Entertainment
Pakistan’s semi-final qualification scenario after England defeat New Zealand
Two-time champions England secured a hard-fought four-wicket win over New Zealand in a crucial Super Eights clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the R Premadasa Stadium on Friday.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner’s decision to bat first backfired as they could muster 159/7 in their allotted 20 overs against a spin-heavy England bowling attack.
Middle-order batter Glenn Phillips remained the top-scorer for New Zealand with a 28-ball 39, followed by openers Tim Seifert and Finn Allen, who made 35 and 29, respectively.
For England, Will Jacks, Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed bagged two wickets each, while Liam Dawson chipped in with one.
In turn, England chased down the 160-run target for the loss of six wickets and three balls to spare, courtesy of a quickfire 44-run unbeaten partnership for the seventh wicket between Jacks and Rehan.
Jacks made an unbeaten 32 off just 18 deliveries, smashing four fours and a six, while Rehan scored 19 not out from seven balls with the help of two sixes and a four.
Rachin Ravindra was the pick of the bowlers for New Zealand, taking three wickets for just 19 runs in his four overs, while Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson and Phillips could bag one apiece.
England’s victory put New Zealand’s hopes of semi-final qualification on hold, besides keeping Pakistan in contention, who next face co-hosts Sri Lanka in the last Group 2 Super Eights match of the T20 World Cup 2026 in Kandy on Saturday.
Pakistan, placed third in Group 2 standings with one point in two matches, now need to beat Sri Lanka by around 65 runs or chase down the target in 13.1 overs to better New Zealand’s net run rate of 1.390.
The Green Shirts’ net run rate, however, currently stands at a negative 0.461, and if they fail to beat Sri Lanka by a substantial margin, New Zealand would join England in qualifying for the semi-finals from Group 2.
Entertainment
President Zardari lauds Pakistan’s untiring efforts in facilitating US-Iran dialogue
- PM Shehbaz briefs Zardari on peace negotiation progress.
- Zardari urges continued engagement with global powers.
- PM, DPM, CDF praised for diplomatic coordination efforts.
In a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari lauded Pakistan’s untiring efforts in making the diplomatic initiative of hosting peace negotiations between Iran and the United States a great success.
Islamabad emerged as a key mediator in the US-Iran conflict after PM Shehbaz helped secure a two-week ceasefire on April 8. Following the temporary truce, delegations from Washington and Tehran arrived in Islamabad at his invitation and held over 20 hours of negotiations over the weekend.
However, despite the extended talks and intensive diplomatic engagement, the discussions concluded without reaching a final agreement.
The conflict, which began on February 28 following coordinated US-Israeli strikes targeting Iran’s leadership and infrastructure, has resulted in more than 2,000 deaths and widespread regional instability. Tehran responded with retaliatory operations, including the disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on Israeli and US targets in the region.
The international community has broadly welcomed Pakistan’s diplomatic role, backing its efforts to de-escalate Middle East tensions and facilitate negotiations aimed at achieving lasting peace.
In today’s meeting at Aiwan-e-Sadr, President Zardari and PM Shehbaz reviewed the prevailing security and diplomatic situation in the region, noting its far-reaching implications for global security, economic stability, and geopolitical dynamics.
The prime minister briefed the president in detail on the stages of the US-Iran dialogue, progress achieved through Pakistan’s mediation, and his upcoming visits to Saudi Arabia and Turkiye aimed at further advancing peace efforts.
President Zardari praised PM Shehbaz, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and all state institutions for their sustained diplomatic efforts in facilitating peace negotiations, calling the initiative a notable success in advancing regional stability.
He noted that the seamless coordination between all stakeholders was instrumental in facilitating this high-level engagement.
The president highlighted the historic role Pakistan has played in promoting global peace and regional stability.
He remarked that by providing a platform for such a critical dialogue, Pakistan has reaffirmed its position as a responsible and pivotal state in the international community and proved its peace making credentials to the world once more.
President Zardari said that PM Shehbaz and DPM Dar should remain proactively engaged with Washington and Tehran, as well as major regional and global powers, to ensure the sustainability of the peace process and regional harmony.
The meeting was attended by the DPM Dar and PM’s Adviser on Political Affairs Senator Rana Sanaullah, while the president was assisted by former premier Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Parliamentary Leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in Senate Sherry Rehman and former Senate chairman Nayyar Bukhari.
Entertainment
Kim Kardashian makes major move amid dating buzz with Lewis Hamilton
Kim Kardashian is expanding her résumé yet again, making her Broadway producing debut with The Fear of 13.
Kardashian has joined the producing team of The Fear of 13, a stage adaptation of the 2015 documentary about Nick Yarris, who spent 22 years on death row before being exonerated through DNA evidence.
Starring Adrien Brody and Tessa Thompson, the play explores wrongful conviction and systemic failures in the justice system.
“For the past decade, criminal justice reform has been a deeply personal mission of mine,” Kardashian said in a statement.
“I couldn’t be prouder to make my Broadway producing debut with a project that carries such vital weight.”
The move builds on her advocacy work and her recent acting turn in Ryan Murphy’s All’s Fair, where she starred alongside Glenn Close, Sarah Paulson, Naomi Watts, and Niecy Nash-Betts.
Meanwhile her personal life is also drawing attention after a high-profile outing with Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton at Coachella 2026.
Offstage, Kardashian’s relationship with Lewis Hamilton is making headlines.
The pair, who reportedly began dating earlier this year, were spotted together at Coachella 2026 during Justin Bieber’s headlining set.
Kardashian, dressed in a sleek black bodysuit and leather pants, kept a low profile with a scarf, while Hamilton stayed close by her side.
Adding to the buzz, Kardashian’s daughter North West joined them, making the outing a family affair.
Entertainment
Moya Brennan, Clannad star, face of Irish folk music, dies aged 73
The face of Irish folk music, Moya Brennan, Clannad star has died at age 73.
Brennan was widely recognized as the voice of Celtic Ireland.
The singer, harpist and songwriter passed away in Donegal surrounded by her loved ones.
Moya Brennan, who was the face of Irish music, best known as part of the Irish family band, which emerged in the 1970s and later won a Bafta and a Grammy for their folk albums.
She was born in West Donegal as Maire Philomena on August 5, 1952, the eldest of nine children in the famous O’Braonain family.
Moya Brennan rose to fame when she started performing with her family in Clannad.
Moya and her siblings, Pol and Ciaran, along with their twin uncles Noel and Padraig O Dugain, started singing regularly at the family’s pub in Min na Leice.
The band went by the name Clan as Dobhar (Family from Dore) but shortened their name to Clannad in 1973.
Their big breakthrough arrived in 1982, when their theme buzzing song for the TV series Harry’s Game became a worldwide sensation.
For context, it was the first Irish-language track to reach the UK charts, which they performed on Top of the Pops.
The song won an Ivor Novello Award, with a Grammy and a Billboard Music Award later coming its way.
Clannad didn’t stop there, they again crashed the charts with another number one duet with Bono, Once In a Lifetime.
The band would go on to release 25 albums and sell 20 million records globally.
She is survived by her husband, Tim Jarvis, and their two children, Aisling and Paul.
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