LISBON, Portugal — Cristiano Ronaldo remains on course to represent Portugal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite a recent hamstring injury that sidelined him from Al Nassr matches in early March, with recovery timelines pointing to a return in April and full fitness well before the tournament opens in June.

The 41-year-old forward suffered the injury during Al Nassr’s Saudi Pro League win over Al Fayha on February 28, 2026, limping off in the 81st minute. Initial assessments labeled it muscular fatigue, but further tests revealed a more serious hamstring strain, prompting Al Nassr coach Jorge Jesus to describe it as “more serious than expected.” Ronaldo traveled to Madrid for specialized rehabilitation with his personal physiotherapist, a common protocol for elite athletes managing chronic or acute issues.

As of mid-March 2026, updates indicate steady progress. Al Nassr manager Jorge Jesus stated Ronaldo should return after the international break, with Saudi media outlet Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reporting he is expected back in Riyadh by late March, targeting a potential comeback in the league match against Al Najma on April 3. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano estimated a 2-to-4-week absence, aligning with a mild to moderate strain that typically heals within that window without long-term complications.

The injury raised brief concerns about Ronaldo’s availability for Portugal’s March friendlies against Mexico and the United States, tune-ups for World Cup preparations. However, sources close to the situation confirm the setback was short-term, designed to ensure he returns at full strength rather than risking aggravation. Ronaldo has missed about 13 competitive games this season due to various issues, a higher tally than his previous five-year average of just seven absences, highlighting the physical demands at his age.

Ronaldo has repeatedly affirmed the 2026 World Cup — co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico — will be his last major international tournament. In a November 2025 CNN interview, he stated, “Definitely, yes, because I will be 41 years old” and that it would be “the moment” to step away from the global stage. He reiterated expectations of retiring in one or two years, focusing on family and club football with Al Nassr, where he extended his contract to 2027.

Despite the age milestone, Ronaldo’s form remains elite. He leads Portugal’s all-time scoring charts with 143 international goals and continues prolific output for Al Nassr, scoring 21 goals in 22 league appearances this season before the injury. His physical regimen, access to top medical care and history of overcoming setbacks support optimism for participation. Roberto Martinez, Portugal’s coach, has yet to comment directly on the injury’s impact but maintains confidence in Ronaldo’s leadership and goal threat.

The expanded 48-team format offers more matches and potential pathways, though Portugal’s qualification path remains strong. Ronaldo’s presence would mark a record sixth World Cup appearance, chasing the one major title missing from his resume despite near-misses in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. Experts view him as a near-certainty for selection if fit, given his status as captain and all-time leading scorer.

Recent statements reinforce his commitment. Ronaldo expressed confidence in his sharpness and enjoyment of the game, telling interviewers he still feels quick and capable of scoring. His recovery in Madrid, incorporating advanced therapies, aims to mitigate risks at his age while preserving explosiveness.

As the World Cup nears, Ronaldo’s participation hinges on avoiding further setbacks. Current timelines position him to resume club duties in early April, allowing months to regain match rhythm and contribute to Portugal’s preparations. Fans and analysts watch closely, with the tournament offering a fitting stage for what Ronaldo has called his final major chapter.

Portugal’s friendlies and summer warm-ups will provide clarity, but signs point to Ronaldo defying age once more on the world’s biggest platform.

CBS News saw staffers walk off the job on Tuesday amid an ongoing labor dispute. 

Writers Guild of America East members at CBS News 24/7 held a 24-hour walkout on Tuesday, claiming management failed to reach an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement with the 60-member bargaining unit. The current contract expired on March 9, and union members believe CBS is offering a “worse” deal. 

Unionized CBS News 24/7 staffers believe they need “to protect their livelihoods during a period of uncertainty in broadcast news,” pointing to “layoffs, editorial interference and political pressure” that have become “existential threats” following last year’s Paramount-Skydance merger, according to the guild. 

CBS NEWS IN TRANSITION: WHO’S IN AND WHO’S OUT AFTER A TUMULTUOUS YEAR AT THE NETWORK

The bargaining unit is asking for “fair pay, respect and a sustainable work-life balance.” 

The CBS News 24/7 Union bargaining committee and contract action team told Fox News Digital that “management refuses to agree to a new contract with essential work protections and fair wages,” so a walkout was necessary.

“Despite multiple days of good faith negotiations and a strike pledge signed by 95% of our members to emphasize the seriousness of our demands, management continues to offer us worse terms than in our last contracts. We chose this field to cover the news, but we believe this work stoppage is necessary to achieve a fair contract. We eagerly await an acceptable contract offer from Paramount—which just shelled out tens of billions of dollars to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery,” the CBS News 24/7 Union bargaining committee said.

After the Paramount-Skydance merger closed, David Ellison took control of the combined company and installed Bari Weiss as CBS News’ new editor-in-chief, acquiring her outlet The Free Press in the process. 

CBS’ NORAH O’DONNELL CLAIMS COWORKERS ARE ‘FEARFUL’ OVER THE NUMEROUS CHANGES IN LEADERSHIP

Weiss’ CBS has become a target of the left, who insist the organization has worked to appease the Trump administration, although it has continued to publish critical reports.

