India’s Lakshya Sen reached the men’s singles final of the All England Open 2026 after defeating Canada’s Victor Lai in Birmingham on March 7. The world No. 12 won the semifinal 21-15, 18-21, 21-16 in a match that lasted one hour and 37 minutes. Sen struggled with severe cramps during the deciding game but continued to fight through the rallies. The tense third game kept the crowd at Utilita Birmingham Arena on edge before Sen sealed the win. Sen had earlier defeated world No. 1 Shi Yuqi and world No. 6 Li Shifeng in the tournament. The Indian shuttler now enters his second All England final. He was runner-up in 2022 after losing to Viktor Axelsen. (PC: India Today)

The United Arab Emirates said its air defence systems intercepted 15 ballistic missiles and 119 drones during Iranian attacks targeting US bases in the Gulf. Officials said 16 missiles were detected on Saturday. Fifteen were destroyed and one fell into the sea. Authorities also detected 121 drones. Of these, 119 were intercepted while two landed inside UAE territory. Dubai officials said a “minor incident” occurred after debris from an intercepted missile fell in the city. Flight operations at Dubai airport were briefly affected but later resumed. The UAE said the attacks caused three deaths and more than 100 minor injuries among people of several nationalities. (PC: X)

US President Donald Trump said Iran “will be hit very hard” as the US military considers new targets in the country.   Posting on Truth Social, Trump said Iran had apologised to its Middle East neighbours and promised not to attack them again. He claimed the move came after “relentless US and Israeli attack.”   However, reports said Iran-linked strikes were still seen in the region. A drone strike was reported near Dubai International Airport, while Qatar said it intercepted a missile.   Trump warned that more targets were being reviewed. Some “areas and groups of people” not previously considered could now face attack, he said. (PC: BBC)

Abdul Majid Hakim Elahi, Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei’s representative in India, said Tehran is targeting US bases in the region and not neighbouring countries. Speaking to The Indian Express, he said the US uses bases in Gulf nations to launch attacks on Iran. “We are attacking the US bases, not our neighbours. We don’t have a choice,” he said. Elahi also said ties between India and Iran remain strong. “The relationship between India and Iran is very deep. I am sure it will continue like that,” he said. He added that many Indians visited his office to express solidarity after the death of Ayatollah Khamenei. (PC: The Indian Express)

Airline pilots say the widening conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran is making flights more dangerous across busy airspace. The war has filled skies near several major airports with missiles and attack drones. Some Iranian strikes have also targeted airports, forcing flight operations to pause in cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Tanja Harter, president of the European Cockpit Association, said pilots are not trained for such threats. “We are not military pilots. We are not trained to deal with these kinds of threats in the air,” she told Reuters. She added that many pilots feel uneasy flying near conflict zones and “don’t want to share airspace with missiles.” (PC: X)

A drone strike linked to Iran hit Dubai International Airport on Saturday, briefly disrupting flight operations at the major global travel hub.   Videos on social media showed a large cloud of smoke rising near the airport after the strike. According to reports, passengers inside the airport moved into train tunnels after alerts were issued.   Airline Emirates said flights to and from Dubai were suspended “until further notice”, but operations resumed shortly after.   Dubai authorities said air defence systems were activated after several explosions were heard in the city.   Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian later said Tehran would pause strikes on Gulf countries and apologised, saying Iran had “no intention of invading other nations”.

India on Saturday said it continues to import Russian crude oil and does not need permission from any country to do so. The statement came after the United States issued a 30-day waiver allowing Russian oil already loaded on ships to be sold to India during the Middle East conflict. “India has never depended on permission from any country to buy Russian oil,” the government said. Officials said Russia remains India’s largest crude oil supplier. Imports increased after 2022 because of discounted prices. The government also said India buys oil from wherever it is cheapest. “In the national interest, India purchases oil from wherever the most competitive and affordable rates are available,” it said.

A London-based media and marketing agency, Here&Now365, has launched a campaign called “The Missing” on International Women’s Day. The campaign highlights concerns about gender imbalance in births among Indian-origin families in the UK. The campaign is based on analysis of Office for National Statistics (ONS) data. It shows that between 2021 and 2025, about 118 boys were born for every 100 girls to Indian mothers in the UK. The national average across all communities is about 105 boys for every 100 girls. Experts say ratios above 107 may indicate possible sex-selective practices. Here&Now365 Founder Manish Tiwari said the campaign aims to start discussion within communities. “When statistics begin to show a worrying imbalance, silence is no longer an option,” he said. Tiwari added that communicators must also raise social issues. “Girls deserve the same chance to be born, loved and celebrated,” he said. Labour MP Virendra Sharma also spoke about the issue. “What is most needed is that the woman carrying the child must feel supported by society and the system,” he said. He added that if women face pressure, they should be able to seek legal protection. UK law does not allow abortion only because the baby is a boy or a girl. Guidance issued by the Department of Health and Social Care in 2014 confirms that terminating a pregnancy solely because of the child’s sex constitutes a criminal offence in England and Wales. 

US President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed Iran has “lost” and “surrendered” to its Middle East neighbours after recent tensions in the region.   Trump made the remarks on Truth Social after Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised to neighbouring countries and said Iran would not attack them unless it was attacked first.   “Iran… has apologized and surrendered to its Middle East neighbors,” Trump wrote.   He said Iran made the promise only because of “relentless U.S. and Israeli attack”.   Trump also claimed Iran is “no longer the bully of the Middle East”.   His comments came as strikes and air raid alerts continued in parts of the Gulf region. (PC: X)

The war in Ukraine is seeing growing use of armed ground robots called uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs). Both Ukrainian and Russian forces are deploying them on the battlefield. Some UGVs carry machine guns or explosives and are used to attack enemy positions. Ukrainian troops say these robots have helped repel Russian assaults and protect frontline areas. “Robot wars are already happening,” said Maj Oleksandr Afanasiev of Ukraine’s K2 brigade. He said the machines can move and detect targets, but humans still decide when to fire. Russia is also building similar systems. Experts say clashes between combat robots from both sides may soon take place. (PC: BBC)