The United States is rapidly increasing its military presence in the Middle East, deploying thousands of Marines and multiple warships in the region as tensions with Iran continue to rise during the ongoing war.Around 2,200–2,500 Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) are being deployed aboard the USS Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, according to Associated Press. This could take the number of additional US forces in the region to several thousand, on top of the nearly 50,000 troops already stationed in the Middle East.

Why is the US increasing its deployment?

The deployment comes nearly three weeks after the US and Israel launched a large-scale air campaign against Iran. Both sides have attacked one another with drone and missile attacks, including disruption in the functioning of the Strait of Hormuz.US officials say the additional forces are meant to boost operational readiness and provide options for future missions, including evacuation operations, securing sea routes or potential ground action if required.There are also discussions within the US administration about pressuring Iran by targeting key oil infrastructure.

USS Boxer: Floating assault base with air power

The USS Boxer, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, is the lead vessel in this deployment and serves as a floating military base. Often described as a small aircraft carrier, it can operate F-35B stealth fighter jets, attack helicopters and MV-22 Osprey aircraft, giving it strong airstrike capability.Beyond aviation, its core role is to support amphibious assaults, allowing Marines to be deployed directly onto hostile shores, according to the war zone. The ship carries over 2,000 troops, along with equipment, landing craft and command systems, making it capable of launching and sustaining combat operations independently.

USS Portland: Troop transport and logistics backbone

The USS Portland, a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, plays a key role in moving troops, vehicles and supplies. It is designed to carry more than 800 Marines along with heavy equipment and features a large flight deck that supports helicopters and tilt-rotor aircraft like the MV-22 Osprey, MH-605 Seahawk helicopters and CH-53-E Super Stallion heavy-lift aircraft.The ship also includes a well deck to launch landing craft and amphibious vehicles, enabling forces to move from sea to shore efficiently. Its primary role is to act as a logistics and transport hub, ensuring sustained operations during extended missions.

USS Comstock: Landing support and amphibious operations

The USS Comstock, a Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship, is focused on enabling amphibious landings. It is equipped to launch and recover landing craft, air-cushion vehicles and amphibious assault equipment, making it crucial for operations near coastlines.The vessel supports both combat and humanitarian missions and plays a vital role in delivering troops and supplies during operations. Its capabilities allow the US military to establish a strong foothold in coastal areas.The presence of these three ships together forms a powerful Amphibious Ready Group, capable of carrying out airstrikes, troop deployments and ground operations.Apart from the Boxer group, the US has also deployed the USS Tripoli, another amphibious assault ship carrying the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit from the Indo-Pacific region.The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, handling nearly 20% of global oil trade. Any disruption in this region can have a major impact on global oil prices and energy security.

Which ships has been earlier deployed?

As part of the growing US military presence amid the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, several warships have been deployed in the Middle East.At the center of deployment comes USS Tripoli. It is an amphibious assault ship capable of transporting landing and supporting ground troops and their equipment on hostile or foreign shores.In addition to these amphibious vessels, the United States has also maintained a broader naval presence that includes aircraft carriers and other naval assets supporting operations in the region.

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The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group has been active in the Arabian Sea and the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford has been operating in adjacent waters in support of ongoing military actions.

New Delhi: In a significant development in the 1996 Priyadarshini Mattoo murder case, Delhi High Court on Thursday directed convict Santosh Singh to surrender on Monday, after the victim’s brother strongly opposed his plea for premature release. Justice Anup J Bhambhani issued the order after taking note of submissions by Hemant Mattoo, Priyadarshini’s elder brother and the last surviving member of the family. The court said it would consider Singh’s plea for remission only after he surrenders. Earlier in Jan, the court had issued notice to Hemant, noting that the “next of kin of the deceased/victim have not been intimated of the pendency of the present petition seeking premature release.” Singh, who was granted parole last year, has remained out of prison after securing extensions from the high court while his plea for remission is pending. Appearing in the matter for the first time after being asked by the court, Hemant—represented by advocate Urvika Suri—opposed the plea and said he wished to assist the court in explaining why the Sentence Review Board (SRB) was right in rejecting Singh’s request for premature release. Last year, a different high court bench had set aside the SRB’s decision, observing that Singh had shown signs of reform. The court noted that the SRB had relied only on the gravity, cruelty and perversity of the crime, and on objections raised by Delhi Police and the CBI. The bench had also noted that Singh was lodged in an open prison, allowing him to leave the prison complex daily between 8 am and 8 pm for work as a legal consultant—an indication, it said, of positive reformative conduct. Priyadarshini Mattoo, 25, was raped and murdered in Jan 1996. Singh, then a law student at Delhi University, was acquitted by a trial court in 1999. However, on Oct 27, 2006, Delhi High Court overturned the verdict, convicted him of rape and murder, and sentenced him to death. In Oct 2010, Supreme Court upheld the conviction but commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment.

