MUMBAI: Bitter rivals India and Pakistan have been clubbed together in the same group and will play each other on February 15 in Colombo in the T20 World Cup 2026, cricket&#39;s world body announced Tuesday.&nbsp;Defending champions India and Pakistan have been placed in Group A in the 20-team competition being co-hosted by Sri Lanka, according to the schedule released by the International Cricket Council in Mumbai.&nbsp;It will be the first time the two teams play each other since their three heated contests at the 2025 Asia Cup in the UAE, where they skipped the customary handshake at the toss and post-match greetings.&nbsp;The Asia Cup was the first time they had met since deadly border conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors in May.&nbsp;The T20 World Cup will see Pakistan playing all their matches in Sri Lanka, part of a compromise deal that allows both India and Pakistan to play at neutral venues in multi-nation tournaments.&nbsp;Matches in the tournament will be held from February 7 across five venues in India and three in Sri Lanka.&nbsp;The tournament will use the same format as 2024, 20 teams in four groups, ahead of a Super Eights phase, with the top two finishers from each group making it to the playoffs.&nbsp;The final will be played on March 8 either in Ahmedabad or Colombo, depending on whether Pakistan go all the way.

Cricket

India and Pakistan will meet on February 15 in Colombo after being grouped together for the 2026 T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Their fixtures will be held at neutral venues under an agreed arrangement.

India and Pakistan set for group-stage clash in T20 World Cup

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday denounced Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh&rsquo;s recent comments about Sindh, calling them &ldquo;delusional&rdquo; and &ldquo;dangerously revisionist&rdquo; and warning that such statements threaten regional stability.&nbsp;The Foreign Office said Singh&rsquo;s remarks reflected &ldquo;an expansionist Hindutva mindset that seeks to challenge established realities&rdquo; and violate international law and the sovereignty of states.&nbsp;The statement came after Singh was quoted by Indian media as saying: &ldquo;Today, the land of Sindh may not be a part of India, but civilisationally, Sindh will always be a part of India. And as far as land is concerned, borders can change. Who knows, tomorrow Sindh may return to India again.&rdquo;&nbsp;He was also cited as claiming that Hindu community in Sindh of his generation had &ldquo;never fully accepted the province&rsquo;s accession to Pakistan.&rdquo;&nbsp;Islamabad rejected these assertions outright, urging Indian leaders to refrain from rhetoric that could inflame tensions.&nbsp;&ldquo;We urge Mr. Rajnath Singh and other Indian leaders to refrain from provocative rhetoric that threatens regional peace and stability,&rdquo; the Foreign Office said, arguing the Indian government would be &ldquo;far more constructive&rdquo; if it focused on protecting its own citizens, especially &ldquo;vulnerable minority communities.&rdquo;&nbsp;The statement also criticized the treatment of communities in India&rsquo;s northeast, noting that many continue to face &ldquo;systematic marginalization, identity-based persecution, and cycles of state-enabled violence.&rdquo;&nbsp;Reiterating its longstanding position on Kashmir, Pakistan called on India to take &ldquo;credible steps toward the genuine resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people under occupation.&rdquo;&nbsp;Islamabad added that while it remains committed to peace based on &ldquo;justice, equity and established international legal norms,&rdquo; it is &ldquo;firmly resolved to safeguard its security, national independence and sovereignty.&rdquo;&nbsp;The exchange marks the latest in a series of diplomatic tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors, underscoring how historical grievances, territorial disputes and identity-based politics continue to shape regional discourse.

Foreign Affairs

Islamabad condemns Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh’s Sindh comments as “dangerously revisionist,” urging India to avoid provocative rhetoric and address internal grievances while reiterating its stance on Kashmir.

