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U.S. Vice President JD Vance, heading the American delegation in the Islamabad talks, announced that the United States has yet to receive a concrete commitment from Tehran on its nuclear program and that Washington has put forward its best and final offer to Iran.Iranian media reports that the historic negotiations in Pakistan’s capital will resume for a second day. Observers note that the Strait of Hormuz remains a critical sticking point, underscoring the broader strategic stakes for regional security and global energy flows.

Manchester City delivered a decisive 3-0 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, a result that reduced Arsenal's nine‑point cushion to six and gave Pep Guardiola's side fresh impetus in the Premier League title race.City seized control early in the second half, with Nico O'Reilly heading in from a Rayan Cherki cross in the 51st minute. Six minutes later, Cherki’s incisive play produced a disguised pass to Marc Guéhi, who finished to make it 2-0. A third goal followed as a swift counter‑attack saw Cherki again on the ball, delivering a cross that O'Reilly converted, sealing the win.The match also highlighted individual milestones: Cherki notched his 10th league assist, becoming the first debutant since Dimitri Payet (2015‑16) to reach double‑digit assists in a Premier League season. Meanwhile, Guéhi recorded the first away player to keep two clean sheets at Stamford Bridge in a single campaign, having previously done so with Crystal Palace.Strategically, the win narrows the gap to Arsenal, leaving City six points behind with a game in hand. Should City overcome Arsenal at the Etihad this weekend, they could overtake the Gunners and re‑establish themselves as front‑runners for the title.Chelsea, hampered by the absence of injured captain Reece James and the suspension of Enzo Fernández, struggled to match City’s intensity. Their disciplinary record remains a concern, having amassed the league's highest number of yellow cards for dissent (16). Despite moments of promise from Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto and João Pedro, the Blues lacked the cutting edge in the final third and were out‑classed in midfield.Guardiola’s halftime adjustments proved pivotal; the team increased tempo, sharpened passing angles, and pressed higher, turning a sluggish first half into a dominant second‑half display. The victory not only restores confidence after a recent FA Cup win over Liverpool but also underscores City’s ability to respond swiftly to rivals’ slip‑ups, a pattern that has defined many of their recent title pursuits.

Rory McIlroy is looking to regain his form and mindset in the final round of the Masters, following a challenging third round that saw him lose his six-stroke lead. McIlroy, the defending champion, carded a one-over par 73, which allowed Cameron Young to close the gap and tie for the lead heading into the final round.McIlroy believes that a 'free' state of mind will be crucial in the final round. He reflected on his 2025 Masters victory at the same venue, hoping to draw confidence from that experience. 'I'd like to think that I'll play a little bit freer and I'll play, like I've already got a Green Jacket, which I do,' McIlroy said. 'Sometimes I maybe just have to remind myself of that.'McIlroy plans to work on his swing at Augusta National's driving range to iron out kinks that affected his game during the third round. He knows he needs to improve significantly to retain his chances of winning. 'There's a long way to go,' McIlroy added. 'This golf course has a way of, when you're not quite feeling it, you struggle.'Cameron Young, who shot an impressive 65 in the third round, is also in contention. Young is seeking to emulate McIlroy's achievement of winning the Players Championship and Masters within a short period. However, he downplayed the significance of this potential historical parallel, emphasizing that his past results do not guarantee future success.The final round pairing will feature McIlroy and Young, which McIlroy described as a 'comfortable group' for both of them. McIlroy concluded, 'I'm still tied for the best score going into tomorrow, so I can't forget that, but I do know I'm going to have to be better if I want to have a chance to win.'

The Masters 2026 has taken a dramatic turn as Rory McIlroy and Cameron Young find themselves tied for the lead heading into the final round at Augusta National. McIlroy, the holder of the Green Jacket, began the day with a six-shot lead but faltered with a 73, while Young surged with a 65 to join McIlroy at 11 under par.McIlroy's round was marked by struggles, including a bogey on the opening hole and a double bogey on the 11th. Despite recovering with a birdie on the 14th, he ended the day with a disappointing performance. Young, on the other hand, displayed an unflappable attitude, having played his last stretch in 15 under par since his first round.Young's standing is particularly notable given his recent Players Championship success. His ability to manage his emotions and stay focused will be crucial on Masters Sunday. McIlroy, while desperate to retain his title, has the advantage of having emerged successfully from similar situations before.The final round promises to be intense, with a pack of players, including Sam Burns and Shane Lowry, close behind. Lowry, who aced the 6th hole, is just two shots off the lead and remains in contention. Other players, such as Scottie Scheffler and Li Haotong, also have a chance to make a move.As the players prepare for the final round, McIlroy acknowledged the challenge ahead, stating, 'I didn't quite have it today. I'll need to be better tomorrow.' The stage is set for an exciting conclusion to the Masters 2026.