England’s white-ball stalwart Jos Buttler has addressed growing speculation around his international future following a disappointing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. While the tournament exposed a rare dip in form for one of England’s most dependable performers, Buttler has made it clear that he is not ready to walk away from the international stage just yet.

Jos Buttler opens up on his future with England after poor campaign in T20 World Cup 2026

The 35-year-old wicketkeeper-batter endured a tough run in the recently concluded T20 World Cup held across India and Sri Lanka. Managing just 87 runs in eight innings, Buttler’s performances fell well below his usually high standards. Despite England reaching the semi-finals, their journey ended with a defeat against eventual champions India, leaving several questions about the team’s senior players.

Speaking candidly on his podcast For the Love of Cricket alongside former England pacer Stuart Broad, Buttler did not shy away from acknowledging his struggles.

He openly admitted that the tournament was disappointing on a personal level, especially given his expectations and experience. However, the veteran also emphasized that a lean patch does not define his career, pointing to the strong form he has shown in recent years.

“Obviously I had a poor tournament, which is disappointing. But I have been playing some of the best cricket of my (career) in recent years, so hopefully I can get back to playing my best,” said Buttler.

Future uncertain but motivation remains strong

Buttler’s role in the England setup has been under scrutiny, particularly after he stepped down from white-ball captaincy following England’s underwhelming Champions Trophy 2025 campaign. Without leadership responsibilities, his place in the side will now depend purely on performance and selection dynamics.

Despite this uncertainty, Buttler remains motivated to continue representing England. He expressed a balanced perspective on his future, stating that selection decisions are no longer in his control but his ambition to contribute to the national team remains very much alive.

“I certainly have ambitions (to play for England again), but no longer being a captain, I am not a selector and whatever, so what will be, will be,” explained Buttler.

Also READ: MS Dhoni omitted! Irfan Pathan picks his ideal Chennai Super Kings lineup for IPL 2026

Time away from the game brings mental reset

Following the World Cup, Buttler chose to step away from cricket entirely, opting for a quiet family break in the French mountains. The decision, according to him, was crucial in helping him mentally reset after a demanding and disappointing tournament. He described the time away as exactly what he needed, allowing him to disconnect from the pressures of professional cricket. For a player who has been at the top level for over a decade, such breaks can often play a key role in rediscovering rhythm and focus.

“I couldn’t have been further away from cricket, which for me at the time was just perfect. It is exactly what I needed,” added Buttler.

Buttler is now set to return to competitive action in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL), where he will represent Gujarat Titans. The tournament presents a valuable opportunity for him to regain form, rebuild confidence, and make a strong statement ahead of future international selections.

Also READ: Aakash Chopra predicts the Orange Cap and Puple Cap winners of IPL 2026

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Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli (Agency Image)

