India entered the US-led Pax Silica strategic alliance on Friday, as the two sides signed Pax Silica Declaration in presence of Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and US under secretary of state for economic affairs, Jacob Helberg. This comes after US envoy Sergio Gor invited India to enter the bloc last month continuing efforts to finalise a proposed trade agreement and expand cooperation in emerging technologies and supply chains. Hailing the agreement, Gor said, “India joins Pax Silica, the coalition that will define the 21st century economic and technological order.” The Pax Silica Declaration is aimed towards building a secure, resilient and innovation-driven ecosystem for critical minerals and artificial intelligence (AI).

Addressing the signing ceremony, Vaishnaw also highlighted the broader vision behind the initiative, saying, “India has become a part of the Pax Silica. This will greatly benefit India’s electronics and semiconductor industry. Ten plants are already established in India and are in the process of being established, and very soon, the first semiconductor plant will begin commercial production.”He further added that India’s engineers are now designing some of the world’s most advanced 2-nanometre chips domestically. Noting that the semiconductor industry will require around one million additional skilled professionals, he stressed that this talent is expected to come from India. “All this will continue, we have to move forward. The country has a direction, a clear goal, and we have to take global leadership in the semiconductor industry and the electronics industry.”Talking about the Declaration, Gor said that the move builds on recent economic engagement between the two democracies. He said, “India’s entry into Pax Silica is not just symbolic. It is strategic and essential. India is a nation with deep talent, deep enough to rival challengers. India’s engineering depth offers critical capabilities for this vital coalition. In addition to talent, India has made important strides towards critical mineral processing capacity, and that is something that we are also fully engaged in. Policies that will reinforce US-India tech cooperation will power AI innovation and adoption for years to come. We can share trusted AI technology with the world, and especially with partners like India…”The alliance, launched back in December 2025, seeks to secure global AI and semiconductor supply chains and reduce dependence on non-aligned nations. It focuses on strengthening cooperation across the full technology value chain, from raw materials to advanced infrastructure. India’s entry in the bloc is set to add its vast talent base, semiconductor ambitions and strategic location to the alliance, positioning New Delhi to play a role in shaping the future economic and technological framework.The Pax Silica declaration recognises “that a reliable supply chain is indispensable to our mutual economic security.” It further notes, “We also recognize that artificial intelligence represents a transformative force for our long-term prosperity and that trustworthy systems are essential to safeguarding our mutual security and prosperity…We believe that economic value and growth will flow through and across all levels of the global AI supply chain, driving historic opportunity and demand for energy, critical minerals, manufacturing, technological hardware, infrastructure, and new markets not yet invented.“Member nations also include Australia, Greece, Israel, Japan, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.A Pax Silica Summit held in Washington on December 12 had earlier brought partner nations together to endorse a shared vision of deeper economic and technology cooperation, with one of the initiative’s central pillars being the creation of a durable economic order to drive AI-powered prosperity across participating countries.

Ahmedabad: India may have ended the league phase of the World Cup unbeaten, but there are a few glitches they need to iron out before taking on much stronger sides in the Super 8 stage. India’s catching has been below par, but the most glaring shortcoming has been their batters’ failure to dominate spin, a concern that has also contributed to their home Test defeats in recent years. Two major reasons India have been bogged down by rival spinners—especially off-spinners—have been the presence of so many left-handers in the lineup and the poor form of explosive opener Abhishek Sharma, who has registered three consecutive ducks.

