Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said any talks with Iran must aim to end the war, not serve as a “tactical advantage” or temporary pause. He reaffirmed Iran’s right to defend its sovereignty while urging restraint to avoid wider regional fallout. His comments come as the US warns Iran to accept defeat or face being “hit harder”.
Published On 26 Mar 2026
What England opener Ben Duckett has done days before the kick-off of Indian Premier League (IPL) Season 19 is totally scorn-worthy.
Earlier this week, on Monday, IPL side Delhi Capitals had a press conference in the national capital where they had confidently stated how they had reinforced their squad for the upcoming season, especially in the opening and fast bowling departments.
Duckett, a very aggressive and potent opener, deciding to pull out of the league a couple of days later would have rattled them not a little. They were banking on him. Last year, Duckett’s white-ball captain at England, Harry Brook, had pulled the same thing on Delhi Capitals.
Also Read: Jasprit Bumrah at the Centre of Excellence, Bengaluru? One hopes it’s a routine check-up
Duckett’s explanation has been that he wants to focus on his England career. That’s perfectly fine, but it’s a last-minute call he has made, which suggests there might be more to it. It may not be that simple. There is a possibility that he is trying to appease the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), who recently decided to retain coach Brendon McCullum, Test captain Ben Stokes and director of cricket Rob Key despite an ignominious Ashes 4-1 defeat earlier this year.
During that high-profile series, Duckett was pictured super drunk at Noosa, one of the popular holiday destinations in Australia. Not just him, several other members of the touring party were slammed for switching to holiday mode right in the middle of the series. England went to Noosa after the win at the MCG. After Noosa, they never won again or drew any match for that matter. Duckett’s call perfectly coincides with the decision on the three above.
So maybe to prove to the ECB how sorry he is, he has pulled out of the 2026 IPL. The league is the biggest paymaster in world cricket, and now Duckett will not only lose ₹2 crore, but he is also likely to be banned. There are more possibilities.
By the IPL’s standards, where a lot of players make millions of dollars or pounds, it’s not a lot of money, so Duckett may have thought, it’s not worth it, for all the efforts that it would have demanded from him. Then there is a third possibility, that maybe he realised he may not get too many opportunities at Delhi anyway, it’s better he stayed back in England and played County Cricket for Notts. Or finally, maybe the ongoing Iran-Israel-America situation in West Asia and the Middle East may have led to his chickening out.
If it’s the last one, maybe he can be forgiven, but if it’s not, he has not only let down his franchise, he has also made a fool of himself. He has made the call very late. The Capitals are not like Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings or Kolkata Knight Riders, who have multiple IPL trophies to their name.
Delhi are yet to win their maiden IPL trophy. So Duckett should have thought about how his pull-out could likely be a spanner in their preparations. He has apologised to the franchise, but that’s not sufficient.
He should promise that going forward, he won’t play franchise cricket other than the one in England. That would be his true atonement. The IPL is not a joke. He is an international cricketer and should have learnt his lessons from the Brook withdrawal last year and the Chris Woakes withdrawal before. Maybe he should drink less so that he can think clearly.
Hollywood star Ryan Gosling is pointing guns at Hollywood and its power circles. The actor made a surprise appearance at a New York movie theatre on the opening night of his latest big-screen blockbuster, Project Hail Mary.
Welcoming a packed audience, the actor flipped the script on who is responsible for keeping cinemas afloat amid the rise of streaming and falling box office numbers, reports ‘Variety’.
“Six years ago, I got the manuscript”, he said, referring to Project Hail Mary. (It’s) the most ambitious thing I’ll ever make, it seemed impossible. It was too good not to give it a shot. Six years later, we did it. Here we are, we’re all back in theaters. It’s not your job to keep them open, it’s our job to make things that make it worth you coming out”.
Ryan Gosling’s parting words were, “You’re about to go to another galaxy, make an alien best friend and save the stars. This movie is for you. Enjoy the trip”.
As per ‘Variety’, Hollywood has been ringing the alarm bell on the health of movie theaters since the pandemic, as the industry has yet to climb back to the pre-COVID peak of an USD 11 billion annual domestic box office gross. Still, Gosling knows a thing or two about getting butts back in seats: He starred as Ken in Barbie, a blockbuster phenomenon and the highest-grossing film of 2023.
