US President Donald Trump, during his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in December, assured that the US would support Israeli strikes on Iran, should the US not reach a deal with Iran on the regime’s nuclear programme, US news outlet CBS News reported.Citing two sources familiar with the matter, the report said that two months after the meeting, the discussions between the US military’s senior figures and the intelligence community had begun to assess the possibilities of an Israeli strike on Iran.The two nations share their stance against Iran’s nuclear ballistic missile programme.According to the report, the United States shall not be interfering much with how Israel acts. Rather, Washington will assist Israel with mid-air refuelling and obtain overflight permissions from countries along Israel’s potential routes.This becomes important as Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, have publicly denied providing an airspace used for any strikes on Iran. Thus, it remains unclear which country will provide airspace for strike and refuelling purposes.This comes as Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, departed for Switzerland on Sunday for a second round of renewed talks with the United States later this week.Washington has kept up the pressure, with a new executive order imposing tariffs on countries trading with Iran taking effect, with additional sanctions targeting shipping firms and vessels tied to Iranian oil exports.Alongside, the US is also increasing its military presence in the Gulf, as most recently, Trump ordered the world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R Ford, along with its USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, to join the “armada” in the Middle East.Iran has made its stance clear that it shall not give up its uranium enrichment. Addressing a forum in Tehran on February 8, Araghchi said Iran had “paid a very heavy price” for what it maintains is a peaceful nuclear programme.“Why do we insist so much on enrichment and refuse to give it up even if a war is imposed on us? Because no one has the right to dictate our behaviour,” he said.Tehran and Washington resumed negotiations in Muscat on February 6, months after earlier talks collapsed following Israel’s unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran last June, which triggered a 12-day war.

In a spectacular debut, Shahid Kapoor’s ‘O’ Romeo’ has shattered expectations at the Indian box office, amassing Rs 30.15 crore over its opening weekend. This romantic drama, though met with varied audience feedback on its narrative, has achieved a global total of Rs 40.6 crore. Read on to know more.

Shahid Kapoor‘s ‘O’ Romeo’ has been released in theaters and is receiving a mixed response from the audience. While the audience is praising the performances by lead stars Shahid and Triptii Dimri, the story of the film failed to impress them. As the movie opened to a good number at the box office, let’s take a look at its Day 3 collections and how much it will earn on Day 4.

‘O’ Romeo’ box office collection Day 3 (first Sunday)

The Vishal Bhardwaj film raked in Rs 8.5 crore on its debut day at the theaters. The second day—Valentine’s Day—witnessed a jump in its collections, earning Rs 12.65 crore. And now, according to the Sacnilk report, the movie has minted Rs 9 crore on its Day 3 since its release.

‘O’ Romeo’ box office collection Day 4 LIVE (today)

This section will be updated as soon as the numbers are available for the day.

Total and worldwide collection

With that, the total box office collection of the romantic revenge drama in India is Rs 30.15 crore. Meanwhile, as per the same report, the worldwide earnings of the movie stand at Rs 40.6 crore.

Day-wise collection (India)

Day 1 [1st Friday]: Rs 8.5 croreDay 2 [1st Saturday]: Rs 12.65 croreDay 3 [1st Sunday]: Rs 9.00 croreDay 3 [1st Monday]: Rs (will be updated)Total: Rs 30.15 crore (This number will increase as the day progresses)

Occupancy

According to the report, the Vishal Bhardwaj directorial, ‘O’ Romeo’, witnessed an overall 18.96% Hindi occupancy on Sunday, February 15, 2026.

More about ‘O’Romeo’

Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film stars Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri in the lead roles as Ustara and Afsha Qureshi, respectively. The film also features Nana Patekar, Avinash Tiwary, Tamannaah Bhatia, Disha Patani, Vikrant Massey, Farida Jalal, and Rahul Deshpande.Apart from directing, Vishal Bhardwaj has also composed the music for the film.The movie is based on Hussain Zaidi’s book, ‘Mafia Queens of Mumbai’. It was released in theaters on February 16, 2026.