So far in the tournament, India have faced 42 overs of spin, scoring 315 runs at a run rate just above seven. Spinners have already accounted for 15 Indian wickets. On Wednesday, Dutch off-spinner Aryan Dutt returned figures of 2/19 in four overs. Thriving on some fine spells by their spinners, Associate teams like the USA and the Netherlands have given India a scare before eventually going down. India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate acknowledged that teams were targeting them with finger spin, particularly given that the Men in Blue have several left-handers in the lineup. The entire top three (Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Tilak Varma) are left-handed, while Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, and Axar Patel add to that count. “The Dutch guys took pace off the ball a lot of the time. And obviously teams are bowling a lot of finger spin to us, with so many left-handers in our lineup. That is a challenge. It has made it easier for the opposition. We don’t have many options. We’ve got Sanju sitting on the side,” ten Doeschate said. It is a problem area India need to address before their Super 8 opener against South Africa here on Sunday. The Proteas boast quality spin options in captain Aiden Markram, George Linde, and Keshav Maharaj. Even West Indies and Zimbabwe—the other teams in their group—are well stocked in the spin department and pose a threat that cannot be ignored. The Windies, as they showed in their league-stage match against England at the Wankhede Stadium, have an effective spin trio in Gudakesh Motie, Akeal Hosein, and Roston Chase. Zimbabwe’s four-pronged spin attack of Sikandar Raza, Ryan Burl, Graeme Cremer, and Wellington Masakadza can also spring a surprise. Ten Doeschate pointed out that it was finger spin that was troubling India’s usually aggressive batters. “I’d say finger spin (is the problem). If you take the combined figures, Pakistan bowled 14 overs of finger spin in the last game and, off the top of my head, it was something like 4/78. So it’s not a great number. Colombo was a particularly difficult wicket. The numbers against the Netherlands improved towards the back end. But again, Dutt bowling four overs for what he did was a big challenge,” he said, adding that bigger grounds had increased India’s woes. “I think these two venues in particular—with a bigger boundary here and obviously a slower wicket in Colombo—exaggerate that. But it’s something we’re going to have to focus on. With the amount of finger spin we’re going to get in the next three games, it’s going to be important that we dominate that phase of the game,” he added. Ten Doeschate felt that India’s batters have also looked vulnerable because the league-stage wickets have offered some assistance to spinners. “It’s not a sudden thing. The wickets we’ve played bilateral series on over the last 18 months have been really good batting tracks. Then, as soon as you come to a wicket that offers a bit of hold, it becomes a challenge. “So it might look like a short-term issue. On better wickets, you won’t see it—you can hit through the ball with more confidence. But the point is we need plans for wickets that do hold and where the boundaries are bigger. We need a clear game plan to deal with that threat,” he said. Given all the talk of ‘intent’ and a ‘fearless’ approach in T20Is, India’s post-Powerplay drop in run rate has also been very surprising.

Stock market today (AI image)

Stock market today: Equity benchmarks opened flat on Friday after a crash on Thursday due to escalating geopolitical tensions. While Nifty50 was above 25,450, BSE Sensex was near 82,500. At 9:17 AM, Nifty50 was trading at 25,471.70, up 17 points or 0.068%. BSE Sensex was trading at 82,505.86, up 8 points or 0.0094%.Yesterday, the stock market crashed in trade bringing an end to its three-session rally. Market experts believe investors are likely to adopt a cautious stance in the short term amid rising geopolitical tensions and concerns over potential disruptions to global oil supplies.Any intensification of the situation involving Iran may hinder cargo movement through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route. Such a development would pose significant challenges for India, which relies heavily on crude oil imports from that region.Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited says, “The sharp spike in Brent crude to $72 reflects growing fear and uncertainty in markets. President Trump’s warning that “Iran has 10 to 15 days to strike a deal or bad things happen “ has put the markets on tender hooks. Whether there will be a deal after the standoff, or whether missiles will fly will determine the market behaviour in the near-term. The continuing weakness in IT stocks is another dampener for the market. Amidst the many crises, the strength of the Indian economy and the recovery in corporate earnings as reflected in Q3 numbers, are positives for the market. If, hopefully, the US-Iran standoff gets resolved in the coming days, the market will bounce back. Therefore, investors may wait and watch the unfolding developments in West Asia. Meanwhile, investors who are optimistic about a possible deal can use the current weakness in the market to buy fairly valued high quality stocks in banking and financials, autos, pharmaceuticals, hotels, leading capital goods and telecom. Crisis have proved to be buying opportunities, in hindsight.”In the United States, major stock indices closed in the red on Thursday. Declines in private equity firms, along with weakness in Walmart and Apple, weighed on the market, although gains in industrial stocks following earnings announcements helped contain the overall drop.Meanwhile, Asian markets also moved lower as growing tensions surrounding Iran dampened investor confidence, while oil prices climbed to their highest level since August.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)

Eric Dane, best known for his roles in the hit medical drama series ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and the teen-drama ‘Euphoria‘, passed away on Friday. He was 53.Dane, who openly spoke about his battle with ALS and became an advocate in spreading awareness over the past few years, reportedly passed away from the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known also as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The news of his demise comes less than a year after he went public about the diagnosis.

