axar, I thought, controlled the game for us because those eight overs were very crucial. “We knew that Arsh, Bumrah and Varun were always about to bowl their four overs. So I thought that for me today I think the most important thing was how Hardik and how Axar bowled. Yes, we can keep talking about other three bowlers but that’s the reason why we felt that Bumrah was important in the middle. So every time we have a big over, we can go back to Bumrah and try and control the game. Because you don’t want in a T20 game two back-to-back big overs as well. That can take the game away from you. So for me, I think Bumrah is a banker and we’ll continue to use him in different ways,” said Gambhir while explaining the bowling strategy for the Eden Gardens fixture.Since Gambhir took over as head coach, especially in the shortest format, the dugout is always buzzing with activity. The former India cricketer is either in discussions with the support staff or relaying some messages to Surya via the players on the bench. The messengers dash to the middle with the important information, helping Surya make the tactical calls on the fly in a tense situation. Unlike most coaches, Gambhir doesn’t scribble on a notepad; he is either glued to live action or the replays which follow on the monitor/giant screen. Does he rely on data before taking calls or supporting Surya? No, came the response as instinct remains the keyword for Gambhir.
Gautam Gambhir, Head Coach of India looks on during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026 Super 8 match between India and West Indies at Eden Gardens on March 01, 2026 in Kolkata, India. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)
“I don’t believe in data, honestly. I’ve never seen the data. I don’t even know what data is all about. I absolutely do not believe in it, because I feel it’s more about instinct. T20 cricket is about instinct and backing your instinct as well. Whatever knowledge I have about the game and T20 format, I try and probably give it to the captain, try and help him out as much as I can. But ultimately it’s the captain that takes the final call. But data and all, I don’t believe honestly, because it’s very overrated,” said Gambhir.Midway through the tournament, India were tactically forced to change its top order because the two left-handers, and Tilak Varma to follow at No.3, made it very predictable for the oppositions. Restoring the left-right alignment at the top forced batters out of their usual positions. However, Gambhir sees it as a luxury to have players who can be used anywhere, and in any situation of the match.“From the batting point of view, you’ve got power. I think that is something which is very important. When you’ve got power, you’re never away from the chase. You’re never away out of the game as well. You’ve got people like Tilak, who’s batted really well in both the innings. He’s batted out of his position. He’s batted at number three initially. But now when we pushed him at number five six see how he’s batted.
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“So you’ve got that talent you need to have that talent where you can bat out of positions and more importantly – positions again are overrated I feel that it’s about going out there and doing the job for the team and that is what team sport is all about and that will continue to be our philosophy going forward,” explained Gambhir.The clash against England on Thursday will require the thinktank to be on top of its tactical game. Wankhede can be an unforgiving venue and has often been a banana peel for the Indian cricket team. With the pitch expected to favour batting, dew likely to play some role and the nice sea breeze offering early help for the bowlers, the match is set up nicely. The team that wins the small contests will board the flight to Ahmedabad.
Mitchell Santner, the captain of the New Zealand cricket team, is arguably the most satisfying person on the planet as his team storms into the final by defeating South Africa by 9 wickets. After the semifinal clash, Santner revealed how they invented the formula to outclass South Africa, the team that was undefeated before tonight’s (March 4) clash.
The New Zealand skipper said that they gathered some precious knowledge from their previous encounter with the same opponent. In the group stage of the T20 World Cup 2026, South Africa defeated New Zealand by miles. Tonight, it is the Blackcaps’ turn to show what they can do.
Praising South Africa, Mitchell Santner said during the post-match presentation ceremony that it was a satisfying moment for them. The defeat against the Proteas in Ahmedabad was a learning opportunity for them. Even the team can take some learning from a win as well.
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“It was nice. I think we knew obviously how good South Africa is, and they’ve shown that throughout the tournament. So, to put on a performance like that in a crunch game is obviously pretty pleasing. I guess every time, you get shown up or you lose a game, you’re learning from it. I guess you learn when you win as well”, Santner said.
New Zealand went to bowl first in the first innings and introduced a spinner early to trick the top order of the South African batting unit. When they were in Ahmedabad a few days back, Santner went with the pacers, which did not work. Taking lessons from the past, he bought the spin attack early in the contest.
“We obviously threw a little bit more spin at the start, which we didn’t do at Ahmedabad. But I think, if you can take wickets throughout, it’s obviously a challenge to keep going with the bat. There was always a plan for the first two overs (talking about the bowling tactics) and then it’s kind of free fall after that”, the Kiwi skipper explained.
At the end of the day, it was the swashbuckling opener Finn Allen who took the game completely away from South Africa. Santner is hoping to see a similar type of performance in the final as well. In the summit clash, they will face either India or England.
Mitchell Santner also added that they played on different grounds and on different soils, which made the tasks more challenging. As the team passed today’s Tests with dominance, it is now all good for them.