Project Hail Mary shattered box office expectations, rocketing to USD 140.9 million at the global box office in its opening weekend. The haul makes the sci-fi epic the largest debut of 2026 so far (ahead of Scream 7 with a USD 97.2 million globally) and the biggest start ever for Amazon MGM. The studio’s previous record was Creed 3 with USD 100.4 million.
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Salesforce will not be giving raises this year to employees at the director level and above. A recent email from the company’s human-resources team informed employees of the development. “We have decided to focus merit increases at the Senior Manager level (grade 8) and below,” the email said.
Employees will get more information about their compensation during performance reviews that begin at the end of March.
The San Francisco-headquartered Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company will increase stock and bonus pools for certain employees instead of handing out direct hikes at the top level.
For upper-level employees, the company is increasing stock and bonus pools for its “highest performing individuals,” describing it as an “investment in performance and long-term growth.”
(Also read: Indian-origin founder shares ‘cold email’ he sent to Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff 21 years ago: ‘It changed my life’)
The email, reviewed and reported by Business Insider, said that 10% more directors and senior directors are receiving stock grants. It also announced that the average stock grant has increased, and 80% of directors and senior directors rated “highly successful” or “exceptional” will get grants 20% to 40% larger.
Regarding bonuses, the email stated that the pool “is funded at 103%.” Most eligible directors and senior directors received 100% or more of their bonus, and those with the top performance ratings were granted between 115% and 140%.
The Business Insider report noted that Salesforce stock is down 37% over the past year. The downturn was attributed by some to the AI revolution and fears of artificial intelligence taking over entry-level tech jobs.
However, CEO Marc Benioff earlier sought to downplay AI’s threat to SaaS companies. Last month, at the company’s Q4 earnings call, he said, “”If there is a ‘SaaSpocalypse’, it may be eaten by the ‘SaaS-quatch’ because there are a lot of companies using a lot of SaaS because it just got better with agents.”
The CEO of Epic Games, which laid off 1,000 employees this week, also refused to blame AI. Instead, Tim Sweeney put the blame on slowing demand for Fortnite.
(Also read: Fortnite maker lays off 1,000 employees. Read Epic Games CEO’s full memo)
Amid growing unrest among the Sikh community over the portrayal of Ranveer Singh`s character in Sikh attire in Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge, director Aditya Dhar has now clarified that Ranveer Singh’s viral smoking photo is ‘fake’ and ‘AI-generated’. This comes hours after the Sikh group voiced disappointment over the alleged scene and filed a police complaint.
Dhar took to his official Instagram handle to issue an official statement, urging the audience not to believe in AI-created fake images of Ranveer Singh’s character Jaskirat shown smoking. He also reiterated that he holds the utmost respect for the Sikh community, requesting fans to rely only on official content. He also warned of strict action against those involved in creating the `malicious` content.
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In his statement, Dhar said, “I am deeply grateful and indebted for the overwhelming love that Dhurandhar The Revenge has received from audiences across the country and the world. However, it has come to my attention that certain individuals are circulating manipulated visuals by morphing officially released promotional material using artificial intelligence to create false and misleading narratives.”
“One such fabricated image falsely depicts the character Hamza/Jaskirat smoking while wearing a turban. This is completely untrue and does not form part of the film or any official material released by us. It is a deliberate act of misrepresentation intended to provoke and create mischief,” he added.
Dhar further clarified, “Let me state this unequivocally: I hold the highest respect for the Sikh community, and every portrayal in the film has been handled with utmost sensitivity, dignity, and responsibility. Any attempt to suggest otherwise through any doctored content is malicious and dishonest.”
“I urge audiences to rely only on official content and watch the film as it is intended, and not fall prey to Al-generated misinformation being circulated with ulterior motives. Such acts will be dealt with firmly,” Aditya concluded.
A Sikh organisation recently filed a police complaint in Mumbai against the makers of Dhurandhar 2 and actor Ranveer Singh, claiming that a promotional poster from the film has hurt religious sentiments. The complaint was submitted at Mulund police station on March 17 by a group that identified itself as Sikhs in Maharashtra. The group raised objections to the portrayal of the actor in Sikh attire.