Eric Dane’s announces his death in a statement

“He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world,” said a statement that requested privacy for his family. “Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight. He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received.”

Eric Dane’s battle with ALS

In April 2025, Dane announced he had been diagnosed with ALS, a progressive disease that attacks nerve cells controlling muscles throughout the body.He became an advocate for ALS awareness, speaking a news conference in Washington on health insurance prior authorization. “Some of you may know me from TV shows, such as “Grey’s Anatomy,” which I play a doctor. But I am here today to speak briefly as a patient battling ALS,” he said in June 2025. In September of that year, the ALS Network named Dane the recipient of their advocate of the year award, recognizing his commitment to raising awareness and support for people living with ALS.Eric Dane pens memoirA memoir by Dane is scheduled to be published in 2026. “Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments” will be released by Maria Shriver’s The Open Field, a Penguin Random House imprint. According to Open Field, Dane will look back upon key moments in his life, from his first day at work on “Grey’s Anatomy” to the births of his two daughters and learning that he has ALS. “I want to capture the moments that shaped me — the beautiful days, the hard ones, the ones I never took for granted — so that if nothing else, people who read it will remember what it means to live with heart,” Dane said in a statement around the book’s announcement. “If sharing this helps someone find meaning in their own days, then my story is worth telling.”

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.

NEW DELHI: Election Commission is planning to commence the third round of special intensive revision in April. While the first phase was for Bihar, Phase 2 covered a dozen states and Union territories. The commission wrote on Thursday to chief electoral officers of the 22 remaining states/UTs, including Delhi, saying the SIR process “is expected to start from April 2026” and requested them to complete the SIR preparatory work at the earliest. Weeks before EC announced Phase 2 of SIR on Oct 27, 2025, it had similarly written to CEOs of all states/UTs except Bihar. However, SIR was announced for only 12. This indicates not all 22 pending states/UTs are likely to be included in Phase 3, even though their electorate is only about 39 crore compared to the 60 crore already covered.The states/UTs mentioned in the communication include Manipur and Uttarakhand, where the terms of current assemblies will expire in March 2027. Others on the list are Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura and Telangana; besides the UTs of Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu, Ladakh and Delhi. Phase 3 may continue till June or early July in the event of extensions. Significantly, phase 3 will coincide with the houselisting stage of Census 2027, to be held over a 45-day time frame between April 1 and Sept 30 this year as individually notified by the states/UTs. Some states such as Delhi, Haryana and Odisha that have already notified their houselisting timelines may thus need to revise these timelines or request EC for inclusion in the next phase of SIR. Some states/UTs that have not yet notified houselisting dates may choose to schedule the first phase of census after June-July or request that SIR be conducted in a later phase.

Philadelphia 76ers Joel Embiid vs New Orleans Pelicans (Image via Getty)

Joel Embiid will not play for the Philadelphia 76ers against the Atlanta Hawks on February 19, 2026. The team has ruled him out as he continues to deal with a right knee issue along with soreness in his right shin that worsened during the All-Star break.This is a setback for Philadelphia as it tries to stay in the playoff race. Without Embiid, the team loses its main presence inside on both ends of the floor. That puts more pressure on the guards and wings to handle scoring and playmaking against an Atlanta team that plays at a fast pace.

Joel Embiid’s injury status vs Atlanta Hawks and recent games missed (February 19, 2026)

Joel Embiid felt discomfort in his shin while going through his knee management routine during the break. The issue required daily treatment and further checks, which led to the decision to keep him out of this game.He had already missed the final two games before the break. This adds to his limited availability this season. He has played 31 games so far, averaging 26.6 points and 7.5 rebounds. The team plans to evaluate him again before upcoming road games against New Orleans and Minnesota.