“And then obviously, Finny (Allen) just carried on and, I mean, 33 balls for 100, it’s not bad. Not bad at all. It’d be nice if we could (repeat this in the final). But again, it’s a different ground. We’ve been there before, obviously. I think depending on where you are, it’s red soil, black soil. You know, so there’s a lot of different factors that go in, different-sized rounds. So I think we’ll obviously be pretty happy tonight with the win”, Mitchell Santner concluded, saying.
Read More: Aiden Markram highlights the KILLER moment behind South Africa’s loss vs New Zealand
Mumbai: A new study from the Tata Memorial Centre has highlighted that many modern cancer medicines, especially immunotherapy, are far too expensive for most people around the world, including India.The Tata Memorial Centre –ACTREC study, published in ‘Head & Neck’ medical journal, has mentioned that a six-month course of immunotherapy drug, pembrolizumab, in India costs nearly 80 times the average monthly income of most Indians.
Pembrolizumab is used to treat multiple cancers, including of head and neck. Immunotherapy boosts the body’s natural defenses to fight cancer, often using substances made by living organisms. It is a relatively new sphere of cancer treatment, with medicines costing lakhs for a month’s course.The research also found that another immunotherapy drug, Nivolumab, costs more than 20 times the average monthly income for a similar duration of treatment. The research said the affordability crisis in cancer care is global. “Even in the US and the UK, such immunotherapy drugs are deemed financially burdensome,” said the researchers. The team compared the prices of targeted therapy and immunotherapy drugs across seven countries, including India, the US, the UK, Pakistan and Bangladesh.Head and neck cancers account for almost 40% of the total cancer burden in India. Many patients are diagnosed at advanced stages. While immunotherapy has shown promise, the finances pose a challenge.The researchers also found the money needed to treat one patient with pembrolizumab in India could instead treat 18 to 22 patients with a lower-cost targeted therapy. While these cheaper medicines may not have shown the same efficacy as immunotherapy, they allow many more to receive treatment. Dr Arjun Singh, lead author from Tata Memorial Centre, said: “Immunotherapy is not just expensive—it is completely out of reach for most families. In India, a 6-month course of treatment can cost more than several years of income.” Senior author and ACTREC director Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi added, “When most people pay for treatment from their own pocket, such high costs can push families into poverty.”
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NEW DELHI: India began their Women’s Asian Cup campaign with a narrow 2-1 defeat to Vietnam in a dramatic Group C clash on Wednesday. Ngân Thi Van Su gave Vietnam the lead in the 30th minute, curling a right-footed shot into the top corner. Vietnam nearly made it 2-0 early in the second half, but VAR ruled out the goal for handball in the buildup.
India responded quickly, equalising just four minutes later when substitute Sanfida Nongrum struck on a counterattack, lifting the ball over the goalkeeper. The match appeared headed for a draw until stoppage time, when Vu Thi Hoa delivered a cross from the left and Van Su fired the winner through a defender’s legs. It marked a disappointing start for India, who had also faced setbacks in the 2022 edition, when they were forced to withdraw as hosts due to a COVID-19 outbreak in their squad. In the other Group C match, Japan secured a 2-0 win over Taiwan but had to be patient. Despite dominating nearly 90% possession and registering 30 shots, Japan struggled to break through a determined defence for more than an hour. Momoko Tanikawa finally opened the scoring in the 61st minute after controlling a long pass and finishing calmly from close range. Kiko Seike sealed the victory in stoppage time with a well-timed header. Taiwan failed to produce a shot on target but kept the scoreline close. With temperatures soaring to 37°C (99°F), officials allowed cooling breaks in both halves.Elsewhere in the tournament, Australia, South Korea, North Korea and China also started with wins as all 12 teams completed their opening matches in Australia.
Mumbai: He walked kilometres to school in the hills of Shimla, climbed a 20,000-ft peak in Ladakh in his seventies, and trekked through Antarctica and South America. Somewhere in between, Vijay Mohan Crishna became one of India’s most quietly distinguished actors straddling stage and screen. Best known for playing Shah Rukh Khan’s stern father in Devdas and for his decades-long association with Mahesh Dattani‘s Dance Like a Man, Crishna—former executive director of Godrej Industries—passed away on March 4, aged 80. The cause of death has not been disclosed.Crishna’s acting life began on a Delhi stage in the 1960s, where the young man from Shimla discovered theatre—and, by happy accident, a fellow theatregoer named Amitabh Bachchan. By 1971 he had moved to Mumbai, throwing himself into its theatre scene. He played a tender gangster in Pearl Padamsee’s play Orphans, took the title role in Alyque Padamsee’s tantric-inflected Macbeth, and directed Shaw’s Saint Joan. His greatest association, though, was Dattani’s Dance Like a Man—as Jairaj, a Bharatanatyam dancer past his prime—a role he performed on stage for over 25 years and reprised in Ritesh Menon’s 2014 film adaptation.His tryst with cinema began with Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi (1982) but it was Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas (2002) that gave him his most memorable screen moment — as the stern, heartbreaking patriarch Narayan. He later appeared in Guzaarish and Hirani’s PK.None of this was his only life. After eight years of management experience in Kolkata and five years in advertising in Mumbai, he had joined Lawkim Ltd in 1977 and helped turn the bankrupt company taken over by the Godrej Group around. Crishna, who then served Godrej Enterprises Group for 45 years, stepped down from the board in 2021 due to advancing age. A lover of wildlife, hiking and racing, his greatest relaxation, he once said, was the daily drive to the workplace in Vikhroli.Actor Anupam Kher expressed his grief and co-actor Lillete Dubey wrote on Instagram: “RIP my Jairaj… you will never be forgotten.” He is survived by wife Smita Crishna-Godrej and daughters Nyrika Holkar and Freyan Crishna Bieri.