Brian Cox’s latest live show, ‘Emergence’, draws its spark from Johannes Kepler’s 1609 treatise ‘The Six‑Cornered Snowflake’. Cox explains that Kepler’s wonder at the symmetry of snowflakes, written during a Prague snowstorm, embodies the modern scientific quest to understand the origins of patterns we observe.He says the show explores three realms: what we know, what we don’t know, and what may remain unknowable. This framework sets the stage for his reflections on the biggest unanswered questions in science.If he could answer any scientific mystery, Cox would choose the existence of life beyond Earth. He points to current missions—two spacecraft heading to Jupiter’s moons and the James Webb Space Telescope probing exoplanet atmospheres—as promising avenues that might soon reveal a biosignature.When asked about the future of technology, Cox warns that the trajectory of artificial intelligence is still opaque, making it both thrilling and potentially hazardous. He adds that quantum computing is another frontier with wildly divergent timelines—some experts see breakthroughs within five years, others doubt they’ll arrive in a lifetime—highlighting the revolutionary yet unpredictable nature of these tools.Cox also reflects on his shifting stance toward social media. He admits moving from early optimism about its democratizing power to a more critical view of its noise and misinformation, while acknowledging its complex impact on politics and public discourse.On personal advice, Cox stresses the importance of following one’s passion: “Do what you most enjoy,” he says, recalling his own journey from a teenage musician to a celebrated astronomer, supported by parents who encouraged his interests.He shares a memorable fan encounter: at an ELO concert, a man introduced himself as Paul McCartney after asking a question about Saturn’s moon Enceladus—an encounter that left Cox “overwhelmed” as a lifelong Beatles fan.When asked about a pop‑culture stance, Cox admits he is largely out of touch, but notes that musical innovation seems to have plateaued since the 1980s, contrasting the rapid evolution of earlier decades.One of his favorite astronomical facts is the staggering number of observable galaxies: about two trillion. He highlights how, within a century, humanity moved from debating whether other galaxies existed to quantifying an immense cosmos, also measuring its age at roughly 13.8 billion years.Brian Cox will tour ‘Emergence’ across Australia from 5 to 30 May 2026.

Djibouti's voters are heading to the polls to choose their next president, with incumbent leader Ismail Omar Guelleh expected to easily secure a sixth term. Guelleh, 78, has been in power since 1999 and won re-election in 2021 with 98 per cent of the vote.Guelleh's only opponent is Mohamed Farah Samatar, the leader of the Unified Democratic Centre (CDU), a party with no seats in parliament. The election comes after politicians scrapped presidential age limits last year, paving the way for Guelleh to extend his 27-year rule.Human rights groups have accused authorities of abuses and repressing freedom of political activity, while the government has denied the allegations. Two main opposition parties have boycotted elections since 2016.The election is being observed by several international organisations, including the African Union (AU), the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the League of Arab States. Guelleh has governed the small nation in the Horn of Africa since 1999, when he succeeded Hassan Gouled Aptidon, the founding president of the country with about a million people.Djibouti hosts important military bases for the United States, France, China and other powers, earning it a reputation as the country with the most foreign military bases. It is also an important port hub for landlocked neighbours such as Ethiopia.

Midway through the fifth day of the County Championship’s second round, Ollie Pope joined an elite group by becoming the 11th centurion in Division One this season. Five of those centuries belong to Surrey, with Jamie Smith already on two. The pre‑season favourites, despite a drawn opening match, looked formidable at the close of play, sitting at 412 for six.Leicestershire’s situation could not be more contrasting. Fresh from promotion, the side suffered a defeat to Sussex in their opener and, by the second session, appeared short on confidence, ideas and quality. Late‑stage wickets offered a brief spark, but the scoreboard told a different story.A crowd of 4,700 spectators braved a brisk early‑spring day at the Oval. With Surrey’s top six all boasting international caps, the match was inevitably examined for potential England implications. The first surprise came from Leicestershire’s own Josh Hull, who marked the second anniversary of his solitary Test appearance.Now 21, Hull has shed the rawness of his debut against Sri Lanka in September 2024, showing improved pace and reliability. He opened his season with a wicket in his first over, dismissing Dom Sibley lbw, and later produced a short ball that struck Pope’s helmet and an edge from Smith before being pulled after a brief spell.When Hull returned for a fourth spell deep in the final session, Smith repaid the effort with a brutal low‑flying pull for six, pushing his total past 150 runs. The partnership underscored Surrey’s growing dominance as the day progressed.Jamie Smith’s 166 from 240 balls marked his second century in the opening two Championship games, a knock highlighted by a patient start – one run from his first ten balls – before accelerating with a flurry of boundaries.Smith’s innings unfolded with cautious intent: after a modest 28, he unleashed three fours in as many deliveries, eventually reaching 166 before being caught by Ajaz Patel off Ben Green’s 90th over. The innings demonstrated both resilience and flair, cementing his role as a key run‑maker.For Pope, the century arrived after a seven‑month drought without a first‑class fifty and a solitary century against India at Headingley 21 innings earlier. His 24‑run start, achieved on half the balls faced by Smith, quickly turned into a commanding display as he steadied the innings.Both batsmen left the Oval with the confidence of seasoned internationals. A delayed emergence of Dan Lawrence after Pope’s boundary suggested the wicket was never in serious contention. Ben Foakes contributed a steady 62, while Leicestershire, with an average of 226 for the season, will need to conjure more surprises to bridge the gap.

