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A perfect storm involving three U.S. Navy aircraft carriers highlights the strain on the fleet amid an ongoing war in the Middle East and tensions in Asia. One of the carriers was damaged by a fire, another just saw its service life extended for the second time, while a third had its delivery pushed back until 2027. Though a Navy official told The War Zone there is no connection between the fire and service life extension, taken in concert these events show how difficult it is to build, operate and maintain the huge and expensive nuclear warships, especially when their deployments or service lives are pushed past anticipated timelines.

On March 12, a fire broke out in the laundry area of the USS Gerald R. Ford while underway in the Middle East, injuring two sailors. Though officials initially said the damage was minor, the vessel is now heading to Souda Bay in Crete for repairs, according to USNI, taking it out of war against Iran. On Monday, The New York Times reported that the fire took more than 30 hours to extinguish and left more than 600 sailors “bunking down on floors and tables.”

It is unclear how long the Ford’s repairs will take, but it leaves only one carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, on station as the war drags into its 18th day with no immediate end in sight.

The fire was the latest of the Ford’s woes during what has become a 10-month-long deployment that has twice been extended and would set a post-Vietnam War record by mid-April unless it is sent out of theater. The previous record, at 294 days, was set by the USS Abraham Lincoln in 2020. However, a military official told the Times that the Pentagon recognizes that the Ford is reaching the limits of its deployment length. He added that the USS George H.W. Bush is preparing to deploy to the Middle East and will probably relieve the Ford. CENTCOM declined to comment when we asked for additional details.

As we previously reported, the Ford experienced sewage issues prior to deploying to the Middle East from the Caribbean, the latter of which is where it played a big role in the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. Even before that, Adm. Daryl Caudle, the Chief of Naval Operations, was so concerned in January about the condition of the ship and its crew and the scheduled repairs it would miss that he said he would “push back” on any order to extend its deployment.

Typical carrier deployments last about six to eight months, a period designed to ensure the ships can maintain readiness and the crews do not get worn out. When that doesn’t happen, it creates a cascading series of problems that affect not just the ships and crews, but the facilities that have scheduled repairs and lined up workers to make them happen.

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, the last carrier to make an extended deployment, has seen its planned maintenance extended for a half year and counting as a result of the additional strain of being away from its home port for so long. The Navy’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget shows that work on the ship was supposed to have been completed last July, but it is still unfinished. The lack of availability reverberates across the rest of the fleet. That in turn limits the options commanders have when planning or preparing for contingencies and puts the overall carrier availability plan out of whack.

The Ford already was going to require an extended refurbishment before the fire, now that could be extended much longer. You can read much more about the problems created by deferred carrier maintenance via extended deployments in our deep dive into the issue here.

Meanwhile, the aircraft USS Nimitz, the Navy’s oldest operational carrier, has seen its service life extended for the second time.

“USS Nimitz‘ (CVN 68) service life has since been extended to March 2027,” the Navy said in a statement. “Accordingly, the U.S. Navy plans to inactivate the ship in 2027.”

On March 13, the Navy signed a $95.7 million contract with Huntington Ingalls Inc. “for advance planning and long-lead-time material procurement to prepare and make ready for the accomplishment of the inactivation and defueling of USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by March 2027.”

The news of the extension broke after the carrier departed Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington on March 7 to head to Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia as part of a scheduled homeport shift prior to decommissioning, according to Breaking Defense, the first to report the change in the Nimitz’s plans. The Nimitz was initially scheduled to be taken out of service in April of 2025, but that was extended to May of 2026.

It is unclear if the Nimitz will deploy before it will be finally inactivated, but it is no longer assigned an air wing.

However, the decision to keep the ship in service until 2027 coincides with the delivery of the future USS John F. Kennedy, the second Ford class carrier, being pushed back until then. 

The Kennedy’s “delivery date shifted from July 2025 to March 2027 (preliminary acceptance TBD) to support completion of Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) certification and continued Advanced Weapons,” a Navy official told us in December.

Federal law requires the Navy to keep at least 11 carriers in the fleet. We’ve asked the Navy if there is a connection between the Nimitz extension and the Kennedy’s delivery delay and will update this story wtih any pertinent information provided.

The Navy announced that the Kennedy completed Builder’s Sea Trials (BST) at Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of HII, in Newport News, Virginia, Feb. 4. BSTs provide an opportunity to test ship systems and components at sea for the first time, and make required adjustments prior to additional underway testing.

The current status of the Ford, Nimitz and Kennedy shows the jenga-like nature of trying to meet the needs of commanders while maintaining the condition of ships and crews and adhering to federal law. All of this, of course, is in flux. Given that America is in a new war with an uncertain future, there could be further shockwaves to the Navy’s plans for its carrier fleet.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com

One in five adults living outside London haven’t visited the capital in over 10 years due to costs – but a new challenge proves you can experience the city on just £150

A fifth of adults living outside of London haven’t set foot in the city for more than 10 years. A poll of 2,000 adults who live outside the capital found more than half (52%) admitted the cost of accommodation makes it too expensive to visit. Additional factors preventing people from visiting include transport costs (50%), the price of dining out (27%) and lacking the time to organise a major trip (21%).

Meanwhile, one in 10 have avoided it because the Tube leaves them baffled. However, 58% would welcome the opportunity to discover the city, with more affordable accommodation, reduced attraction prices, smaller crowds and a straightforward itinerary likely to entice them.

The study was commissioned by easyHotel, which tasked presenter Hattie Carter with experiencing London in 24 hours on a £150 budget, beginning from its Croydon location which has recently completed a full renovation.

Nathan White, UK operations director for the hotel chain, said: “There’s no denying that London is often seen as expensive and out-of-reach for those on a budget, particularly as the cost of living continues to rise. However, with a few simple hacks such as opting for affordable accommodation, the capital becomes much more accessible to all.

“Croydon has quick transport links reaching central London in under 15 minutes, so it’s a great option for those who want to spend their budget on the experiences that make a London trip worth it.”

The survey revealed that a quarter of adults typically organise their trips between two and six months ahead, although younger travellers are leaning towards more spontaneous plans, with 60% of 18- to 24-year-olds preferring to book within one month or less.

Kew Gardens (51%), Tate Modern (50%), and Camden Market (44%) were the top attractions people expressed a desire to visit. Additionally, 36% of participants indicated they would be most likely to visit London during the summer season.

Cheaper travel options are what 44% of adults claim would make them more inclined to visit London in the forthcoming 12 months – with the average adult prepared to spend £66.15 on a return train ticket.

Accommodation ranked second to travel as 37% of those surveyed via OnePoll.com would be persuaded if it was more affordable, expressing willingness to pay an average of £118.13 for an overnight stay.

However, despite 32% brimming with excitement at the prospect of planning a trip to the city, 24% feel anticipation – and 21% associate it with stress.

A spokesperson for easyHotel Croydon, where an average overnight stay costs just £58.27, commented: “It’s clear there is still a huge appetite to visit London and explore everything the city has to offer, but for many it’s about how to make it happen without breaking the bank.

“Our £150 budget challenge proves it can be done. By staying smart at an accessible and affordable hotel, London is doable.

“We want to help more people visit the capital for a memorable and positive experience, while keeping their budget firmly under control.”

BORED of regular hotels? Why not head off on a staycation… to spend the night in a train carriage instead.