Pakistan denounces Indian minister’s remarks on Sindh, warns of destabilization

ISLAMABAD: Indian television news is facing a &ldquo;large-scale credibility crisis&rdquo; driven by sensationalism and hyper-nationalist rhetoric, which analysts and journalists say is now damaging India&rsquo;s image across South Asia.&nbsp;In the latest episode of Al Jazeera&rsquo;s The Listening Post released on Sunday, journalist Smita Sharma said the credibility decline stems from Indian television news increasingly drifting away from objectivity. &nbsp;&ldquo;Whether it is sensationalizing a bunch of issues or trying to sound patriotic and hyper-nationalist, the media ends up losing objectivity in its coverage,&rdquo; she said, adding that Indian television news has increasingly become a &ldquo;liability&rdquo; to India&rsquo;s regional interests.&nbsp;She noted that the crisis &ldquo;has spilled over as a larger image problem in the neighborhood, where Indian channels are followed closely.&rdquo;&nbsp;Roman Gautam, editor of Himal Southasian, said this is especially visible in Nepal.&nbsp;&ldquo;If there is one media that should know Nepal better, it is India, because of the depth of the relationship, government to government, people to people,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;&ldquo;Yet Indian media tends to pay close attention to Nepal only at moments of great crisis, without the nuance or understanding required. When events move fast, it becomes very difficult to report well or make sense of what is happening.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed youtube-embed"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NLR9D4o2pqc" title="Indian journalists caught in a credibility war in Bangladesh and Nepal | The Listening Post" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="" style="width: 100%; height: auto; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; max-width: 100%; display: block;"></iframe>&nbsp;</div>&nbsp;During recent protests in Nepal, Indian journalists were sometimes &ldquo;heckled, chased, even assaulted,&rdquo; as many protesters viewed them as promoting a political agenda on behalf of &ldquo;a larger, more powerful neighbor.&rdquo;&nbsp;Analysts said Indian channels attempted to frame protests as evidence that Nepalese citizens wanted &ldquo;a leader like Modi&rdquo; or a return to a Hindu state, narratives described as &ldquo;completely off the mark&rdquo; compared to realities on the ground.&nbsp;A similar reaction emerged in Bangladesh during the political turmoil that led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina&rsquo;s government.&nbsp;Filmmaker Deepak Kumar Goswami said, &ldquo;As soon as Hasina&rsquo;s regime fell, Indian media started saying Bangladesh had collapsed, that it no longer exists, that its economic foundations have disappeared.&rdquo;&nbsp;He said Indian channels portrayed the protests as driven mainly by &ldquo;extremists, Islamists or reactionary groups,&rdquo; ignoring the role of ordinary citizens. This approach, observers said, appeared patronizing and reinforced perceptions of a &ldquo;political big brother attitude.&rdquo;&nbsp;Analysts argue that the problem originates at home, where media ownership has tightened and critical journalists have been sidelined. Critics say many Indian channels have embraced &ldquo;more noise and less information,&rdquo; relying on aggressive panel debates and nationalist theatrics.&nbsp;One analyst noted that some channels even make false claims during conflict coverage, such as announcing the capture of Pakistani cities. &ldquo;When the media behaves like that, you turn yourself into a circus,&rdquo; they said.&nbsp;The overall effect, analysts warn, is strategic harm. If Indian media is functioning as &ldquo;a propaganda arm or strategic extension of government policy,&rdquo; then it is &ldquo;actually hindering Indian interests in the region.&rdquo;&nbsp;Instead of projecting influence and goodwill, the media now risks &ldquo;alienating the very audiences it seeks to influence.&rdquo;

Asia

Indian TV news faces a credibility crisis driven by sensationalism and hyper-nationalism, analysts say, damaging India’s image in Nepal and Bangladesh. Critics warn this domestic media shift now harms regional relationships and undermines India’s strategic influence.

Indian media’s credibility crisis spills over, harming regional influence

ISLAMABAD: England held their nerve to beat India by four runs and secure a place in the semifinals of the ICC Women&rsquo;s Cricket World Cup 2025 on Sunday. Chasing 289, India looked set for victory for much of their innings. Smriti Mandhana scored 88, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur added 70 runs off 70 balls. England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt took 2-47 in eight overs, and left-arm spinner Linsey Smith bowled tightly, taking Mandhana&rsquo;s key wicket and helping England restrict India to 284-6 in 50 overs. India finished with 284-6 in 50 overs, its third straight loss in the tournament in front of a home crowd at Holkar Stadium. Earlier, England batted first and scored 288-8, thanks to Heather Knight&rsquo;s brilliant 109 off 91 balls. The win gives England four victories in five games, keeping them unbeaten and sending them to the semifinals alongside defending champions Australia and South Africa.&nbsp; England will face Australia on Wednesday at Holkar Stadium. India must bounce back against New Zealand on Thursday and Bangladesh on Sunday in Navi Mumbai to keep their semifinal hopes alive.

England held their nerve to defeat India by four runs at Holkar Stadium, with Heather Knight’s 109 and key wickets from Nat Sciver-Brunt and Linsey Smith helping secure a semifinal spot in the tournament

England edge India by four runs, secure Women’s World Cup semifinal

NEW DELHI: India said Thursday that its energy priority was the interest of its citizens after US President Donald Trump said New Delhi had promised it would stop buying Russian oil. New Delhi neither confirmed nor denied that it was shifting policy toward Russia. In a recent statement from Russian state media, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said that Russia is confident its energy partnership with India will continue. Earlier, US President Donald Trump had said India&#39;s prime minister Narendra Modi had promised him that India would stop buying oil from Moscow.&nbsp; Responding to Trump&#39;s statement, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said,&nbsp;&ldquo;It has been our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario.&rdquo; &ldquo;Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective,&rdquo; he said. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 803px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1978690629522653592&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=7c80ad9b4e0b40ca02cb968ad2ae8817c7f22a86&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> &ldquo;Ensuring stable energy prices and secured supplies have been the twin goals of our energy policy,&rdquo; Jaiswal added. &ldquo;This includes broad-basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions.&rdquo; Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi criticized Modi in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying the prime minister was &ldquo;frightened of Trump&rdquo; and listing what he described as examples of Modi yielding to US pressure, including the reported cancellation of a finance minister&rsquo;s visit to Washington. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 418px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1978669002798055695&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=7c80ad9b4e0b40ca02cb968ad2ae8817c7f22a86&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Major oil importer&nbsp;India, one of the world&rsquo;s largest crude oil importers, relies on foreign suppliers for more than 85% of its oil needs. It&nbsp;traditionally relied on Middle Eastern nations. But since 2022, it has shifted sharply toward discounted Russian crude, taking advantage of a buyer&rsquo;s market created by Western bans on Moscow&rsquo;s exports. &ldquo;Where the US is concerned, we have for many years sought to expand our energy procurement,&rdquo; Jaiswal said. &ldquo;This has steadily progressed in the last decade. The current administration has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. Discussions are ongoing.&rdquo; In August, the US raised tariffs on Indian exports to the United States to 50%, with Trump&rsquo;s aides accusing India of fueling Russia&rsquo;s war in Ukraine. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has previously defended buying oil from Russia, a historic partner of India, despite Moscow&rsquo;s invasion of Ukraine.

