Boston Celtics try to defend Philadelphia 76ers Joel Embiid (Image via Getty)

Joel Embiid is likely to play when the Philadelphia 76ers face the Miami Heat on February 26, 2026, at Wells Fargo Center. He is listed as probable, which usually means he will be available.This game matters for both teams in the standings. The Sixers are ahead of Miami by 1.5 games for the No. 6 seed, so the result could affect playoff positioning.

Joel Embiid injury status and recent return vs Miami Heat (February 26, 2026)

Joel Embiid is dealing with right knee management and soreness in his right shin. He missed five games before returning on February 24 against the Pacers.In that game, he scored 27 points with six rebounds and five assists in 26 minutes. He shot 11-of-17 from the field. This season, he is averaging 26.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 32 games.The team is managing his minutes to keep him healthy. The Sixers are 20-12 in games he has started this season.

Philadelphia 76ers injury report vs Miami Heat (February 26, 2026)

Philadelphia 76ers will still be missing a few players. Paul George is out due to suspension. Johni Broome is out with a meniscus tear, and MarJon Beauchamp is unavailable on a two-way assignment.Kelly Oubre Jr. is available and expected to play with a knee brace.

Tyrese Maxey and Quentin Grimes are available.

Miami Heat injury report vs Philadelphia 76ers (February 26, 2026)

Miami Heat is dealing with a few absences. Nikola Jovic and Terry Rozier are out. Davion Mitchell and Norman Powell are listed as questionable.Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo are available.

What this game means

This is a direct matchup in the standings. Embiid’s availability could make a difference for Philadelphia.Also read: Miami Heat vs Philadelphia 76ers injury report: Who’s playing, injured and questionable players, head-to-head records, team stats, and more (February 25, 2026)Miami still has its main players, but the missing depth could affect rotations. Philadelphia will likely run its offense through Embiid if he plays.

CHENNAI: Three-time chief minister and expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam, 75, is likely to join DMK on Friday, multiple sources told TOI. DMK may give him a seat, probably Bodinayakkanur in Theni, which he won in 2021, to contest in the coming assembly election.OPS, who has been fighting long — and so far unsuccessful — battles in courts and before Election Commission of India (ECI) to return to, if not regain control of AIADMK, is expected to join the rival party in the presence of chief minister and DMK president M K Stalin at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters.

Sources said OPS, who had been sending feelers to DMK, took the decision after AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami welcomed AMMK chief T T V Dhinakaran, another expelled AIADMK leader, into NDA. EPS was firm that he wouldn’t take back OPS.DMK leaders said there was an exchange of messages with OPS. “We told him to join our party. He is scheduled to join tomorrow morning,” a senior DMK leader told TOI on Thursday. OPS, who had checked into a hotel on Radhakrishnan Salai, remained unreachable.Panneerselvam’s supporters R Vaithilingam and Paul Manoj Pandian resigned their MLA posts and joined DMK recently. In August, Panneerselvam withdrew from NDA, citing “insults” from the BJP camp. Four months later, he called on Union home minister Amit Shah to convey that he would not join NDA unless the AIADMK factions are unified.On Sunday, Panneerselvam said Amit Shah had told him that the DMK alliance is strong enough to win against a divided AIADMK. “I pleaded with him to bring together the groups and unify the party,” OPS said. “He (Shah) said he had tried to persuade (EPS) but he (EPS) wouldn’t listen … Shall I join the Sankara mutt?”OPS supporters said the decision wasn’t an easy one. “Some of his relatives were not keen on his joining DMK,” said a source. “But he felt it was the right thing to do in the circumstances. “He wants to take on Palaniswami,” said another aide. “He can do it only when he joins a powerful force like the DMK. It is, after all, our parent party.”Then AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa chose OPS as the stand-in chief minister twice — in 2001 and 2014 — when she faced legal challenges. OPS again became CM in 2016 after Jayalalithaa’s death, but he lost the post within a couple of months following a power struggle. He served as deputy CM and joint coordinator of AIADMK, but soon his differences with EPS grew. In July 2022, EPS got the AIADMK bylaws amended, eliminating the dual leadership structure and expelling OPS from the party.As for the seat OPS is likely to get, a DMK leader said, “There are contenders in our party for the Bodinayakkanur seat. He may be given some other seat in the region.” In the 2024 general election, Panneerselvam, an NDA ally, contested as an independent candidate from Ramanathapuram and came second, with 3.42 lakh votes.

Afghanistan’s military authorities have said they have begun carrying out strikes against Pakistan in response to recent Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan territory.In a statement issued by the media office of a military corps in eastern Afghanistan, officials said “heavy clashes” broke out on Thursday night.