Nestled in the West Sussex countryside, you will find a restored vintage train carriage that is stopped in its own ‘station’.

Named the Lowe Comotion, the carriage is in Batchmere, Chichester and sleeps up to four people, with one main bedroom.

Inside, guests will be greeted by vintage decor and quirky train signage that not only makes you feel as if you are stepping onto a long, luxury train journey but also back in time to the golden age of train travel.

There’s a log burner and comfy sofa that transforms into bunk beds as well, to make it truly feel like a first-class experience.

When it comes to having a bite to eat, there is a dining table and chairs by the window, so you can enjoy your food whilst looking out at the view.

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The kitchen has everything you’d need including a kettle, grill, toaster and microwave.

In the middle of the carriage is where you will find the bathroom, complete with a vintage bathtub.

Outside there is a spacious patio with seating too and a barbeque for the summer.

The carriage has to be booked for a minimum stay of two nights and is pet-friendly, so your four-legged friend won’t be left out.

It also includes towels and linen, so you don’t need to worry about bringing your own.

One recent guest said: “A lovely railway carriage with loads of great touches and details.

“Definitely first class. We had a grand time staying here and loved the birdsong as well as the rain on the roof when the weather let us down a bit!

“Woodburner ensured a cosy night was had and would definitely recommend to friends. Lovely private area with space for kids and dog!”

Another guest added: “Wow – what a unique and wonderful place – superbly converted 1870’s railway carriage with so many thoughtful and stylish design details we hardly wanted to go out – but also couldn’t resist the huge private lawn that comes with it – a huge hit with our over excited sheep dog! We were overexcited to sleep in it.

“Never been happier to sit on a train carriage that’s not moving!”

A third guest said: “This place is absolutely stunning! It’s so quirky and one-of-a-kind.

“Our stay here was incredibly peaceful and tranquil, exactly what we needed to unwind and recharge.”

Lowe Comotion costs from £150 per night to stay.

As for the area surrounding the carriage, you can head off on lovely countryside walks or bike rides.

Just nine minutes down the road is West Wittering Beach, which is known for its natural beauty.

The beach has a number of facilities including the Beach Cafe, where you can grab a bite to eat such as a Beach Breakfast with poached eggs, sausage, bacon, mushrooms, tomato, beans, potato rosti and toasted brown bloomer for £11.95.

And the beaches at Selsey, East Wittering, and Bracklesham Bay are all close by as well.

If you want to see some of the local nature, then you can head to RSPB Medmerry.

The reserve boasts 6.25miles of trails and features a lot of birdlife including avocets.

If you’ve got kids, jump in the car for 12 minutes to Selsey, where you will find West Sands Fun Fair.

It costs just £15 for unlimited rides on the attractions, which include Waltzers, Dodgems, pedal boats and toddler’s rides.

For more glamping getaways, here’s the UK’s original glamping destination with al fresco massages and farmhouse style tents.

Plus, the Finnish-like glamping resort in the UK countryside with safari lodges, sauna and outdoor cinemas.

Changes in Venezuela are slow and imperfect, but they are happening. The question is not whether chavismo will attempt to produce results that benefit Venezuelans, because it has no alternative. The real question is how it will do so and who is on the playing field trying to shape those outcomes.

The reform of the Hydrocarbons Law, the enactment of the Amnesty Law, and the proposed reform of the Mining Law seem to indicate that the vehicle for implementing the institutional measures demanded by the United States is the National Assembly. A National Assembly that lacks legitimacy and does not represent the majority of the country’s political sectors.

Two weeks ago, Tareck William Saab resigned from his position as chief prosecutor, and Alfredo Ruiz resigned as ombudsman. Both had held those posts since August 2017 and had used the justice system against those who think differently. Following their resignations, the National Assembly confirmed Larry Devoe as acting head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office (Ministerio Público) and appointed Saab himself as acting ombudsman. While Saab’s resignation represented a step forward, appointing Saab as acting ombudsman was a direct violation of the Constitution. These dissonant signals only confirm that the Rodríguez leadership has no political will to move toward a democratic transition.

The process to appoint the heads of the Citizen Power branch has begun with the convening of the Evaluation Committee, and once again the academic world and civil society organizations have decided to participate. The nomination of Dr. Magaly Vásquez for chief prosecutor is a clear example and reflects the same logic that led human rights organizations to participate in the discussions around the Amnesty Law: when civil society comes together, it can take advantage of even minimal conditions to make itself heard and push decision-making toward, at the very least, more “palatable” outcomes.

Will a future democratic government treat the Amnesty Law as illegitimate? Will the hydrocarbon contracts signed by the interim government of Delcy Rodríguez be recognized?

In this process, as in the legislative debates mentioned earlier, there is an absence: the representation of all the country’s political actors. This absence (which includes a large portion of the opposition) is not simply an act of selfishness. On the contrary, their position is rooted in values and principles that prevent them from recognizing any legitimacy in the National Assembly. That stance deserves respect and admiration. However, it is worth asking whether that inflexible position is preventing them from becoming involved in processes that are producing real consequences for real people, inside and outside the country.

We know that these steps are not gestures of democratization. They appear instead to be targeted concessions designed to manage external pressure and preserve power. But achieving the appointment of a credible chief prosecutor or ombudsman could, even if only gradually, begin to rebuild a degree of institutional independence.

This leads me to ask those in the opposition who still remain on the sidelines: if we do not recognize these processes from their origin, what happens to their results when an eventual political change arrives? Will a future democratic government treat the Amnesty Law as illegitimate? Will the hydrocarbon contracts signed by the interim government of Delcy Rodríguez be recognized? Will the institutional reforms that may emerge within the framework of the path outlined by the US be rejected? These questions arise when one notices the absence of the main political figures, or when their presence remains limited to criticism.

These are not rhetorical or ill-intentioned questions. Nor is this about abandoning principles. Rather, it is about recognizing that civil society organizations need backing, especially from political parties and movements. As was demonstrated on July 28, 2024, when society’s desire for change translates into participation and is channeled by political parties, it becomes an overwhelming movement with the potential to materialize that will for change.

At the same time, we must be realistic: the response of opposition leaders cannot be unconditional recognition of the National Assembly. Structurally, it remains an instrument of authoritarian control. What can materialize, however, is support for civil society in the processes in which it is already participating. These expressions of support do not seek to legitimize lawmakers elected under questionable circumstances. Rather, they seek to recognize the work and struggle of the intermediary organizations that are fighting to open spaces for institutional life.

Turning this transition into a Venezuelan process requires Venezuelan actors to claim leadership over the institutional processes now unfolding.

A clear example of support could be the one mentioned earlier. The process to appoint the heads of Poder Ciudadano should not be rejected from the outset. Instead, those who have chosen to submit their candidacies before the National Assembly’s Evaluation Committee—and who possess the necessary technical and civic credentials—should receive public support, while their names are circulated in the public arena. Put more plainly: make noise about it. Doing so would increase the cost for the regime, in the eyes of the Trump administration, of selecting individuals who are the complete opposite: people without technical qualifications or chosen solely for political loyalty.

Choosing to support participation from an external position carries implications that become clearer with every issue appearing on the legislative agenda. The reform of the Mining Law presented this week, for example, cannot follow the path taken by the Hydrocarbons Law, which was approved without consultation, transparency or the participation of those who will bear its costs.