Participants speak in front of an exhibition stand of Russia's power company Rosseti at the Russian Energy Week international forum in Moscow, Russia, October 15, 2025. 

Americas

According to an Indian foreign ministry spokesman: 'It has been our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario.'

India says consumers on priority after Trump comments on stopping Russian oil

ISLAMABAD: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation Contact Group at a UN General Assembly sidelines meeting in New York reaffirmed support for Kashmiris&rsquo; right to self-determination, Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The session, chaired by the OIC Secretary-General, was attended by foreign ministers and senior officials from Azerbaijan, Pakistan, T&uuml;rkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Niger.&nbsp; Pakistani Prime Minister&rsquo;s Special Assistant Syed Tariq Fatemi, along with representatives of Kashmiri organizations, briefed the group on the latest developments in the region. The Foreign Office (FO) said the OIC &ldquo;reaffirmed their unwavering support for the Kashmiri people&#39;s inalienable right to self-determination, as enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.&rdquo; It said the ministers &ldquo;expressed solidarity with the government and people of Pakistan, and indicated their deep concern over the recent military escalation in the South Asia region.&nbsp; This included the &ldquo;unjustified strikes carried out on multiple locations in Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and stressed the need to exercise maximum restraint and avoid actions that would destabilize the region.&rdquo; They &ldquo;welcomed the ceasefire between the two sides&rdquo; and &ldquo;appreciated the constructive efforts made by all countries to mediate.&rdquo;&nbsp; Peace contingent upon final settlementThe FO said that developments since the April 22 Pahalgam attack indicate that &ldquo;durable peace and stability in South Asia will remain contingent upon the final settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.&rdquo; The communiqu&eacute; voiced concern over around 2,800 arrests and about three dozen houses demolished in Jammu and Kashmir. It also noted serious concerns over the detention of Kashmiri leader Shabbir Ahmed Shah, and &ldquo;denounced the curbs on the religious congregations at Srinagar&#39;s historic Jamia Masjid and Eidgah.&rdquo; The FO added that the ministers &ldquo;reiterated their rejection of illegal and unilateral actions taken by India on 5 August 2019,&rdquo; and stressed that &ldquo;any electoral exercise in IIOJK [Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir] &hellip; cannot serve as a substitute to the grant of the right to self-determination,&rdquo; and &ldquo;denounced the curbs on the religious congregations at Srinagar&#39;s historic Jamia Masjid and Eidgah.&rdquo; Fact-finding mission requestedThe OIC directed its Observer Missions in New York and Geneva to circulate the Joint Communiqu&eacute; to member states and UN officials to &ldquo;highlight the plight of the Kashmiri people at various international fora,&rdquo; and &ldquo;further requested the OIC-Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission to dispatch a fact-finding mission to Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Line of Control,&rdquo; said the FO.&nbsp; The communiqu&eacute; welcomed the OIC Special Envoy&rsquo;s April visit to Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir and urged the OIC Human Rights Commission to send a fact-finding mission to the Line of Control.&nbsp; Member states &ldquo;reiterated their rejection of illegal and unilateral actions taken by India on 5 August 2019,&rdquo; and stressed that any elections &ldquo;cannot serve as a substitute&rdquo; for self-determination, and urged India to release political prisoners and repeal &ldquo;restrictive and draconian laws,&rdquo; the ministry said. They urged India to &ldquo;improve the human rights situation in IIOJK Kashmiri political prisoners, lift the ban on the outlawed Kashmiri political parties, repeal all restrictive and draconian laws.&rdquo; OIC further called on India to &ldquo;implement the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.&rdquo;

Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, left, and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attend a multilateral meeting during the 80th United Nations General Assembl

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir, meeting in New York, reaffirmed its support for Kashmiris’ right to self-determination, urged India to end rights abuses, and implement United Nations resolutions.

Articles tagged with "india"

India and Pakistan set for group-stage clash in T20 World Cup

Pakistan denounces Indian minister’s remarks on Sindh, warns of destabilization

Indian media’s credibility crisis spills over, harming regional influence

England edge India by four runs, secure Women’s World Cup semifinal

India says consumers on priority after Trump comments on stopping Russian oil

OIC urges India to end rights abuses in Indian-occupied Kashmir

India and Pakistan set for group-stage clash in T20 World Cup