Last month, Netflix dropped its bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery after the studio announced Paramount’s offer to buy the entire company was “superior.” Paramount, the parent company of CBS, is now set to acquire WBD for $31 per share, putting the company’s valuation at $111 billion. 

“Paramount has billions to spend acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery, but still hasn’t guaranteed fair wages and basic job protections for the workers who make their streaming news operation run,” WGAE Vice President Beth Godvik said. 

“Our members are walking out today to show management they stand united in their demand for a fair contract,” Godvik continued. “And the WGAE is with them every step of the way.”  

BARI WEISS TELLS STAFF ’60 MINUTES’ CECOT STORY WASN’T READY, SAYS DISRESPECT AMONG COLLEAGUES IS UNACCEPTABLE

CBS News management disagrees with the union. 

“We continue to negotiate in good faith and hope to reach a fair resolution quickly,” a CBS News spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

More than 2,900 union members and supporters of the CBS News 24/7 Union have sent letters to management urging them to agree to a fair contract for WGAE members at CBS News 24/7, according to the guild. Tuesday’s walkout featured staffers from CBS News locations in New York and San Francisco. 

Paramount slashed roughly 1,000 jobs across the company last fall, many of them affecting CBS News, with plans to cut more.

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Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report. 

Shares of HDFC Bank, India’s largest private lender, could witness selling pressure heading into trade on Thursday following a leadership change at the top. The bank’s part-time Chairman and independent director Atanu Chakraborty has stepped down, and Keki Mistry, former CEO of HDFC, has been appointed interim part-time chairman with approval from the Reserve Bank of India.

In his resignation letter, Chakraborty said that certain developments and practices within the bank over the past two years did not align with his personal values and ethics. “This is the basis of my aforementioned decision,” he wrote.

He also added that under his tenure, the bank saw momentous events like merger with HDFC that created a conglomerate under the bank. This strategic initiative made HDFC Bank the second largest lender in the country. “Though, the benefits of merger are yet to fully fructify”, he added.

Chakraborty joined HDFC Bank’s board in May 2021. He previously served as Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, was an alternate governor on the World Bank Board, and also chaired the National Infrastructure Investment Fund. He is a Gujarat cadre IAS officer.

Following the news, HDFC Bank’s US-listed shares, or ADRs, dropped more than 7% overnight to $26.62.

HDFC Bank share price performance

HDFC Bank shares have seen a steady decline recently, slipping 8% over the past month. The stock is down 13% over the last six months and has fallen 15% so far this year.

HDFC Bank Q3 snapshot

The lender reported an 11% jump in its December quarter standalone net profit at Rs 18,654 crore compared to Rs 16,735 crore reported in the year ago period. It was above Street’s estimates of Rs 18,473 crore.

The bank earned Rs 76,751.16 crore in interest income which was up 1% YoY compared to Rs 76,007 crore while it paid Rs 44,136 crore in the quarter under review, down nearly 3% from Rs 45,353 crore posted in the corresponding quarter of the last financial year.

HDFC Bank’s net interest income (NII) for the quarter ended December 31,2025 grew by 6.4% to Rs 32,620 crore from Rs 30,650 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2024. Core net interest margin was at 3.35% on total assets, and 3.51 % based on interest earning assets.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

A Cambodian compound disguised as bank branches facilitates large-scale scams targeting victims globally. It features fake police offices, elaborate scripts, and evidence of forced labor among workers.

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Key Points

🕵️ Inside the Scam Compound

• Located in O’Smach, Cambodia, near the Thai border.
• Contained mock-up rooms imitating banks, police stations, and government offices from multiple countries (Vietnam, Australia, Singapore, China, Brazil).
• Props included fake uniforms, badges, scripts, and counterfeit currency.

💻 Scale and Operations

• Highly organized, resembling a corporate structure with training, finance/money laundering, and creative departments.
• Workers used scripts for romance scams, fake police calls, and fraudulent investment schemes.
• Evidence showed international targeting: victims across Asia, Australia, South America, and beyond.
• Whiteboards and notebooks tracked victim progress and daily scam quotas.

⚔️ Military Context

• Thai military seized the site during border clashes with Cambodia in late 2025.
• Cambodia condemned Thailand’s occupation, calling it unlawful.
• Buildings show signs of fighting: bullet holes, debris, abandoned food, and paperwork.

💰 Economic Impact

• Scam centres are a huge industry in Southeast Asia.
• In Cambodia alone, online fraud is estimated at $12.5 billion annually, about half the country’s GDP.
• International pressure has led to sanctions and arrests, including Chen Zhi, a Chinese-born businessman extradited to China.

Fraudulent Operations Disguised as Banking Centers

A mock bank branch in O’Smach, Cambodia, is part of a large scam operation targeting victims worldwide, using sophisticated fraud schemes. The facility also includes fake police offices and scamming scripts for multiple countries.