COLOMBO: It was barely five minutes after the match was over at the Premadasa Stadium on Sunday when Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube were back in the middle, bowling on the practice pitches. No over-the-top celebrations, no outpouring of emotions, just a sense of another routine victory against a Pakistan team that India don’t think are their match at the moment.The 61-run win, the fourth on the bounce after their hat-trick of victories against their once arch-rivals in the Asia Cup, have now ensured a Super-8 spot for India. A lot had happened in the build-up to this game and even on Sunday, the much-anticipated handshakes between the captains didn’t happen.While the unease off the pitch persisted, India were just too much when the ball rolled. Even a few months ago, Ishan Kishan (77 off 40 balls) wasn’t even close to a spot in the Indian T20 team. But now that he is there, the 27-year old is proving that he can give his teammate Abhishek Sharma a run for his money as the best T20 opener in the world.Abhishek’s early dismissal on a slow Premadasa track could have been a big blow, but not when Ishan was in the form that he is in. The Pakistan bowlers were dealt with disdain and the cuts and sweeps that the Jharkhand boy unleashed took India to 52 runs in the first six overs, which was at least 20 over par on this track.“The pitch was not that easy. Sometimes, you just have to believe and focus on your strengths. I was just watching the ball, sticking to my strengths and making them run as much as possible,” Man of the Match Kishan said at the end of the match.After his exit, India showed smartness to reach a total of 175 against some quality spin, pushing Pakistan into taking tremendous risks right at the beginning of their chase.They were not up for it with Jasprit Bumrah (2-17) and Hardik Pandya (2-16) doing the early damage. The spinners, who bowled 18 of Pakistan’s 20 overs, came into play for India only after the pacemen had all but sealed the deal.“This is for India. We played the brand of cricket we wanted to play. We thought 175 was 15-20 runs over par — 155 would have made it a very tight game,” captain Surya Kumar Yadav said, as the thousands of touring Indian fans went home a happy lot.This story continues on page 17 in the newspaper. For your reading convenience we have added it below.Jaishankar on Russia ties: Firmly wedded to strategic autonomyNew Delhi: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said India remains firmly committed to strategic autonomy, even as the global energy markets evolve and partnerships shift. He was responding to a question at the Munich Security Conference whether a recent trade agreement with the US would affect New Delhi’s energy ties with Russia and if India was finding it difficult to exercise its strategic autonomy in the current circumstances.India maintains its energy policy is driven by national interests and the actual crude sourcing is done by oil companies taking into account pricing, reliability and other market conditions.“We are very much wedded to strategic autonomy because it’s a part of our history and our evolution. It’s something which is very deep, and something which cuts across the political spectrum as well,” he said.Addressing concerns over energy sourcing, the EAM described the global oil market as complex and dynamic, stressing that commercial considerations guide procurement decisions.“As for energy issues, this is a complex market today. Oil companies in India, as in Europe, as probably in other parts of the world, look at availability, look at costs, look at risks and take the decisions that they feel are in their best interest,” he noted.Jaishankar said that in a rapidly changing global environment, countries continuously reassess their calculations and partnerships.“So many things are changing, and so many of us are doing our calculations and recalculations,” he said, adding while India may not agree with all partners on every issue, dialogue and a willingness to find common ground remain important.“We would not necessarily agree on everything but I do believe that by doing that, and if there is an inclination to find common ground and overlaps, that would happen,” he said.Noting India’s independent decision-making, he said, “If the bottom line of your question is would I remain independent-minded and make my decisions? And would I make choices which sometimes may not agree with your thinking or somebody else’s thinking, yes, it can happen.”He met with G7 foreign ministers and their global counterparts at the Munich Security Conference 2026, reiterating India’s support for the UN80 agenda and underscoring New Delhi’s role in safeguarding global security.Jaishankar also stressed on India’s role in safeguarding sea lines of communication, acting as a first responder in crises, strengthening port security and contributing to resilient submarine cable infrastructure.