In the complaint, the organisation also objected to a poster that allegedly shows Ranveer Singh wearing a turban, sporting a long beard, and a kada, all of which are sacred symbols in Sikhism, while holding a cigarette in the same visual. The group claims it is offensive. According to officials, no FIR has been registered so far, and the matter is currently under investigation.
IPL team captains have been warned about fielder movement during catches and the officials of BCCI have shared an important update regarding impact player rule ahead of the 2026 season. Teams have been clearly instructed that a catch will only be considered valid if the fielder has complete control of both the ball and their body before any celebration begins. As per Clause 33.3 of the playing conditions, “The act of making a catch shall start from the time when the ball first comes into contact with a fielder’s person and shall end when a fielder obtains complete control over both the ball and his own movement.”While this rule is not new, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) emphasized its importance during a captains’ meeting held on Wednesday. Officials presented several video clips, including examples from the recent T20 World Cup, where catches were deemed invalid due to lack of full control.The message was clear: this rule will now be strictly enforced. Former India pacer Javagal Srinath and elite umpire Nitin Menon addressed this segment during the 90-minute session.
The meeting also confirmed that the Impact Player rule will remain in place for at least another season, with no immediate plans for review. Despite concerns raised by some players, the BCCI and IPL officials made it clear that the rule will continue until at least the 2027 season.Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel openly criticised the rule, stating: “I don’t like this rule, honestly, because I am an all-rounder. Earlier, you would pick an all-rounder for both batting and bowling. Because of this rule, teams now prefer specialists.”There is a growing belief within the cricketing community that the rule could hinder the development of all-rounders. However, officials indicated that any formal review of the rule will only be considered after the 2027 season.A franchise representative who attended the meeting confirmed: “It was discussed, and it was made clear to all of us that the Impact Player rule is here to stay for at least two more seasons.”
Connor Esterhuizen blasted a career-best 75 from 33 balls to propel South Africa to a 33-run win over New Zealand in the fifth Twenty20 on Wednesday and a 3-2 win in the five-match series.
Esterhizen`s second consecutive half century after his previous best of 57 in the fourth match on Sunday saw South Africa make 187-4 after being sent in.
New Zealand managed only 154-8 in reply.
Esterhuizen paced the second half of the South Africa innings after coming to the crease in the 11th over with total 76-2. He was dropped a place in the order Wednesday and batted behind Rubin Hermann who hit 39 from 31 balls to pick up the run-rate after a slow start.
South Africa was only 43-1 after the power play and 76 at the midpoint of its innings. The last 10 overs produced 111 runs, thanks to Esterhuizen and Dian Forrester with whom he added 61 in just over four overs for the fourth wicket.
“I think the nice thing was that I got to come in and play with some freedom because of the nice platform from the guys up top with wickets in hand,” Esterhuizen said. “Early on the openers assessed it and said 160 was competitive. The more myself and (Forrester) was out there we said 170 was a good score and we got 187.”
Esterhuizen`s innings included five fours and six sixes. He was dropped on 49 by Bevon Jacobs from the bowling of Zak Foulkes and made New Zealand pay, stretching his innings into the last over. In total the South Africa innings contained 15 fours and 10 sixes along with 47 dot balls.
With wickets in hand South Africa added 52 runs from the last five overs, including five sixes. New Zealand`s problems were compounded by poor catching, though Nick Kelly held a brilliant one-handed catch, the best of the series, to dismiss Hermann.
The New Zealand run chase was also poorly executed and the home side found itself bogged down by accurate bowling, well supported by the field.
Gerald Coetzee bowled quick at both ends of the innings and took 2-21 from four overs while Ottneil Baartman used variation and took 2-33. The spinner Prenelan Subrayen allowed only 22 runs from his four overs and captain Keshav Maharaj also tested the New Zealand batters.
New Zealand was 46-2 after the power play and 65-3 after 10 overs when the run rate required was 12.3 per over. After 15 overs New Zealand was 116-4 and the required run rate had crept up to 14.4. New Zealand finally needed 47 from the last two overs.