Quick quiz: Since the first T20 World Cup in 2007, how many players who played only ODI cricket have been part of a 50-over World Cup-winning side? Answer: None. In 2027, across Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, Rohit and Kohli would love to change that. Assuming, of course, that they will be picked. Having retired from Tests and T20Is, they now occupy a curious space: giant names, shrinking game-time. Which is why this IPL matters so much. It is their most visible audition. If both want to convince a team management and selection panel that has become increasingly ruthless and pragmatic, they need to perform over the next eight weeks for Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, respectively. That may sound dramatic. After all, few players have achieved more. But the road to the 2027 ODI World Cup will not be paved by reputation or old highlights. It will depend on present-day form and fitness. Both remain in the conversation, with captain Shubman Gill and others indicating as much. The harder question is whether they can last that long. For Rohit, who turns 39 on April 30, and Kohli, now 37, this IPL is a fitness test-cum-batting examination. Both are now one-format cricketers. Both must show they can endure a long, high-intensity campaign and still be standing in 2027. Fitness, though, is only half the issue. Form, that fickle friend, is the other. Ask any Indian cricketer what they fear most and the answer is simple: being out of sight, out of mind. That is what makes this IPL so important for Rohit and Kohli. It puts them back in view after public attention was seized by the heroes of India’s T20 World Cup triumph. ODIs are increasingly rare. India last played a five-match ODI series in Feb–March 2019. For single-format players, one poor series can mean a long wait for another chance. Those gaps hurt batters most: rhythm fades, match sharpness dulls and every failure feels terminal. For them, every substantial IPL innings will be read as evidence — or the lack of it — that Rohit and Kohli are still moving well, reacting sharply and carrying the intensity top-level ODI cricket demands. And unlike the IPL, ODIs offer no impact substitute, the ultimate safety valve for sluggish movers. It remains a seven-hour test of endurance. Lazy analysis has caused us to hyphenate Rohit and Kohli’s careers. Acronyms like the nauseating “Ro-Ko” have only reinforced that. Yet, the stakes are higher for Rohit. His ODI legacy is secure but age and role now sit at the heart of the debate, especially with younger opening options available alongside Gill that offer greater athletic value in the field. Fan armies have dressed up Rohit’s loose dismissals as intent. His rollicking 20s and 30s were hailed as selflessness. But poor habits become more stubborn with age. They bled into his Test game too, accelerating both technical decline and his eventual exit from the format. This IPL, selectors and coach Gautam Gambhir will watch him closely. Can Rohit start with intent, pull quality pace without losing shape, run hard, field efficiently and maintain acceptable fitness through a long campaign? He has crossed 500 runs in an IPL season only once, in 2013. Another middling season and quiet murmurs could metamorphose into harsh verdicts. His last three ODI scores, remember, were 3, 11 and 24. Kohli’s case is different. He has been the defining white-ball batter of his generation and one of Indian sport’s great athletic specimens. What he is chasing now is not excellence but sustained relevance. Against South Africa and New Zealand, he showed greater willingness to attack early, looking for boundaries inside his first 10 balls. It suggested adaptation. Kohli had already mastered low-risk accumulation in ODIs; now he has garnished it with consistent urgency. That matters in the IPL, where strike rate and impact shape or destroy narratives. Kohli will want to show he can still dominate key bowlers and keep pace with the modern game’s demands. If he can combine control with carnage, his case remains strong. He has 11 IPL seasons of 400-plus runs and while many came at strike rates in the mid-120s, in each of his last three seasons it has risen to above 140. Last year, while batting first, his strike rate was 147.8, higher than his strike rate while chasing, 142.18. Since 2025, his ODI strike rate is 98.45, above his career mark of 93.41. Kohli also knows that when senior players try to stretch themselves into another World Cup cycle, selectors judge more than numbers. They look for hunger, energy and intent. The IPL, played under relentless scrutiny and offering instant, unforgiving public judgment, is the perfect stage for such examinations. The league has increasingly become a selection filter across formats in India — sometimes, disturbingly, even for Tests. For Rohit and Kohli, this season is more than a tournament. It is their ticket to relevance.

NEW DELHI : Weight-loss therapy costs are set to reduce substantially by up to 90%, with generic versions of injectable semaglutide are expected to hit pharmacy shelves from March 21. The move kicks off one of the most closely watched price wars in the high-stakes obesity and diabetes drug market.This is in the wake of the innovator Novo Nordisk’s patent on semaglutide, the key ingredient in these therapies, expiring on Friday. Two drugmakers including Natco Pharma and Eris Lifesciences announced plans to roll out the pen-filled jabs over 50% cheaper than the innovator’s price, in April. Interestingly, in a bid to lower the therapy cost further, they are also introducing vials at Rs 1,300 per month — about 90% cheaper than the innovator brand Ozempic.The vial will need to be administered through a syringe by a trained hand. More companies including Sun Pharma, Zydus and Dr Reddy’s are expected to join the highgrowth Rs 1,500 crore therapy market on Day 1 (March 21).Blockbuster therapies — Wegovy and Mounjaro — marketed by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly respectively, were launched at ‘’India-specific prices’’ last year, while global bestseller Ozempic by the Dutch firm, made its India debut in Dec last year. Semaglutide, a GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonist, helps to control blood sugar and improve satiety, reducing cravings for food, eventually inducing weight-loss.Natco plans to launch a semaglutide pen device in April starting at Rs 4,000 per month. The innovator Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic is priced at Rs 8,800 per month for the lowest strength. It is also introducing multi-dose vials starting at Rs 1,290 per month.Natco said: “It is the most affordable GLP-1 in Indian market as it is around 70% cheaper than pen device, and 90% cheaper than the price of the innovator’s brand. This will increase patient accessibility to the GLP-1 therapy and would help in long term compliance for the patients.”