The fighting, they said, was “in response to the recent airstrikes carried out by Pakistani forces in Nangarhar and Paktia” provinces, according to news agency AP.There was no immediate confirmation from Pakistan, and no details were available on casualties at the time of reporting.

Trigger: Cross-border airstrikes

The latest escalation follows Pakistani military strikes along the border with Afghanistan on Sunday. Pakistan’s military said it had killed at least 70 militants in those operations.Kabul rejected that claim, insisting that the air raids had instead killed dozens of civilians, including women and children.Afghanistan’s government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said on X: “Last night, they bombed our civilian compatriots in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, martyring and wounding dozens of people, including women and children.”Afghanistan’s defence ministry also said that “dozens of innocent civilians, including women and children, were martyred and wounded” after airstrikes hit a school and residential homes in eastern provinces.Afghan media outlet Tolo News reported that a civilian house in Behsud district of Nangarhar province was targeted, with 23 members of a family reportedly buried under rubble. The broadcaster also said the Pakistani Air Force struck a religious seminary in Bermal district of Paktika province and carried out multiple airstrikes in Khogyani district of Nangarhar.Pakistan confirmed that it had conducted cross-border strikes in Bermal and Argun districts of Paktika, as well as in Khogyani, Bahsod and Ghani Khel districts of Nangarhar since Saturday.

Pakistan cites militant targets

Islamabad said the operations were aimed at militant groups it blames for a series of recent suicide attacks inside Pakistan.Geo News, citing Pakistan’s ministry of information, reported that seven camps and hideouts of Fitna al Khwarij (a term used by Pakistan for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan), its affiliates and Daesh Khorasan Province were hit. The ministry described the action as carried out “with precision and accuracy” in response to suicide attacks in Islamabad, Bajaur and Bannu during Ramadan.Pakistan’s state minister for interior, Talal Chaudhry, said the country had “conclusive evidence” that recent attacks — including a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad that killed 31 worshippers — were carried out by militants acting on the direction of Afghanistan-based leadership and handlers.The Pakistani government has repeatedly urged Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities to prevent militant groups from using Afghan soil to launch attacks, and has called on the international community to press Kabul to honour commitments under the Doha Agreement.

Rising tensions on both sides

The cross-border strikes came days after a suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden vehicle into a security post in Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing 11 soldiers and a child. Authorities later said the attacker was an Afghan national.Another suicide bombing in Bannu killed two soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel.Following those incidents, Pakistan’s military warned it would not “exercise any restraint” and would continue operations against those responsible “irrespective of their location”, signalling growing tensions between Islamabad and Kabul.Afghanistan has consistently denied allegations that armed groups are using its territory to carry out attacks against Pakistan.India also reacted to the situation. Ministry of external affairs said it “strongly condemns Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghan territory that have resulted in civilian casualties, including women and children, during the holy month of Ramadan.”Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained strained in recent months, with earlier border clashes resulting in casualties among soldiers, civilians and suspected militants on both sides. The latest exchanges now mark one of the most serious escalations between the two neighbours in recent times.

Image credit: X (Twitter)

Cognizant‘s chief AI officer, Babak Hodjat, has described concerns that artificial intelligence will disrupt IT services companies as “overblown.” This comes after Anthropic’s Claude AI tools wiped out more than a trillion dollars from the stock market. Speaking to Reuters, Hodjat said enterprises still require significant support to deploy, integrate, and manage AI systems, despite advances in automated tools from startups such as Anthropic.Hodjat noted that businesses are still far from relying on a single, all-purpose AI agent, adding, “That mapping is our job; it does not come just automatically out of the box,” he told Reuters. Hodjat, whose earlier work contributed to Apple’s Siri voice assistant, said demand for AI-led transformation continues to support growth for services firms. Cognizant, which has more than 70% of its workforce in India, has predicted annual revenue above Wall Street estimates.Meanwhile, rivals such as TCS and Wipro have also said AI adoption is expected to expand demand for software services rather than reduce it.

How AI has already impacted multiple jobs already

Hodjat’s comments supporting the continued role of services companies come even as AI-related job reductions begin to emerge across the industry. Shipping and logistics software firm WiseTech Global said it plans to lay off nearly one-third of its workforce as it integrates AI into customer software and internal operations. TCS announced 12,000 job cuts last year, though the company later said that the layoffs were not linked to AI.Cognizant, which currently generates around 30% of its code using AI and aims to increase this to 50%, said it does not see automation eliminating entry-level roles. CEO Ravi Kumar S said during the company’s earnings call earlier this month that Cognizant hired 25,000 fresh graduates in 2025 and expects to exceed that number in 2026.Hodjat also told Reuters that almost all of Cognizant’s clients have experimented with AI agents but recognise that they still need support to deploy these systems effectively within their existing infrastructure to generate returns

File photo: PM Modi with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu

India and Israel will meet again in May 2026 to continue negotiations on their proposed free trade agreement (FTA), the commerce ministry said on Thursday. The next round of in-person discussions will take place in Israel.