NEW DELHI: The US department of justice’s indictments against Nikhil Gupta do not read like a high-stakes espionage thriller; they, if true, point to an amateur crude plot conceived and sought to be executed with no regard to the basics of intelligence tradecraft. Serving and retired security establishment officials feel, going by the claims of FBI, the whole affair seemed to brazen violate every rule in the book that even rookie interns at any agency across the globe wouldn’t, a recklessness that is associated with an overzealous operative in a terrible hurry who was not bothered with irritants like protocol requiring restraint.“Forget a senior, any mid-level officer in an agency in the know would have shut it down instantly given the amount of red flags the whole thing generated,” said a retired govt officer.From the outset, the operation violated the cardinal rule of tradecraft – never link an agency directly to the street. DOJ documents show the conversation stressed on unnecessary involvements.“Handlers never communicate directly with low-level criminal middlemen using traceable electronics. Yet, DOJ documents reveal that Vikash Yadav and Gupta exchanged routine messages on encrypted platforms that were clearly compromised,” said an officer. The handlers, sources said, always use “dead drops or cut-outs” – multiple layers of individuals who don’t know each other – to ensure if one person is caught, the trail to the state ends immediately. DOJ documents show Yadav sending his own contact information and even a “selfie” to Gupta. The photograph showed him in an official military uniform, complete with visible insignia. This single act effectively handed FBI the “who” of the operation before it had even begun.“In a real operation, a handler is a ghost; here, Yadav comes across as a digital pen pal. The ‘trap’ was not just visible; it was screaming. When Gupta sought a hitman, he reached out straight away to a ‘criminal associate’ who was, in reality, a confidential source of the US’s Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), a place teeming with double agents like Pakistani American David Coleman Headley aka Daood Gilani of 26/11 notoriety and those who have been responsible for breakthroughs in the drive against Latin American drug cartels as well as stunning failures. This source then introduced Gupta to a ‘hitman’ who was a DEA undercover officer,” another official said.An agency would have spent months vetting these assets. Instead, Gupta and Yadav sprinted into the ambush. The financial trail was equally catastrophic. On June 9, 2023, the conspirators arranged for an associate to hand over $15,000 in cash to the undercover agent in a car in Manhattan. This was a ‘Financial Op-Sec’ suicide. By moving physical cash in a place like Manhattan to a man they had never met, they turned a geopolitical plot into a common street crime captured on federal surveillance. In a real operation, money for “wetwork” is laundered through complex front companies or transferred via untraceable methods to avoid physical exposure.Perhaps the most damning evidence of their “continuing despite the trap” was the aftermath of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing in Canada. Rather than going “dark” to avoid regional heat, Yadav allegedly sent Gupta a video of Nijjar’s bloodied body and a message stating that the New York target was now a “priority”. “By discussing an assassination so casually and explicitly linking the two hits, they surrendered all deniability and handed DOJ the narrative of a transnational repression plot,” an official said.By the time Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic, he wasn’t a victim of a brilliant sting; he was the inevitable casualty of an eagerness, whose parenthood remains doubtful, that broke basic rules while the trap was being set in plain sight.