NEW DELHI: An Indian national who returned to India in the first batch of flights from Dubai after air travel resumed has described tense nights, emergency alarms and uncertainty as conflict in the Middle East disrupted travel across the Gulf. Saumya Khandelwal, who had travelled to Dubai for work, said she experienced missile alerts and saw debris during the escalation of hostilities involving Iran, the United States and Israel. “I have seen the missile, and we’ve seen this debris. And then we’ve also seen, we’ve also got alarms in the middle of the night where the government was sending us, the alarms were blaring for us to go to the shelter or to the basement of the hotel and be there,” she said. “It was 12:13 in the night and we get a huge alarm on our phone and we had to rush to the basement.”
Khandelwal had arrived in Dubai on Wednesday and was scheduled to return to India on Saturday, but her plans were disrupted when airspace restrictions were imposed amid rising tensions in the region. “I went on Wednesday and I was supposed to come back on Saturday. The afternoon we got to know that the space is closed,” she said. Authorities asked travellers to remain indoors as the situation unfolded. “We were asked by the authorities to be in the hotel and not roam around on the streets. We were in the hotel. Things were very frightening over there. We were very tense.” Despite the uncertainty, she said both local authorities and residents extended support to stranded travellers. “The government was fully cooperative and the people over there are very warm. There was full cooperation from everybody around. They opened their homes for the people over there.” The Indian Embassy in the UAE also stayed in touch with citizens during the crisis. “We’ve had calls, several calls that if you need any help, if we need anything, any sort of help, they were there to help,” she said. “I received about two, three calls from Indian Embassy.” The sounds of sirens and missile alerts created a climate of fear, she said. “I was very scared and I thought that I don’t think so that I’ll be able to move out of UAE for next two, three weeks at least.” Her family in India was also anxious as the situation unfolded. “It was just a four day trip for work and nobody had imagined that something like this was happening in UAE.” Even as tensions remained high, Khandelwal said everyday life in Dubai continued largely without panic. “Monday the city was functioning normally. People were on the roads, they were doing their daily chores. The groceries were open.” “There was no panic at all, which was the best part. The cabs were running smoothly, the hotels were running smoothly.” She also said hotels and airlines avoided raising prices during the crisis. “You will be glad to know that there was no surge pricing. We were staying at the same price at what we were for the last four days.” “Emirates did not increase even a single penny. I’ve come back at a very nominal pricing.” Residents and businesses also stepped forward to help stranded travellers, particularly during the Ramadan period. “People were distributing food there because it’s Ramadan over there. They didn’t want to kill the festivity of the place.” “Some of the companies opened their houses free of cost. Whoever wants to come, they can live and they can peacefully stay till the time flights resume.” When flights finally resumed, Khandelwal managed to secure a seat on an Emirates flight and rushed to the airport. “The moment Emirates started, I just got another 15 minutes back and I had to reach airport by 6:30.” Passengers remained anxious until the aircraft finally took off. “Our flight was stuck on the runway for about 45 minutes and I was just waiting that please God, this flight has to go.” Once airborne, relief swept through the cabin. “Everybody in the flight, they yelled, they were calling family when they landed. It was a very happy atmosphere. I was almost in tears that time.” Khandelwal also dismissed reports suggesting widespread attacks in central Dubai. “I was myself in the central of Dubai. I was in Business Bay, which is one of the most crowded areas.” “There was no bombing around. The bombing was mostly at the airport side and also around the coast side.” Reflecting on the experience, she said calm and faith helped her navigate the tense situation. “My key takeaway will be that please have faith in God because that kept me going.” She also expressed confidence that authorities would continue assisting Indians in the Gulf. “The government is very very cooperative. If you have any problem, you talk to people around and they’re all very calm.” “I’m sure our government relationship with the UAE government is phenomenal and they’re going to get back Indians whoever are stuck.” Despite the ordeal, Khandelwal said she intends to return to the UAE once the situation stabilises. “The moment this is sorted, I’m going to go back to UAE for work.”