For many supporters, the final weeks of the football calendar feel both interminably long and suddenly over. The emotional roller‑coaster is now hitting two very different clubs at opposite ends of the English pyramid.Cambridge United have unexpectedly dropped out of the automatic promotion spots in League Two, just as the run‑in intensifies. Their recent draw against Swindon and a late‑minute error by keeper Jake Eastwood at Cheltenham have left them scrambling for points, with upcoming fixtures against Notts County and league leaders Bromley looming.Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur appear to be heading for a relegation battle. A 3‑0 defeat to Nottingham Forest has left them winless in the league since late December, and they sit perilously close to the bottom three as they prepare for a Sunday clash at the Stadium of Light.The club’s turmoil is compounded by the recent appointment of Roberto De Zerbi. While his résumé includes a solitary win in 13 games at Palermo, no victories in nine outings at Benevento, and just two points from five matches at Brighton, his impact at Tottenham remains uncertain. His early apology over comments about Mason Greenwood has done little to soothe a fanbase already on edge.Supporters across the country are feeling the same strain. From West Ham’s uneasy anticipation of a Wolves encounter to Liverpool fans fearing a slip below Everton, the anxiety is universal. Even lower‑league followers—whether in Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Oxford, Leicester, Harrogate, Barrow or Newport—are caught in the same cycle of hope and dread as promotion and playoff hopes hang in the balance.Amid the gloom, a few clubs enjoy relative peace. Fans of Paris Saint‑Germain and Bayern Munich can likely breathe easier, while clubs like Coventry and Lincoln savor modest successes.In the end, the season’s drama underscores a simple truth for football lovers: the joy of the game is inseparable from its inevitable panic, frustration, and the ever‑present possibility of triumph—or heartbreak—just around the corner.

A British warship together with a Royal Air Force P‑8 maritime patrol aircraft monitored three Russian submarines that were trying to survey key undersea infrastructure in the North Atlantic, the defence secretary John Healey said at a Downing Street briefing.Healey explained that the operation, which lasted **over a month**, took place not within UK territorial waters but in the country's exclusive economic zone – the area extending up to 200 nautical miles from the coastline and bordering neighbouring zones.The Russian vessels comprised an Akula‑class nuclear‑powered submarine and two deep‑sea research submarines from the GUGI directorate, a unit that normally conducts peacetime surveys of underwater infrastructure but possesses the capability to damage it in conflict.According to the minister, the British forces tracked and deterred any malign activity around the submarines 24/7, deploying regular sonar buoys to demonstrate continuous monitoring. The presence of the Royal Navy ship and the P‑8 aircraft, supported by NATO allies, left the Russian crews with “no doubt that they were being watched”.As a result, the Akula submarine “retreated home” and the two GUGI subs subsequently exited the UK’s maritime zone, heading northward. The operation involved **about 500 UK personnel**.Healey stressed that there was **no evidence of damage** to any pipelines or cables, but that UK forces and allies would verify the integrity of the infrastructure. He warned President Putin that any attempt to sabotage the network would “not be tolerated and will have serious consequences”.The defence secretary framed the incident as proof that Moscow is “the primary threat to the UK and to NATO”, underscoring the need for heightened vigilance over undersea assets amid the broader security fallout from the Ukraine war and recent tensions in the Middle East.He also linked the episode to broader defence policy, stating that the successful deterrence demonstrates the UK’s ability to detect, deter and, if necessary, respond to threats against its critical maritime infrastructure, while calling for continued investment in defence capabilities.