NEW DELHI: India must continue to expose Pakistan’s nexus with terrorist groups and its tendency to pursue a proxy war against neighbouring countries as Islamabad has long evaded accountability due to the apathy of the international community, a latest report in a US-based independent journal has said.“Simultaneously, India needs to enhance its anti-terrorism apparatus to effectively tackle the scourge of Pakistan sponsored terrorism single-handedly and in addition to military retribution, also consider non-kinetic measures that impose a prohibitive cost on Islamabad,” said the report in Eurasia Review.Writing for Eurasia Review, former army officer Nilesh Kunwar said, “While its designation may sound impressive, the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team of the Security Council’s 1267 Sanctions Committee is unfortunately just a ‘paper tiger’ that bases its reports on feedback from member states without investigating the same or giving any directions. Its recently released 37th report has linked Pakistan based proscribed terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad to the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack, the Nov 9, 2025, Red Fort suicide car bombing, as well as its formal announcement of a women-only wing named Jamaat-ul-Muminat created for waging global jihad. However, by qualifying that these incidents or developments were what a member state (implying India) had noted, the UN report has characteristically not endorsed its own observations on the same.”It further said, “While there’s no doubt that the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team lacks ‘teeth’ and doesn’t act as an effective deterrent, yet, this report does provide diplomatic leverage. In the instant case, India definitely has an advantage since unlike Islamabad’s palpably false claim of JeM being “defunct,” which is a feeble defence — New Delhi’s assertions on JeM’s activities are corroborated by irrefutable hard evidence,” it said.The attempt of DG ISPR (media wing of Pakistan armed forces) to deny JeM chief’s presence in the country was laughable because just a few days earlier, Pakistan’s then foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had not only confirmed Masood Azhar’s presence in Pakistan but even given his health update by saying, “He is very unwell… to the extent that he cannot leave his house,” the report said.There is definitely a need for India to be more proactive and expose Pakistan’s ongoing use of terrorism as an instrument of foreign policy more forcefully by following the ‘name and shame’ policy, it said.

NEW DELHI: The govt informed Parliament in the last sessionthat nearly 81% of railway tracks are ready to allow trains to run at speeds of over 110 kmph, a two-fold increase compared to 2014. One-fifth of the existing tracks allow trains to run at speeds of more than 130 kmph.This is significant since the increase in sectional speeds has happened across the railway network rather than being a limited, corridor-based upgrade. As per govt data, 84,888 km out of the little less than 1.1-lakh-km of railway network has been upgraded to support speeds of 110 kmph and above and 23,477 km of this is capable of train operations at 130 kmph and above.This systemic upgrade is allowing railways to introduce new-age Vande Bharat — both chair car and sleeper trains — and Amrit Bharat trains that can run at faster speeds.

Experts said the upgrade of sectional speeds is also important considering that unlike countries such as China, Japan and France, which achieved higher speeds primarily through the laying of new, passenger-only high-speed rail lines, India has pursued a fundamentally different and more complex path.The Indian approach has focussed on upgrading existing tracks that carry mixed traffic — passenger and freight — which is far more challenging than building segregated high-speed corridors, as it requires strengthening track geometry, signalling, electrification and safety systems without disrupting daily operations.Railway ministry officials said India’s strategy has seen large contiguous stretches of tracks being upgraded progressively from 110 kmph to 130 kmph and further to 160 kmph.“This creates a laddered speed ecosystem rather than a sharp division between ‘slow’ conventional lines and isolated high-speed routes. Such gradation allows trains, crew training and signalling systems to evolve organically, reducing transition risks,” said an official.The speed capability is also spread across all railway zones, including freight-intensive zones such as East Central Railway, South East Central Railway and South Central Railway. “This ensures national uniformity and avoids the creation of elite, passenger-centric corridors disconnected from the rest of the network,” the official said.Railways run some of the world’s longest freight trains, carry over 2.5 crore passengers daily, operate with heavy axle loads of 22.9–25 tonnes, and maintain long welded rails, full electrification and increasingly automated signalling—all on the same tracks. No other railway system has attempted speed upgrades under such constraints at a comparable scale, they added.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday hailed his newly formed initiative, the “Board of Peace”, describing it as his self-designed effort to advance global peace negotiations. Boasting of his role as chairman, Trump said the body has “unlimited potential” and asserted that his vision for ending the conflict in Gaza was “unanimously adopted by the United Nations Security Council.” He also announced that member states have pledged more than $5 billion for humanitarian aid and reconstruction in Gaza.In a lengthy post on his platform Truth Social, Trump said the board had facilitated humanitarian aid “at record speed” and secured the release of all hostages, both living and deceased. He added that last month, “two dozen distinguished founding members joined me in Davos, Switzerland, to celebrate its official formation, and present a bold vision for the civilians in Gaza, and then, ultimately, far beyond Gaza — world peace!”