The announcement came after the two sides wrapped up the first round of four-day talks in New Delhi. Officials described the discussions as wide-ranging, covering several crucial trade areas.“Both sides also agreed to continue inter-sessional engagements virtually. The next round of in-person negotiations will be held in May 2026 in Israel,” the ministry said.

Wide-ranging agenda on trade and investment

The negotiations are covering trade in goods and services, rules of origin, sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, customs procedures, intellectual property rights and digital trade, among other key chapters, according to news agency PTI.In November last year, the two countries signed the terms of reference (ToR) to formally launch the negotiations. The ToR include provisions for market access for goods through the removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers, investment facilitation, simplified customs procedures, enhanced cooperation in innovation and technology transfer, and easing of norms to boost trade in services.Under an FTA, countries typically reduce or eliminate import duties on most traded goods and relax regulations to encourage services trade and investments.India’s chief negotiator is Ajay Bhadoo, additional secretary in the department of commerce, while Israel’s side is led by Yifat Alon Perel, senior director for trade policy and agreements.

Push from top leadership

The talks have gained political backing at the highest level. During his recent state visit to Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a special plenary of the Knesset in Jerusalem on Wednesday and called for the early conclusion of an ambitious FTA to unlock untapped trade potential between the two nations.Both countries have identified significant opportunities in sectors such as machinery, chemicals, textiles, agriculture, medical devices and advanced technologies.

Trade figures show decline

Despite strong diplomatic ties, recent trade data shows a notable dip. During 2024-25, India’s exports to Israel fell 52 per cent to $2.14 billion, down from $4.52 billion in 2023-24, according to PTI.Imports also declined by 26.2 per cent to $1.48 billion in the last fiscal year.Total bilateral trade stood at $3.62 billion.India is Israel’s second-largest trading partner in Asia. Although merchandise trade is still dominated by diamonds, petroleum products and chemicals, recent years have seen growing exchanges in electronic machinery, high-tech products, communication systems and medical equipment.India’s key exports include pearls and precious stones, automotive diesel, chemicals and mineral products, machinery and electrical equipment, plastics, textiles and apparel, base metals, transport equipment and agricultural products.On the import side, India buys pearls and precious stones, chemical and mineral or fertiliser products, machinery and electrical equipment, petroleum oils, defence equipment and transport machinery.

Talks resume after earlier pause

This is not the first attempt to seal a trade pact. India and Israel had earlier held eight rounds of negotiations, with the last meeting taking place in October 2021. However, the talks stalled thereafter. The current round marks a renewed effort to conclude the agreement.In September last year, the two sides also signed a Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA). Under this pact, India reduced the local remedies exhaustion period for Israeli investors to three years from five years. Between April 2000 and June 2025, India received $337.77 million in foreign direct investment from Israel.Israel, a high-income and technology-driven economy with a population of under 10 million, is seen as a strategic partner for India in innovation and advanced manufacturing. Officials on both sides believe that a well-structured FTA could significantly strengthen trade and investment flows in the coming years.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (File photo)

NEW DELHI: The Gauhati high court on Thursday issued a notice to Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding multiple PILs that allege he made “hate speech.”A division bench, consisting of Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury, heard the three petitions. Notices were also issued to the Assam government and the Director General of Police.

The court scheduled the next hearing for April 21.“The respondents have to reply to the notices before the next date. The court has not issued any other order,” advocate Santanu Borthakur, who assisted the counsels for one of the petitioners, told PTI.The petitioners include the political parties CPI and CPI(M), each of which filed separate petitions, as well as a joint petition by Sahitya Akademi awardee Hiren Gohain, former DGP Harekrishna Deka, and senior journalist Paresh Malakar.Gohain, Deka, and Malakar submitted their petition on February 24, while the CPI and CPI(M) had filed their separate petitions earlier, on February 21, concerning the same issue.Earlier, the Supreme Court had refused, on February 16, to entertain petitions seeking action against Sarma in a similar matter.The petitioners alleged that Sarma’s remarks could “divide society” and constituted “blatant hate speech” against a minority community in Assam. They claimed he directed party members to file complaints against Bengali-origin Muslims, derogatorily referred to as “Miyas,” to cause them harassment.The PIL stated that Sarma has been instigating social and economic boycotts, propagating harmful stereotypes, and encouraging civilians to take law and order into their own hands. It also alleged that he has used his office to harass the minority community and incite communal disharmony.The petitioners demanded a complete cessation of such hate speech, an inquiry by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) chaired by a retired high court judge, and appropriate action against Sarma. They noted that despite publicly recorded speeches suggesting incitement, no FIR had been registered, creating a climate of impunity.