Venezuelan scholars, environmental organizations, and Indigenous communities must be sitting at the table in the discussions on the mining law. And the opposition, if it truly aspires to represent Venezuelans and not simply oppose the regime, could present its own reform proposals to the organizations that decide to participate in the process. In this way, participation would be effectively “outsourced.” The direct actors are not recognized, but the work of leading institutions is acknowledged.

What is at stake is more than a specific law or appointment. January 3 set in motion a process of transition in Venezuela that we hope will reach a safe harbor and conclude with free elections. But we cannot forget that there is also a risk that these changes will become little more than a negotiation between the US and remnants of chavismo. Turning this transition into a Venezuelan process requires Venezuelan actors to claim leadership over the institutional processes now unfolding. On one side, civil society must act as the principal driver. On the other, the opposition must decide whether it will remain on the margins or become an active ally.

Transitions are never perfect, because in most cases the preexisting institutions are not trustworthy. Yet decisions made within those institutions tend to be more durable than the circumstances that gave rise to them. Participating in a flawed process does not mean surrendering one’s principles. Refusing to acknowledge the reality of the moment, by contrast, allows others to shape what will become the legal and institutional architecture of the transition. And possibly, the political landscape of the coming decades.

Near the top of the Grimsel Pass in Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland, a small crowd had gathered to take photographs. We were surrounded by bulky mountains and rippling glaciers, but all eyes were focused on a silvery granite chalet with apple-red shutters, its foundations deep in snow.

It was early February and, one after another, we posed in front of it as if standing beside a celebrity. Which in a way we were, because the proud building was the Grimsel Hospiz, the country’s oldest recorded mountain inn and a place that predates Westminster Abbey.

First documented in 1142 and originally built as a simple hostel – either by the Order of Saint Lazarus or the Augustinian monastery of Interlaken, no one is quite sure – today’s much-modernised Grimsel Hospiz is marooned on a spur of sheer rock and snow at 2,000 metres (6,562 ft). Over the centuries it has been inhabited by monks, used by shepherds, needy travellers and soldiers, ravaged by fire and buried by an avalanche. The mountains reach up, but it is surrounded on three sides by plunging ravines and the frozen Grimselsee, which thaws to turquoise ice floes in spring. The scenery is stupendous.

My visit began on a PostBus, the yellow stagecoaches that reach the parts of Switzerland that the railways can’t. I was south-east of the village of Meiringen, having taken a train to Innertkirchen Kraftwerk, a station built 100 years ago to service the hydroelectric power plants hidden deep in the mountains. The towering stone pines, the tumbling cliffs, the dripping snow, the sky only peeking through – it might have been the landscape of JRR Tolkien’s Middle-earth.

As the bus worked its way higher up the Aare Gorge, we saw that the road ahead was closed for winter. Instead, we were dropped at a high-security shutter leading to an underground hydropower station operated by Kraftwerke Oberhasli AG. The renewable energy plant opens for public tours and, moments later, a minibus appeared from behind the steel door to take us deeper into the mountains. We hopped on board.

A road blasted into the granite, dark and narrow, then crept through a maze of tunnels, ending four miles (6.4km) later at a tiny cable car station that opened to daylight. We looked up at the Grimselsee reservoir and Spitallamm Dam, a 113 metre-tall arch of stone above which we were soon to soar. For a century, the high-altitude lake has stored glacier meltwater to generate green electricity. Now, for visitors like me, it forms part of Grimselwelt, a Swiss Alpine tourist region, serving as a backdrop to a great tract of lonely winter wilderness.

The picture of the Grimsel Hospiz developed as we rose on the cable car, like a photo going from faded to sharp. The uninhabited valleys beyond led to the Unteraargletscher, an eight-mile leviathan of ice and the Alps’ fifth-largest glacier. From the cable car, I made out a group of horned ibex as they clambered with ease over the col.

It was the Celts, then Romans, who first used the Grimsel Pass, but it has been an important locus in Alpine culture for centuries: a trade route between Berne and Upper Valais in the middle ages, a strategic camp for raids and war campaigns between Swiss, French, German and Austrian armies, a setting for pioneering glacier research. All these aspects combine in a single story at the Grimsel Hospiz.

What lends the mountain inn so much credibility today is its environmental outlook. Located within the Unesco World Heritage Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch region, the 28-room hotel is in the midst of a critical wildlife habitat, meaning all winter sports are banned. Ski gear is prohibited by the hotel’s management and it cannot be transported on the cable car. The Alps have always been the preserve of travellers keen on activities that take serious effort, but here is an antidote to every other winter destination, a rare meditative place where doing nothing is the only thing to do.

The only activity on offer is snowshoeing and even that is restricted to a 500-metre loop around the inn’s tower-like granite porches and wooden and copper-roofed chapel. It might be “the shortest winter trail in Switzerland”, as manager Markus Meier put it, but it still took me an hour as I kept stopping to take photos.

Inside is a fantasy mountain inn, the result of sensitive restorations: a huge wooden door creaks open and you step into corridors leading to cosy double rooms, intimate lounges, fireplaces and a restaurant where dinner is accompanied by one of 250 bottles from one of Europe’s highest-altitude wine cellars. Back in 1932, the guesthouse caused a sensation as the continent’s first electrically heated hotel. Now, the building is sustainably powered by clean energy and waste heat from the hydroelectric plant below.

As evening fell, it was time for the inn’s only other activity: staring at the flaring sunset and night sky from its outdoor wooden barrel sauna and hot tub. The air was bracingly cold, the constellations appeared and it was just me, the burbling water and the mountains stretching away into darkness. Forget any thoughts of Alpine heroes such as George Mallory or Edward Whymper. That night, down to my cossie in -10C (14F), tiptoeing across the snow in a pair of felt slippers and dwarfed by mountains, I was the bravest man in the Alps.

At nearly 2,000 metres, dinner is another event. The four-course menu produced by Slovakian chef Roman Crkon is hardly the stuff of traditional refuges. I’ve had my share of mountain meals, but I’ve never had veal sweetbreads, scallops, chicken with truffle cream and a cheese board at high altitude. In 1544, a local chronicler wrote that the Grimsel Hospiz was all about “good wine, brought by pack animals across the mountains”. Looking at the card games and excessive drinking around me, little had changed.

Later, just before bed, I slipped outside to gaze again at the stars. It was pine needle-drop quiet. Though I was separated from some of Switzerland’s most popular resort towns by only a few miles as the eagle flies, I felt engulfed by the Alps in their entirety. Tomorrow, another day with nothing to do beyond the confines of the inn awaited. But in a landscape like this, I was thrilled to have fallen off the map, out of time, into winter’s grasp.

The trip was provided by Jungfrau Region and Historic Alpine Hotel Grimsel Hospiz (Wednesday to Sunday only; grimselwelt.ch). Rooms from £165pp a night, including breakfast, afternoon tea, hot tub and wooden barrel sauna. A four-course dinner costs £85. Return bus, tunnel and cable car transfers cost £70

Dino Snores for grown-ups opens up the iconic Natural History Museum overnight

It’s one of the most iconic buildings and attractions in London and is known the world over.

The Natural History Museum is a marvel, containing tens of thousands of specimens from the natural world from across the globe and across time.