Trump also announced that he will be joined by board members at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., on February 19 where he expects to declare that member states have pledged “more than $5 billion towards the Gaza humanitarian and reconstruction efforts.”He said thousands of personnel have committed to the International Stabilization Force and local police “to maintain security and peace for Gazans.” Emphasizing that “Hamas must uphold its commitment to full and immediate demilitarisation,” the US President described the Board of Peace as “the most consequential international body in history” and said “it is my honour to serve as its chairman.”According to Trump’s 20‑point plan, first announced in September and paving the way for the current ceasefire, the Board of Peace “will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza.”The plan, which was later endorsed by the UN Security Council under Resolution 2803 in November 2025, envisions a multinational International Stabilization Force being deployed once Hamas lays down its weapons and a transitional Palestinian governance committee overseen by the board takes over day‑to‑day administration of the enclave.More than 20 countries have reportedly joined the Board of Peace, and Donald Trump will serve as its chairman., the New York Times reported.According to AFP, while the US president has repeatedly characterised the initiative as a major milestone in his foreign policy agenda to restore long sought peace in the region, its creation and structure have drawn broad international scrutiny. Some Western allies had declined to join or expressed caution about its governance model.Critics note that Hamas has historically resisted disarmament, calling it a red line in negotiations even while signalling possible conditional cooperation with a future Palestinian authority.

Pakistan’s captain Salman Ali Agha, left, looks at India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav (AP Photo/)

There was no handshake after the match between India and Pakistan at the T20 World Cup clash in Colombo, continuing the icy stand-off that began during the Asia Cup last September.“I will break the suspense tomorrow. Wait for 24 hours,” Suryakumar Yadav had said on the eve of the match. Twenty four hours later, the message was clear and unambiguous. There would be no handshakes.

The frost between the two sides remained evident not only at the toss but also after the game. Just as in their meetings during the Asia Cup in Dubai last year, the players did not exchange handshakes once the contest ended on Sunday.On the field, India produced a commanding performance. Opener Ishan Kishan’s supersonic 77 off 40 balls powered India to 175 for seven after being asked to bat first on a tacky surface. He shared an 87 run stand with Tilak Varma, whose contribution was 11, as Kishan dominated the Pakistan attack.The match began on an unusual note with Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha bringing himself on for off spin in the first over and dismissing Abhishek Sharma, who holed out to Shaheen Shah Afridi. Saim Ayub, who finished with 3 for 25, and Agha kept the pressure on during the power play.Kishan, however, turned the tide. He pulled Afridi for a towering six and then dismantled the spinners. Abrar Ahmed and Shadab Khan were struck for boundaries and sixes as Kishan raced to a 27 ball fifty. He eventually fell trying to carve Ayub over mid wicket, missing the ball and losing his stumps.Pakistan clawed back through Ayub, who removed Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya off successive deliveries to leave India at 126 for four. Suryakumar Yadav made 32 off 28 balls, while Shivam Dube added 27 off 17. A 15 run final over from Afridi, in which Dube and Rinku Singh attacked, carried India to 175 for seven.In reply, India’s bowlers never allowed Pakistan to settle. Hardik Pandya struck in the opening over to dismiss Sahibzada Farhan for a duck. Jasprit Bumrah followed with a double strike, removing Saim Ayub and Salman Agha as Pakistan slumped to 13 for three.Axar Patel bowled Babar Azam and later dismissed Usman Khan, who top scored with 44 off 34 balls. A brief 39 run partnership between Usman and Shadab Khan offered resistance before another collapse set in.Varun Chakravarthy claimed two wickets in the 16th over, and Hardik returned to take the final wicket as Pakistan were bowled out for 114 in the 18th over. Hardik, Bumrah, Axar and Varun took two wickets each, while Kuldeep Yadav and Tilak Varma picked up one apiece.