Jacobs was the best of the New Zealand batters, scoring 36 from 19. The match was the most high-scoring of the series. New Zealand was bowled out for 91 in the first match which South Africa won by seven wickets; South Africa was bowled out for 107 in the second match which New Zealand won by 68 runs and held to 136-9 in the third match which New Zealand won by eight wickets. South Africa restricted New Zealand to 145 in the fourth match which it won by 19 runs.
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Bollywood actor Imran Khan recently spoke about having “no interest in playing a hairy, angry man covered in blood”. His remark comes amid the growing popularity of hyper-masculine and violent protagonists in films such as Animal and Dhurandhar: The Revenge.
On Wednesday, Imran hosted an Ask Me Anything session on Reddit, where he answered several fan questions. Responding to one fan who urged him to avoid “macho roles”, Imran said, “Yeah, no interest in playing a hairy, angry man covered in blood. I think that genre is generously represented.”
When another fan asked how he defines masculinity at a time when the industry continues to present alpha, tough guys as the standard of real men, Imran offered a thoughtful response. He said, “I am disturbed by the upward trend in how misogyny and toxic masculinity are propagated in our films, and the world at large. I fear that men shy away from these conversations because at an individual level they feel blamed for the actions of others… and because of this, they miss the point that these restrictive definitions of masculinity hurt men as well. True strength lies in emotional vulnerability.”
Imran also responded to a fan who expressed concern over “mainstream Bollywood heroes being loud, aggressive and glorifying violence against women”, and asked how he views this shift in the industry as an actor. He said, “Thank you! I have also noticed this trend and am disturbed by the way these films coddle every violent tantrum thrown by emotionally immature man-children who can’t conceive of a valid reason that a woman might spurn their advances. Important to note that there’s a significant difference between portraying violence and toxicity, and validating them. I see it as people chasing a trend without consideration. My own sensibilities would not permit me to participate in a narrative which I consider to be irresponsible.”
While Imran did not name any specific film directly, his comments have sparked discussion online, especially at a time when larger-than-life violent male leads continue to dominate mainstream cinema.
Dhurandhar: The Revenge stars Ranveer Singh as an Indian spy on a mission to dismantle the terror network threatening India. In the process, his character is shown in several intense and brutal confrontations, including a major face-off with Arjun Rampal’s character. The film also stars R Madhavan, Rakesh Bedi, Sanjay Dutt and Sara Arjun in key roles. Directed by Aditya Dhar, the film received a positive response from both audiences and critics and has so far collected ₹623 crore at the domestic box office.
Imran was last seen in Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos. Helmed by Vir Das and Kavi Shastri, the film also featured Vir Das, Mithila Palkar, Mona Singh and Sharib Hashmi in key roles. Although Imran only had a cameo, the film marked his return to the silver screen after ten years. It received mixed reviews from audiences. He is yet to announce his next project.
MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will announce the remaining IPL 2026 schedule shortly, board secretary Devajit Saikia told TOI on Wednesday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“We will announce the remaining IPL-2026 in a few days’ time,” Saikia said.The BCCI had earlier released fixtures only for the first 20 matches (till April 12) after the Election Commission of India announced assembly election dates in IPL states like Assam, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. The remaining 54-match schedule is now expected later this week.Despite concerns over a possible energy and fuel crisis affecting venues or crowd attendance in the second half, BCCI sources indicated that the league will proceed normally without curtailment.Captains briefed on IPL rulesAll 10 IPL captains were briefed on tournament regulations by match referees’ head Javagal Srinath and umpiring panel chief Nitin Menon at the BCCI headquarters following a captains’ photoshoot at the Cricket Club of India.“All rules remain unchanged — innings timer (60-second clock), Impact Player, concussion substitute, code of conduct, two-bouncer rule, bat checks, ball replacement, saliva usage and retired-out provision. The session helps captains gain clarity at the start of the tournament, especially first-timers like Ishan Kishan, who is leading Sunrisers Hyderabad,” a source said.Sources said a majority of the captains expressed reservations over the impact player rule, which the Board has said will continue till 2027.Ball change rule retainedLast year, to counter dew in night matches, fielding captains were allowed one ball change after the 10th over of the second innings in evening games. The same rule will continue this year. The replacement ball will have similar wear and tear and umpires retain discretion to change the ball at any time if it becomes unfit for play.