Not only that but the building is one of the most stunning in the capital, instantly recognisable and with some new wonder to be found on every visit.

And, in a real bucket list moment and a once in a lifetime experience, I was one of the people lucky enough to spend the night in this iconic building, sleeping under Hope the whale and wandering through the collections in the dead of night.

The Natural History Museum hosts Dino Snores for adults – and what an experience it is.

Not only do you get to spend the night sleeping beneath Hope the whale in the main Hintze Hall, there is so much going on there’s no way you’ll be getting your head down until the wee small hours.

Walking into the museum after the sun had gone down felt like living in my very own fairy tale. The exhibits in the incredible main hall were softly lit.

First up was a delicious three course meal in the T-Rex restaurant, followed by our first activity of the evening – stand-up comedy.

This is the Natural History Museum after all, so it did have a conservation theme in the form of comedian Simon Watt, founder of the Ugly Animal Preservation Society.

Who knew blob fish, frogs and the inexplicable inclusion of the kakapo flightless parrot could be so hilarious.

Next, there was a live animal workshop with ethical handling company, ZooLab, who encouraged us all to think how we would design our own dinosaur using traits from some of the amazing creatures who share the planet with us.

You were even allowed to touch some of these rare species – I very bravely overcame my terror to stroke a snake but have to admit to breathing a big sigh of relief when were were told the tarantula was a look only experience.

Then onto a lecture about sharks with a one of the museum’s palaeontologists – utterly fascinating.

A quick game of Dino Bingo, and then a stroll around the softly lit galleries with no crowds – the dinosaur section really is something else when the lights are out and it’s eerily quiet – and before we knew it it was 3am and we were ready to drop.

Tucking ourselves into our sleeping bags under the watchful gaze of Hope the whale, we were serenaded to sleep by a harpist – the theme from Jurassic Park as my personal favourite.

Throughout the night, there was a fully licenced bar as well as free tea, coffee and snacks to keep you going throughout the evening.

There was just so much to see and do, but for those who didn’t feel like roaming the halls of the Natural History Museum there was also a midnight film screening – what else but the original Jurassic Park.

Waking up in the iconic Hintze Hall was a real pinch me moment and off we went to our early morning yoga class – a stretch was just what we needed – before a full fry up and then some time to once again wander through the galleries, minus the crowds before the museum opened to the public at 10am.

This really was a magical experience and one I’ll cherish forever.

For more information about Dino Snores for adults check out the page on the Natural History Museum website.

There is also a Dino Snores event for kids, for more information visit the website.

Islamabad, Pakistan – The reverberations of a war in which US-Israel attacks have killed more than a thousand people in Iran, including the country’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, and Iranian missiles and drones have fallen on Israel in retaliation, are being felt deeply in Pakistan.

Six Gulf countries have also come under Iranian missile and drone attacks, putting Pakistan in a tough position.

The country shares a 900-kilometre (559 miles) border with Iran in its southwest, and millions of its workers are residents in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations.

Since September last year, Islamabad has also reinforced its decades-long ties with Riyadh by signing a formal mutual defence agreement that commits each side to treat aggression against the other as aggression against both.

As Iranian drones and ballistic missiles continue to target Gulf states, the question being asked with increasing urgency in Pakistan is what Islamabad will do next if it finds itself pulled into the war.

Islamabad’s answer so far has been to work the phones furiously, engaging regional leaders, including Iran and Saudi Arabia.

When US-Israeli strikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28, Pakistan condemned the attacks as “unwarranted”. Within hours, it also condemned Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Gulf states as “blatant violations of sovereignty”.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who was attending an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation meeting in Riyadh when the conflict began last week, launched what he later described as “shuttle communication” between Tehran and Riyadh.

Speaking in the Senate on March 3, and at a news conference later the same day, Dar disclosed that he had personally reminded Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi of Pakistan’s defence obligations to Saudi Arabia.

“We have a defence pact with Saudi Arabia, and the whole world knows about it,” Dar said. “I told the Iranian leadership to take care of our pact with Saudi Arabia.”

Araghchi, he said, asked for guarantees that Saudi soil would not be used to attack Iran. Dar said he obtained those assurances from Riyadh and credited the back-channel exchange with limiting the scale of Iranian strikes on the kingdom.

On March 5, Iran’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Alireza Enayati, said his country welcomed Saudi Arabia’s pledge not to allow its airspace or territory to be used during the ongoing war with the US and Israel.

“We appreciate what we have repeatedly heard from Saudi Arabia – that it does not allow its airspace, waters, or territory to be used against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he said in an interview.

But only a day later, during early hours of March 6, Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry confirmed it intercepted three ballistic missiles targeting the kingdom’s Prince Sultan Air Base. And hours later, Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir was in Riyadh, meeting Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, where they “discussed Iranian attacks on the Kingdom and the measures needed to halt them within the framework” of their mutual defence pact, the Saudi minister said in a post on X.

As the war escalates, analysts say that Pakistan’s tightrope walk between two close partners could become harder and harder.

A defence pact under pressure

The Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement, signed on September 17, 2025, in Riyadh by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif alongside army chief Asim Munir, was the most significant formal defence commitment Pakistan had entered into in decades.

Its central clause states that any aggression against either country shall be considered aggression against both. The wording was modelled on collective defence principles similar to NATO’s Article 5, though analysts have cautioned against interpreting it as an automatic trigger for military intervention.

The agreement followed Israel’s September 2025 strikes on Hamas officials in Doha, an event that shook confidence in US security guarantees across the six Gulf Cooperation Council states: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Nuclear-armed Pakistan has maintained a military relationship with Saudi Arabia for decades, according to which an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 Pakistani troops remain stationed in the kingdom.

Now the pact is being tested under conditions neither side anticipated.

Umer Karim, an associate fellow at the Riyadh-based King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, called Pakistan’s current predicament the outcome of a miscalculation.

Islamabad, he argued, likely never expected to find itself caught between Tehran and Riyadh, particularly after the China-brokered rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran in 2023.

“Pakistani leaders were always careful not to take an official plunge vis-a-vis Saudi defence. It was done for the first time by the current army chief, and though the potential dividends are big, so are the costs,” Karim told Al Jazeera.

“Perhaps this is the last time the Saudis will test Pakistan, and if Pakistan doesn’t fulfil its commitments now, the relationship will be irreversibly damaged,” he added.

In 2015, it declined a direct Saudi request to join the military coalition fighting in Yemen, following a parliamentary resolution that the country must remain neutral.

Aziz Alghashian, senior non-resident fellow at the Gulf International Forum in Riyadh, pointed to that episode. “The limitation of the Saudi-Pakistan treaty is clear. Treaties are only as strong as the political calculations and political will behind them,” Alghashian told Al Jazeera.

But Ilhan Niaz, a professor of history at Islamabad’s Quaid-e-Azam University, said that if Saudi Arabia feels sufficiently threatened by Iran to formally request Pakistani military assistance, “Pakistan will come to Saudi Arabia’s aid.”

“To do otherwise would undermine Pakistan’s credibility,” he told Al Jazeera.

The Iran constraint

The complicating factor for Pakistan is that it cannot afford to treat Iran simply as an adversary if Riyadh calls for military assistance.

The two countries share a long and porous border, maintain significant trade ties, and have recently stepped up diplomatic engagement. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visited Islamabad in August 2025, and the two governments maintain a range of formal and backchannel contacts.