PM Modi’s selfie with Fauda cast

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted a lighthearted selfie of him meeting the star cast of the Jewish spy thriller series Fauda on Thursday.Posting the photo on X, PM Modi wrote: “Thankfully, this interaction required only a selfie, no undercover work!”Fauda (Arabic for “chaos”) is a critically acclaimed Israeli political thriller that gained global popularity. The show explores the high-stakes, morally complex world surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, portraying undercover operations, counterterror missions and the human cost of prolonged violence on both sides.

PM Modi’s meeting with the star cast comes as various stakeholders in the Indian and Israeli entertainment industries have been seeking collaborative projects and possibilities of utilising each other’s strengths in various aspects of the creative space. Last year, amid government efforts to make India a global film production hub, an Indian film festival kicked off in Israel with the screening of filmmaker Kiran Rao’s acclaimed feature “Laapataa Ladies”. “Dangal”, “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara”, “Mimi”, “English Vinglish” and “777 Charlie” were the other five movies to be screened in the film festival, which ran till March 8.The lineup showcased India’s diversity, rich traditional heritage, contemporary challenges and its creative genius.During his 2018 visit to India, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after making a fervent appeal to the Hindi film industry to shoot in his country, captured some of Bollywood’s biggest faces into a selfie with Amitabh Bachchan helming the epic shot.“We believe in India-Israel relationship. One of the most viral pictures occurred at the Oscars a few years ago. I’d like the Bollywood stars to join me for a selfie so a few hundred million Indians and Israelis can see this phenomenal friendship. Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra, Jai Israel!” he said as he beckoned the actors and filmmakers at the gathering titled Shalom Bollywood.India’s entertainment industry is valued at roughly $29–30 billion (2024), driven by films, television, OTT platforms, music, gaming and advertising. It produces the highest number of films globally and has strong cultural influence across Asia, the Middle East and the diaspora.Israel’s industry is much smaller in revenue but influential in global TV formats, high-quality dramas and creative exports.

NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully completed the full dress rehearsal for the upcoming Vayushakti-26 exercise at Pokhran, officials confirmed on Thursday, marking a key milestone in validating all operational parameters ahead of the main demonstration.In a post on X, the IAF said, “Indian Air Force: Infallible, Impervious and Precise 1 day to go. The Indian Air Force has successfully validated all operational parameters during the Full Dress Rehearsal for #Vayushakti26 at Pokhran, all targets effectively neutralised. All Air Warriors now stand fully mission-ready for the decisive demonstration on 27 February, Pokhran, Jaisalmer.”The IAF video showcased the launch of Russian S-400 air defence missiles in action. The S-400 systems shot down at least five high-tech Pakistani fighters in the F-16 and JF-17-class in the air as well as an ELINT (electronic intelligence) or AEW&C (airborne early warning and control) aircraft in the “longest kill ever achieved” at a distance of 314 km during Operation Sindoor.The S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile system boasts an impressive range of 380 km and has been deployed in three operational squads under a Rs 40,000 crore deal with Russia signed in October 2018. Originally planned for five squads, the deployment of the remaining two squads has been delayed to 2026–27 due to disruptions caused by the Russia–Ukraine conflict.The exercise aims to demonstrate the force’s ability to swiftly neutralise threats, dominate the operational environment, and translate tactical actions into strategic outcomes. In addition, Vayushakti-26 will showcase the IAF’s role in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, including rapid airlift, rescue, and evacuation operations within India and abroad.A wide range of aircraft and helicopters will participate, including India’s fighter jets Tejas, Rafale, Jaguar, Mirage-2000, Sukhoi-30MKI, MiG-29, and Hawk, as well as transport planes like C-130J, C-295, and C-17. Helicopters including Chetak, ALH MK-IV, Mi-17 IV, LCH, Apache, and Chinook will also take part, along with Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA). Advanced weapons such as Short Range Loitering Munitions (SRLM), Akash, SpyDer, and Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (CUAS) will be used in day, dusk, and night missions to show the IAF’s flexibility and readiness.The exercise will also reaffirm the success of Operation Sindoor and demonstrate the IAF’s strength in controlling airspace, targeting threats from long distances, operating across multiple areas, and using indigenous platforms, in line with the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.Guided by the core values of “Achook, Abhedya aur Sateek,” the exercise aims to reassure IAF’s readiness to safeguard sovereignty, protect national interests, and maintain operational superiority in an evolving security landscape.