A sprawling scam operation on the Thai-Cambodian border, masquerading as legitimate bank branches, particularly featuring the OCB bank’s logo. These elaborate “mock-up” rooms cater to criminal groups that orchestrate extensive fraud schemes targeting victims across Asia, Australia, and South America.

The six-floor compound in O’Smach holds rooms that mimic police offices from different countries, complete with fake uniforms and fraudulent scripts intended for deceiving victims over the phone. In a revealing media visit, it was uncovered that the site had been seized by Thai military forces after border clashes with Cambodia.

Response to Cybercrime and Intricate Scamming Tactics

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The Cambodian government has faced international scrutiny and sanctions due to rampant cybercrime, with a massive online fraud industry generating an estimated $12.5 billion annually. Thai authorities have begun tightening measures against these operations, including controlling mule accounts used for laundering the fraudulent money.

Despite pledges from Cambodia to crack down on scamming and close numerous sites, the situation remains dire. Several tactics revealed in the scam center showcase a methodically organized operation, employing emotionally manipulative scripts designed to extract money from victims. The formal structure of these scam operations, complete with training sessions and specific target demographics, reflects a disturbing trend in transnational crime that affects countless unwitting individuals.

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Gold prices inched higher on Thursday after briefly touching a more than one-month low, but gains were capped by a firm dollar and the Federal Reserve‘s hawkish stance, which has limited hopes for near-term rate cuts.

FUNDAMENTALS

* Spot gold added 0.4% to $4,838.39 per ounce as of 0115 GMT, rebounding after ‌hitting its ⁠lowest ⁠since February 6 earlier in the day. Prices fell 3.7% on Wednesday.

* U.S. gold futures for April delivery shed 1.1% to $4,839.90.

* The dollar firmed, making greenback-priced bullion more expensive for holders of other currencies.

* Oil prices climbed above $110 a barrel after Iran attacked several energy facilities across the Middle East following a strike on its South ⁠Pars gas ‌field, adding fresh inflation concerns.
* The closure of the Strait of Hormuz kept crude elevated, raising transport and manufacturing ⁠costs. While rising inflation backdrop typically boostsgold’s appeal as a hedge, high interest rates reduce demand for the non-yielding metal.
* The U.S. Federal Reserve and Bank of Canada both struck hawkish tones on Wednesday as surging energy prices arising from the Iran conflict clouded the inflation outlook.
* Both central banksheld rates steady, but warned of risks that rising energy costs ‌could fan a more persistent inflation spike.

* Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is considering deploying thousands of U.S. troops to reinforce operations in the ⁠Middle East.

* Spot gold has fallen more than 9% since the U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran on February 28, pressured by a stronger dollar, which has emerged as one of the clearest “safe-haven” winners.

* Spot silver gained 0.5% to $75.74 per ounce. Spot platinum rose 0.9% at $2,040.46 and palladium added 0.9% to $1,488.75.

DATA/EVENTS (GMT)

1230 US Initial Jobless Clm 14 Mar,

1230 US Philly Fed Business Indx Mar

1230 US New Home Sales-Units Jan

1200 UK BOE Bank Rate Mar — Japan JP BOJ rate Decision 19 Mar.

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Stadler Rail AG (SRAIF) Q4 2025 Press Conference Call March 18, 2026 5:00 AM EDT

Company Participants

Marc Meschenmoser – Head of Corporate Communications & Public Relations
Markus Bernsteiner – Group CEO & Member of the Group Executive Board
Raphael Widmer – Group CFO & Member of the Group Executive Board

Conference Call Participants

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Michael Foeth – Vontobel Holding AG
Simon Jetzinger
Johannes Brinkmann
Patrick Rafaisz – UBS Investment Bank, Research Division
Akash Gupta – JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division
Vivek Midha – Citigroup Inc., Research Division
William Mackie – Kepler Cheuvreux, Research Division

Presentation

Marc Meschenmoser
Head of Corporate Communications & Public Relations

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[Foreign Language] Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed members of the media and analysts, I warmly welcome you to today’s Stadler Rail Financial Results Press Conference. On behalf of Stadler, I would like to welcome Group CEO, Markus Bernsteiner; and Group CFO, Raphael Widmer.

They will both present the results for 2025 financial year and an outlook for the current year and beyond. Afterwards, the Group CEO and CFO will, of course, be available to answer individual questions. My name is Marc Meschenmoser, Head of Group Communications. I look forward to guiding you through this event. [Foreign Language]

[Interpreted] I now pass the floor to Stadler Group CEO, Markus Bernsteiner.

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Markus Bernsteiner
Group CEO & Member of the Group Executive Board

[Interpreted] Thank you very much esteemed media representatives, analysts. I would also like to warmly welcome you to the presentation of 2025 end year results. Before I present our figures to you, I’d like to give you an overview of our past financial year. In light of the framework conditions, we are very satisfied with the development of 2025. As you will see later, the relevant key figures go in the right direction. We can confirm guidance. And furthermore, in 2026, we expect further drove major growth regarding revenue and EBIT. Over these past few years, we invested

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