Niaz acknowledged that Tehran has also been “a difficult neighbour”, pointing to the January 2024 exchange of cross-border strikes initiated by Iran as evidence of the relationship’s unpredictability.

Even so, he said Pakistan had “vital national interests” in ensuring Iran’s stability and territorial integrity.

“The collapse of Iran into civil war, its fragmentation into warring states, and the extension of Israeli influence to Pakistan’s western borders are all developments that greatly, and rightly, worry Islamabad,” he said.

The domestic fallout from the US-Israel strikes and Iran’s response has already been immediate.

The army was deployed and a three-day curfew imposed in Gilgit-Baltistan after at least 23 people were killed in protests across Pakistan following Khamenei’s assassination. The protests were driven largely by Pakistan’s Shia community, estimated to make up between 15 and 20 percent of the 250 million population, which has historically mobilised around developments involving Iran.

Pakistan’s violent sectarian history adds another layer of risk.

The Zainabiyoun Brigade, a Pakistan-origin Shia militia trained, funded and commanded by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has recruited thousands of fighters from Pakistan over the past decade. While many fought in Syria against ISIL (ISIS), many Syrians activists accuse them of committing sectarian violence.

Two years ago, Pakistan’s northwestern Kurram district, the Zainabiyoun’s primary recruitment ground, saw more than 130 people killed in sectarian clashes in the final weeks of 2024 alone.

Pakistan formally banned the group in 2024, but many believe the designation has done little to dismantle its networks.

Analysts warn that fighters hardened in Syria’s civil war could, if Iran’s conflict with Pakistan’s Gulf partners deepens, shift from a defensive to an offensive posture on Pakistani soil.

“Iran has significant influence over Shia organisations in Pakistan,” Islamabad-based security analyst Amir Rana, executive director of the Pak Institute of Peace Studies, told Al Jazeera. “And then you have Balochistan, which is already a highly volatile area. If there is any confrontation, the fallout for Pakistan would be severe.”

Pakistan’s Balochistan province borders Iran, and has been ground-zero for a decades-long separatist movement. “That reality cannot be ignored,” Muhammad Khatibi, a political analyst based in Tehran, said, pointing out that geography itself constrains Islamabad’s choices.

“Any perception that Islamabad is siding militarily against Tehran could inflame domestic sectarian divisions in ways that a full-scale regional war would make very difficult to contain,” Khatibi told Al Jazeera.

What are Pakistan’s options?

Analysts say direct offensive military action against Iran, such as deploying combat aircraft or conducting strikes on Iranian territory, is not a realistic option for Pakistan, given its domestic constraints.

Rana describes Islamabad’s current posture as an attempt to placate both sides.

“Iran’s primary threat is through air strikes using drones and missiles, and that is an area where Pakistan can help and provide assistance to Saudi Arabia. But that would mean Pakistan becoming a party to the war, and that is a major question mark,” he said.

He added that the most viable option for Pakistan could be to provide covert operational support to Saudi Arabia while maintaining diplomatic engagement with Iran.

Alghashian also agreed; he identified air defence cooperation as the most concrete role Pakistan could play — it would be both “militarily meaningful and politically defensible”

“They could help create more air defence capacity,” he said. “This is tangible, it is defensive, and it is in Pakistan’s interest that Saudi Arabia becomes more stable and prosperous.”

Karim, however, warned that the window for Pakistan’s balancing act may be closing faster than Islamabad realises.

“As the situation reaches a tipping point and as Saudi energy installations and infrastructure are hit, it is only a matter of time that Saudi Arabia will ask Pakistan to contribute towards its defence,” he said.

He added that if Pakistan deploys air defence assets to Saudi Arabia, doing so could leave its own air defences dangerously exposed, while deeper involvement could carry political costs at home.

For now, Islamabad’s strongest card remains diplomacy, using its access to both Riyadh and Tehran and the trust it has accumulated. Khatibi said Pakistan should protect that position “at all costs”.

“Pakistan’s most realistic positioning is as a mediator and leveraging its relationships with both sides. It is highly unlikely that Pakistan deploys forces into an anti-Iran coalition. The risks would outweigh the benefits,” he said.

The stakes for Pakistan

The scenario least favourable to Islamabad would be a collective Gulf Cooperation Council decision to enter the war directly, and the warning signs are mounting.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have both declared that Iranian attacks “crossed a red line”.

A joint statement issued on March 1 by the United States, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE said they “reaffirm the right to self-defense in the face of these attacks.”

For Pakistan, such an escalation could carry serious consequences.

Economically, with millions of Pakistani workers living and earning their wages in Gulf states, remittances from the region provide crucial foreign exchange for an economy still recovering from a balance of payments crisis.

Khatibi said any prolonged regional war that disrupts Gulf economies would directly affect Pakistan’s financial position.

“Energy prices could also spike, adding further strain,” he said, noting Pakistan’s heavy dependence on Gulf states for its energy needs.

Pakistan is also simultaneously managing its own military confrontation with the Afghan Taliban which began two days before the US-Israel strikes.

Karim warned that deeper involvement in the regional conflict could trigger internal instability.

“Sectarian conflict,” he said, “can reignite, taking the country back to the bloody 1990s. The government already has lean political legitimacy, and such an occurrence will make it even more unpopular.”

Alghashian also highlighted Pakistan’s reluctance to be drawn into the conflict.

“Saudi Arabia does not want to be in this war and is getting dragged into it. Pakistan will also certainly not want to be dragged into somebody else’s war that they didn’t want to be dragged into. It just wouldn’t make any sense,” he says.

But Niaz said that if the crisis eventually forces Islamabad to choose, the calculus may become unavoidable.

“If Tehran forces Pakistan to choose between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the choice would unquestionably be in favour of the Saudis.”

Nominations are only open from March 5 to 12

A chocolate-filled hotel room that money simply cannot buy is being offered to the “world’s sweetest person” as part of a new campaign launched across Europe. Chocolate brand Tony’s Chocolonely has teamed up with hospitality group The Social Hub to create a chocolate-drenched pop-up suite at The Social Hub Amsterdam.

The fortunate winner will enjoy an immersive stay in the chocolate-themed rooms, as though they’ve walked straight into the world of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. However, guests won’t be expected to find a golden ticket or be able to book or pay for the room.

Instead, people must nominate the “sweetest person” they know to win a stay. Winners will then be treated to a once-in-a-lifetime chocolate sleepover alongside the friend who nominated them.

Sounds sweet? Here’s what to expect at the hotel

Within the three-room suite, guests will discover chocolate-themed décor, mismatched furniture inspired by Tony’s bars, chocolate room service and a playlist featuring artists from cocoa-producing regions.

The room will also showcase messages of connection, kindness and inspiration in every corner. Guests will also be given a special two-piece chocolate bar, including a limited-edition white and milk chocolate flavour with caramel and sea salt, exclusive to the pop-up in The Social Hub Amsterdam City.

Guests can then keep one bar and give the other away as an act of kindness. The stay also includes a “wake-up call” about exploitation in the West African cocoa supply chain.

Tony’s Chocolonely is showcasing its partnership with approximately 40,000 cocoa farmers to help them achieve a living income.