Philadelphia 76ers injury report and expected rotation (February 19, 2026)

Paul George is also unavailable. He is serving a suspension through March 25 after violating the league’s anti-drug policy. Before that, he was averaging 16 points and 5.1 rebounds.The rest of the roster is mostly available. Tyrese Maxey is expected to lead the offense. Kelly Oubre Jr., Quentin Grimes, and Kyle Lowry will handle backcourt and wing minutes. Andre Drummond is likely to take on a larger role in the paint. Younger players such as VJ Edgecombe, Adem Bona, and Johni Broome could also see time.

Hawks injury report and available players

Atlanta has a few minor issues in the frontcourt. Jonathan Kuminga is listed as questionable with a left knee bone bruise. N’Faly Dante is out with a knee injury.Most of the main rotation is available. Jalen Johnson has been productive with averages of 23 points and 10 rebounds. Onyeka Okongwu and Nickeil Alexander-Walker add scoring support.

What this means for the game

Without Joel Embiid, Philadelphia loses its main rim protector and post scorer. That could be a problem against a team like Atlanta that scores often in transition. The Hawks average 18 fast-break points per game, one of the highest marks in the league.Maxey has been playing well and is averaging 28.9 points in recent games, but the overall balance of the team changes without Embiid. Philadelphia 76ers scored 116.2 points per game, while Atlanta allows 118.6, so the game could come down to shot-making and pace.Also read: Atlanta Hawks vs Philadelphia 76ers injury report: Who’s playing, injured and questionable players, head-to-head records, team stats, and more (February 19, 2026)Both teams are near the bottom of the standings and dealing with absences. Atlanta comes in with some momentum after ending a losing streak, while Philadelphia will need to adjust again without its best player.

V Umashankar (File photo)

NEW DELHI: Mere awareness drives or campaigns will not be enough to reduce violations of road traffic rules and road crashes; rather, the “certainty of enforcement” will have a greater deterrent impact, Union road transport secretary V Umashankar said on Thursday while sharing details of the recently notified e-challan rules. Speaking at the release of the New Delhi Road Safety Declaration at the National Road Safety Confluence held at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Umashankar questioned whether a juvenile (referring to a recent case in Delhi) did not know that he was underage and should not have been driving a car, or whether the vehicle owner who modified a tourist bus — resulting in the deaths of more than 20 people in a fire — did not know that such modifications were illegal. “Forty-five percent of fatalities involve two-wheelers or people riding two-wheelers. We find that most of these deaths occurred because the rider was not wearing a helmet. Does he not know that wearing a helmet is good for him?” he observed. Umashankar said, “Awareness is not enough — what we need is organised, district-level action, backed by certainty of enforcement and supported by strong institutions. When compliance becomes a habit and accountability becomes certain, road safety will move from intention to impact.” Mats-Ake Belin, global lead for the Decade of Action for Road Safety at the World Health Organization, said that road safety is now firmly on the global agenda, with strong political and media attention. “Our responsibility is to move beyond awareness and ensure consistent, evidence-based implementation so that no country is left behind in preventing road traffic deaths,” he added. The New Delhi Road Safety Declaration, aligned with the WHO Decade of Action for Road Safety, states that India records the highest number of road fatalities globally, with vulnerable road users — such as pedestrians, cyclists, two-wheeler riders, gig workers, and rural communities — being the most affected. Despite several initiatives, the absence of coordinated, institution-led action has limited national impact. “The declaration addresses this gap by adopting a Safe System approach, placing human life at the centre of all mobility decisions,” it said. The declaration, spearheaded by the Bharat Association of Road Safety Volunteers (BARS), an organisation comprising members from diverse fields, has set five pillars of action: strengthening road safety management through leadership at all levels; promoting open crash data, annual public reviews, dedicated funding, and enhanced enforcement; ensuring safer vehicles and fleets; promoting safer road users and improved post-crash response; and creating a safer driving environment.Participants included representatives from ministries, WHO and other multilateral agencies, civil society, academia, industry bodies, OEMs, technology innovators, and youth groups.