Sadira E. Furlow, Chief of Global Brand & Communications at Tony’s Chocolonely, said: “As an impact brand that makes chocolate, we’re trying to end exploitation in cocoa by showing chocolate can be made very differently.

“In taste and how we work with cocoa farmers. By launching the world’s sweetest hotel room at The Social Hub, we want to invite fans to indulge in our chocolate, connect with each other and celebrate the people who truly care about the impact their actions have on others.”

To kick off the campaign, “Missing: the world’s sweetest person” posters will be displayed throughout Amsterdam, Berlin, and Glasgow, whilst Social Hub staff will reward guests who demonstrate acts of “sweetness” with Tony’s chocolate.

How to enter

For the opportunity to experience the chocolate hotel, residents from the UK, the Netherlands, and Germany can submit nominations via the Instagram accounts of The Social Hub and Tony’s Chocolonely between March 5 and 12.

A judging panel from both companies will choose one winner from each country. The room will be revealed on March 20 and available for 10 days. Enthusiasts in Amsterdam can also visit the space on March 29 from 1pm onwards.

Pre-booking through The Social Hub website will be necessary for visits, though fans won’t be permitted to stay overnight unless they secure victory in the competition. Trix van der Vleuten, Chief Marketing Officer at The Social Hub, commented: “The world feels increasingly divided. We’re more digitally connected than ever, yet loneliness is rising.

“We wanted to come together with Tony’s to showcase that sweetness – simple, human kindness – matters more than ever, and that people can enjoy our products whilst positively impacting society.”

She added: “Doing good makes you feel good. So does eating chocolate that’s produced fairly, and so does spending time in a one-of-a-kind choco hotel room with someone else.

“Like Tony’s chocolate bars, this room is designed to be shared. We can’t wait to reveal it, as there’s truly never been anything else like this before.”

To put forward someone as the world’s sweetest person, visit The Social Hub’s Instagram page for a chance to secure the once-in-a-lifetime sleepover. Click here to discover more.

Published on
02/03/2026 – 10:23 GMT+1

European markets cratered on Monday as the fallout from a dramatic weekend of US and Israeli strikes on Iran rattled investors across the continent.

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The Euro Stoxx 50 shed 2% at the open, with the broader pan-European Stoxx 600 close behind at -1.8% — and the selling shows no signs of stopping.

Regional indices from Frankfurt to Paris to Milan are all in the red, spooked by an escalating conflict that has choked shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and drawn Hezbollah into the fray on Sunday.

In London, the FTSE 100 is having the more durable response, only falling around 0.3%.

However, Germany’s DAX 30 edged down 1% whilst France’s CAC 40 dropped more than 1.4%.

Italy’s FTSE MIB fell roughly 1.8%, the Netherlands’ NL 25 declined over 1% and Spain’s IBEX 35 has seen a sharp drop of more than 2%.

Before European markets opened, Japan’s Nikkei 225 was already in free fall and is currently down over 2.3%.

Likewise, US futures opened lower on Sunday with the E-mini S&P 500 dropping over 1.6% and E-mini NASDAQ down more than 2%.

In the UAE, regulators have taken the dramatic step of shutting down both the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and the Dubai Financial Market for the next two days.

The Capital Market Authority made no attempt to dress it up and the closures are explicitly designed to prevent panic selling after a staggering 165 ballistic missiles, 541 drones, and 2 cruise missiles rained down on the country over just 48 hours.

Oil and precious metals

While global markets sink into negative territory, crude oil prices rose in early trade on Monday morning as investors continue to weigh the potential impact of escalating tensions in the Middle East on the supply of energy.

The price of a barrel of US benchmark crude initially surged by about 8%. It later traded 5.9% higher at $71.00 per barrel. Brent crude rose 6.2% to $77.38 per barrel.

Gold is up roughly 2.5% while silver climbed 2% and platinum 1.2% as well.

Merlin’s annual pass offer ends this weekend where you can get a free annual pass if you book a £95 stay at the likes of Alton Towers, Legoland, Thorpe Park, Chessington and more

A deal where theme park fans can ‘stay for a night, play for a year’ at Merlin’s attractions across the UK ends this weekend.

Merlin Entertainment, whose attractions include Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Warwick Castle, LEGOLAND, and Chessington World of Adventures currently has a deal running where families who book an overnight stay on selected dates in March get a free Essential Merlin Annual Pass (MAP) for each guest, giving them 339 days of unlimited access to over 20 of its theme parks and attractions.

However, theme park fans will need to hurry as the bookings need to be completed by Sunday (March 1), so there are only a couple of days left to take advantage of the offer. Eligible stay dates include:

• LEGOLAND and Alton Towers – stays between March 14 and June 26
• Chessington – stays between March 20 and June 26
• Thorpe Park and Warwick Castle – stays between March 27 and June 26

When making a booking, simply look for a banner that says ‘Merlin Pass Included’ that indicates whether the stay is eligible for the offer. Facilities at each theme park resort vary, but many have themed accommodation, breakfast included in the price, plus two days of theme park entry included in a one-night stay. Alton Towers’ hotel guests enjoy access to a 9-hole golf course, while those staying at Chessington can enjoy access to its SEA Life Centre.

As soon as you book your stay, you’ll be emailled your Merlin Annual Passes and can start using them as soon as they are activated, even before your overnight break if you like. The Essentials tier pass offers 339 days of fun, and in addition to theme parks it includes attractions such as the London Eye, Madame Tussauds, and The London Dungeon.

Passholders can also access SEA Life centres across the UK, Cadbury World, Shrek’s Adventure! London and LEGOLAND’s Discovery Centres, so it’s easy to fill up the calendar in the Easter holidays and May half term without needing to pay a penny extra on entry fees.

It’s worth checking Merlin’s exclusions calendar for dates when the Essentials pass cannot be used. Restricted dates include some bank holidays and Saturdays in August. However, no dates in July are restricted, and you can still use your pass freely on other days during the six week summer holidays.

So, how much could families save? It depends on which hotel stay you book and how much you use the pass. A family of four could book a night at the Warwick Castle Hotel on May 16 for £429 and get four free passes included. Buying Merlin Essential passes would usually cost £139 each at full price, adding up to £556 for four people, so this is already a cheaper option if you’ve been considering buying the passes anyway.

Day passes to Alton Towers, as an example, cost £32 online and as much as £68 if you buy on the gates, so if you plan just a handful of theme park visits, this offer could save you hundreds over the year.

Full list of attractions where Merlin’s annual pass can be used

• Alton Towers Resort
• Chessington World Of Adventures Resort
• LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort
• The London Eye
• Thorpe Park
• SEA LIFE London
• National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham
• SEA LIFE Manchester
• SEA LIFE Blackpool
• SEA LIFE Brighton
• SEA LIFE Weymouth Adventure Park
• SEA LIFE Great Yarmouth
• SEA LIFE Sanctuary Hunstanton
• SEA LIFE Scarborough
• SEA LIFE Loch Lomond
• Warwick Castle
• Madame Tussauds London
• Shrek’s Adventure! London
• LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Birmingham
• LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Manchester
• The London Dungeon
• The York Dungeon
• The Edinburgh Dungeon
• Cadbury World

You can find out more at merlinannualpass.co.uk.

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THERE’S still time to take advantage of the ‘stay for a night, play for a year’ theme park offer for huge savings.

The deal means that my family can visit theme parks and attractions like Alton Towers and Legoland all year round, plus enjoy an overnight stay and breakfast for less than it would normally cost for two annual passes.

We’re avid fans of rollercoasters and rides and last year visited Alton Towers, Chessington, Thorpe Park and Warwick Castle, so I couldn’t believe my eyes when this offer popped up.

I paid less than £250 for an overnight stay at Thorpe Park, which includes breakfast and free parking during your stay, and now have four Merlin passes that I can use all year round.

An essential pass is normally £139, so it’s a massive saving just on the passes alone.

You need to be clever about how you use the deal, which ends this weekend, to get the most for your money.

FUN FREEBIES

Huge list of 100 free family days out this spring – from concerts to festivals

FEB-ULOUS TIME

February half term days out for UNDER £10, including free and £1 attractions

First of all, try to find a midweek date for your theme park stay by checking out if you have a school inset day during the promotion period, which runs until June.

If you go in the school holidays or on a Saturday night, an overnight stay will invariably cost more.

Luckily we have an inset day in May, which is the perfect time to make the most of this offer.

Secondly, take a look at all the different Merlin attractions that offer accommodation, as there’s often a huge difference in room prices.

In general, I’ve found Thorpe Park to be the cheapest and Legoland or Alton Towers the most expensive.

Don’t forget to check out Warwick Castle as it’s easy to overlook that as a place that offers overnight stays and the rooms there tend to be good value for money, especially if you’re visiting with small children.

My friend found a room for her family of four for just £219.

My third tip would be to think carefully about what combination of people you’ll book for. 

We have two adults and three children in my family and if I book an overnight stay for all of us, that rules out some of the cheaper accommodation options because the camping pods at both Alton Towers and Legoland can only sleep four.

There’s more choice for a smaller family, so it could be more cost-effective to choose that, especially if some of your family won’t be available for the overnight stay anyway.

I have children at both primary and secondary schools now, so they don’t all have the same inset days.

If you go down that route, you won’t then have free passes for all your family members.

But an easy hack to sort that is to sign up for Sun Club membership, as you get two free tickets to many Merlin attractions like Chessington and Alton Towers with that.

So you can book your pair of free tickets when they are on offer with Sun Club and then use your annual passes for entry for the rest of your party on the same day.

There are a few pitfalls you need to watch out for – some dates are excluded from the essential pass, but maybe not as many as you might expect.

The 25 days you can’t use your pass mainly fall on bank holiday weekends and Saturdays in August. I was pleasantly surprised by how many dates were included.

Remember that you’ll need to pay for parking each visit as that’s not covered by the essential pass.

If you’re going to be visiting a lot, a gold pass costing £239 does include parking, so it may be worth grabbing one for a single family member to use alongside your essential passes.

Parking at Alton Towers has risen to £13 this year and the other parks aren’t far behind, so it can quickly add up if you visit multiple times over the year.

It’s not just theme parks that are covered – you get free entry to 20 attractions like Cadbury World in Birmingham, the London Eye and the Legoland Discovery Centres in Birmingham and Manchester with the pass.

One notable exception is the Alton Towers waterpark, but you do get discounted entry with your annual pass.

So don’t miss out – book before this bargain ends for a full year of family fun.

For more on theme parks, one writer went to the European theme park where you ‘travel through time’ and the rides roar past your hotel room.

And another writer spent three days at Universal’s huge new £7bn theme park – all the things worth doing… and the bits to skip.

Head coach Eddie Howe has urged Anthony Gordon to stay “fully focused” after the Newcastle United forward was linked with a move to Arsenal.

Gordon is the latest key figure at the club to have been subject of reported interest elsewhere.

This is despite the England international dismissing such talk as “a load of rubbish” in an interview with reporters just last week.

Newcastle sold Alexander Isak to Liverpool for a British record £125m fee last summer – after the Swede went on strike – and Howe was asked how he could avoid a repeat of a similar saga.

“I’m not sure there’s a lot I can do about that,” he said. “I’ve not seen the story, so it’s news to me.

“But we’re mid-season, we’re in the middle of some of the biggest games of his career, and who knows what’s going to happen internationally with Anthony in the summer as well.

“He’s not got time to look left or right. He’s got to be fully focused on straight ahead and the next game, and trying to be as good as he can be.”

Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Tino Livramento are just some of the Newcastle players who have been touted with moves away in the media in recent months.

But Howe said it comes with the territory.

“It’s your industry that is creating those stories,” he added. “I’m slightly secluded from it.

“If you don’t read it you don’t know who has been linked to who. Is it not just part of modern day football that everyone is just linked with moves these days, not just Newcastle players, but potentially a lot of other clubs have the same issues.

“It’s irrelevant really. It’s how the players react to that. If they absorb it and it affects them, then that’s a negative. But i think our players are robust enough to ignore it.”

Aiden Markram smacked 82 not out off 46 balls as South Africa beat West Indies by nine wickets to maintain their unbeaten record at the 2026 T20 World Cup.

South Africa’s captain struck seven fours and four sixes as South Africa chased 177 with 23 balls to spare to move two points clear at the top of Group 1 in the Super 8s and put one foot in the semi-finals.

The 31-year-old, who brought up his half-century off 27 balls, shared a 95-run opening stand with Quinton de Kock (47 off 24) before the wicketkeeper was removed by Roston Chase in the eighth over. Ryan Rickelton chipped in with a quickfire 45 not out off 28 at number three.

Markram sealed South Africa’s fifth win of the tournament in Ahmedabad with his 11th boundary.

The victory puts the Proteas on the verge of the semi-finals without making them mathematically sure. They will go through if India beat Zimbabwe in Thursday’s other game. West Indies play India in their final match of the group knowing a defeat will likely eliminate them.

South Africa, finalists in 2024, should have been chasing a significantly lower total after taking four wickets in the powerplay and later reducing West Indies to 83-7.

However, the two-time champions fought back through Romario Shepherd and Jason Holder, who put on 89 (57) for the eighth wicket to drag West Indies beyond 170.

After smacking spinner Keshav Maharaj’s opening over for 17, West Indies, who piled on 254-6 against Zimbabwe in their Super 8 opener on Monday, lost four wickets in 11 balls to slump from 29-0 to 43-4 inside four overs, with Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi collecting two wickets apiece.

Sherfane Rutherford, who couldn’t capitalise on being dropped on three, Rovman Powell, and Matthew Forde joined the procession back to the dressing room before Shepherd and Holder came together in the 11th over.

After rebuilding steadily, the pair burst into life from the 15-over mark, Shepherd accelerating from 21 (17) to finish unbeaten on 52 (37) and Holder reaching 49 (31) before being run-out off the penultimate ball of the innings.

They added 58 runs off the final five overs, including Holder taking the 18th, bowled by Marco Jansen, for 23.

One minute has been proposed as a halfway house, but BBC Sport understands concerns remain about negative impacts.

Manchester United were angered last season when Matthijs de Ligt was forced to leave the field with a cut, and Brentford scored from a corner while he was off the pitch.

The fear is a one-minute absence would make it far more likely a team could concede a goal when down to 10 players.

Thirty seconds already causes frustration among supporters – and unintended consequences of goals conceded could add further pressure on to officials.

There is an acceptance players use supposed injuries as a way of breaking up play, but it is felt extending the time limit could unduly penalise genuinely injured players.

There are a few exceptions.

If the opponent is shown a yellow or red card the injured player does not need to stay off. Goalkeepers are also exempt, while a penalty taker would be able to stay on.

However, Ifab is not expected to pass any resolution to tackle the tactical timeout. This is when a goalkeeper goes down off the ball in order for a coach to get new instructions to the team.

Ifab’s advisory panels have discussed the issue at some length but, so far, there has been no agreement on a solution.

Following the success of the eight-second rule for goalkeepers holding the ball, new countdown measures are set to be approved.

A similar process will be added to goal-kicks and throw-ins, with possession changing to the opposition if it takes too long.

A 10-second limit will also be applied to substituted players – if they do not get off the pitch the replacement will not be allowed to come on.

A team would have to play with 10 players until the next stoppage, and that must be after at least 60 seconds.

Ifab is expected to approve video assistant referee reviews for wrongly awarded second yellow cards and, as a competition opt-in, corners.

The Canadian Premier League is also likely to be granted permission to start trials of Arsene Wenger’s daylight offside.

Former Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney hopes Pep Guardiola will stay at Manchester City beyond this season because he has set “a benchmark” for all other managers.

The 55-year-old has been in charge of City since 2016 and led them to six Premier League titles, while they are in with a chance of a seventh this season.

However, there is uncertainty over whether Guardiola will still be manager next season, with the expectation that a decision on his future will be made towards – or after – the end of this campaign.

“Some players will want him to leave, some will want him to stay, it depends whether you are in the team or not and that is the same for any manager,” said Rooney on the latest episode of The Wayne Rooney Show.

“I hope he stays because he is brilliant for the Premier League and you want the best managers in the Premier League.

“He has set a benchmark over the past 10 years for everyone else.”

In December, former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca was heavily linked with a return to City, where he previously worked as a coach under Guardiola.

The tiny, off-grid cabin looked almost unreal: made of repurposed oak it stood by a private lochan, with separate cedar sauna, cold outdoor shower, sunken hot tub, and a jetty with two hammocks and a pair of paddleboards. It screamed Finland or Sweden, not a sheep and deer farm in the Scottish Borders. It was the sort of isolated location that would set Ben Fogle’s heart racing in New Lives in the Wild. Two swans bugled my arrival. I felt a little embarrassed that all of it was mine.

Sometimes, we need to escape to a place where the phone coverage is bad enough to make you believe you’re somewhere truly wild. Tiny Home Borders, hidden in rippling foothills 10 miles east of Hawick, is such a place. Last August, owners David and Claire Mactaggart opened a second two-person cabin on their farmland (the first opened in 2022) and I jumped at the chance to stay, swim, soak, and – crucially – switch-off.

That first night, on the windblown deck a metre above the lapping water, I fired up the outdoor wood oven and tried to relax. But there was too much to do. First, I had a sauna. Then, I braved a cold plunge in the lochan and a rewarding soak in the burbling hot tub, with the smell of wood smoke filling my nostrils. A pizza followed beside the cabin’s crackling log burner, and later I stargazed using the cabin’s fabulous telescope.

As farms seek new ways to make money, farm stays and agritourism are, unsurprisingly a growing sector. According to Visit Scotland, the combined value of agritourism and farm retail could reach £250m by 2030, a rise driven by growing consumer interest in sustainable tourism. Fittingly, the country is to host the inaugural Global Agritourism Conference in June, and the big topic of discussion within farming is not only the increasing costs of food production but how to diversify and do so sustainably.

The Mactaggarts built their first tiny hut out of an old bale trailer, as an experiment more than anything else. The dream was to create an eco home away from home, with a mezzanine sleeping space above the lounge and kitchen, and with drama to match the setting below Rubers Law, a mini Ben Nevis on the banks of the River Teviot. Then, quickly, one cabin became two, the second built far out of sight of the other. Plans are afoot for a third cabin in another glen on the farm. And everything is as eco as possible, with hemp insulation, solar panels and batteries, reclaimed wood from the farm – and no wifi.

A 90-minute drive from Edinburgh, the location is a great base for exploring an undervisited part of the country. “The Borders is nothing more than a drive-through for many visitors coming north,” Claire said. “It’s a beautiful area, but it’s one so few know about,” David added.

Beside the location, breakfast is one of the delights of a stay. Fresh bread. Salty butter. Homemade marmalade. Farm eggs, when the hens are laying. Coffee on the deck and a set of binoculars provided. On my first morning, the sky shone saltire blue.

Wildlife adds to the picture. Red deer outnumber people in these hills, so with wellies on after breakfast, I headed up the gentle slopes of Rubers Law to look for the Borders’ Big Five: bellowing deer, plus sheep, fox, pheasant and red squirrel.

I passed along a muddy single track where wildflowers and wild garlic starting to sprout below hawthorn. Ahead, I saw two vicar-collared male pheasants, then, farther up the brae, five enormous hind deer that had come down from the cold of the hill. In the distance, where the path ended, I could see ducks, sheep, cattle and horses. It was Old MacDonald Had a Farm sprung to life.

Few parts of the Borders are lovelier than historic Hawick. This town of textile weavers is full of cosy cafes, craft shops and tweed retailers that are perfect for a hit of winter warmth, and the centre is stitched together by four bridges, but also by mills for some of the world’s best-known knitwear manufacturers, including Hawico and Lovat Mill.

Perhaps most striking is Johnstons of Elgin, home to a visitor centre, cafe and showroom designed to showcase the appeal of Borders knitwear. Thanks to Hawick’s longstanding tradition, its cashmere, merino and tweed pieces are now coveted by the biggest names in haute couture: Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren.

After lunch at nearby Damascus Drum, a cafe-bookshop decorated with flat-weave rugs, I joined a guided tour of Johnstons of Elgin’s newly extended operation at Eastfield Mill, which opened last August. The mill is labyrinthine and atmospheric, home to hundreds of knitters, needle-workers and machines, all hand-finishing, stitching and whirring. Next to this is a yarn library holding 18 tonnes of kaleidoscopic colour, from gorse yellow to heathery purple.

My last stop was the Borders Distillery in the town’s former hydroelectric plant, a fitting place to finish on a winter’s day. With the rain pouring outside, the sky dark as slate, a glass of blended Scotch at the tour’s end from distiller David Shuttleworth felt like a blessing. The glass smelt of green apples and grass, and I was perfectly able to picture the Borders farms that grow the barley for the spirit’s malt.

“The whisky industry is about storytelling and ours is tied to Hawick’s landscape,” said David. “The Teviot brought us here and all our malt comes from 20 miles around the distillery.” That also translates to a low carbon footprint and a community-driven vision that, combined with a takeaway miniature dram, left me feeling heartened.

Back at the cabin, it was late, and, out there in the darkness, I sat under the deck’s awning in the rain, my glass of whisky drained. What a great wee place Hawick is, I thought. What a place of rural community and inspiration. And hopefully many newcomers will agree with the Mactaggarts – that this is a place that’s been overlooked by too many for too long.

The trip was provided by Visit Scotland and Tiny Home Borders. Tiny Home One sleeps two, from £180 per night B&B (two-night minimum, including pick up if travelling by public transport). Johnstons of Elgin tours cost £15. Borders Distillery tours, £20. For more information on visiting Hawick, see Scotland Starts Here