'Thankfully, I never faced any discrimination in England,' says Panesar after Khawaja slams racial stereotypes in Australian cricket

IANS | January 2, 2026 2:05 PM

London, Jan 2 (IANS) Former England spinner Monty Panesar has reacted to Usman Khawaja’s remarks on racism in Australian cricket by stating that he never faced racial discrimination during his international career and always felt strongly supported by his teammates and the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Deal value in India nearly doubles to $157.9 billion in 2025, IPO activity remains robust

IANS | January 2, 2026 1:58 PM

New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) Dealmaking in India delivered a breakout year in 2025, with deal value nearly doubling to $157.9 billion, up 91 per cent from 2024 and reaching a three‑year high, while number of announced deals edged past last year’s all-time high by 0.7 per cent, a report showed on Friday.

'One more home century to go': Cummins, Dhawan pay tribute to retiring Khawaja

IANS | January 2, 2026 1:44 PM

Sydney, Jan 2 (IANS) Australia skipper Pat Cummins and former Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan congratulated Usman Khawaja after the veteran Australian batter announced that he will retire from international cricket after the fifth and final Ashes Test, scheduled from January 4 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Govt okays 22 projects under electronics component PLI; Rs 41,863 crore worth investments likely

IANS | January 2, 2026 1:44 PM

New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) The government on Friday approved 22 new proposals under the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS), which are likely to receive Rs 41,863 crore worth investments and generate nearly 37,000 direct and indirect jobs -- a move which is aimed at strengthening domestic supply chains and reducing import dependence for critical electronic components.

‘Let’s not get into this’: BCCI maintains silence on Bangladesh players’ IPL participation

IANS | January 2, 2026 1:33 PM

New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) The BCCI on Thursday declined to comment on the participation of Bangladesh players in the Indian Premier League (IPL), with sources saying that no communication has been received from the government on the matter.

Kartik Aaryan, Ananya Panday set the house on fire on ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show’

IANS | January 2, 2026 1:30 PM

Mumbai, Jan 2 (IANS) Bollywood star Kartik Aaryan and actress Ananya Panday graced the latest episode of the streaming sketch reality show ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show’. The two called out red flags, green flags and relationship rules of this generation.

Shooting of Bigg Boss fame Vikraman’s film wrapped up

IANS | January 2, 2026 1:29 PM

Chennai, Jan 2 (IANS) The makers of director Preethi Karikalan's upcoming romantic drama, featuring Bigg Boss fame Vikraman in the lead, on Friday announced that the unit had wrapped up the film's shooting.

Bhupendra Patel govt fast-tracks satellite cities under Gujarat@2047 Vision

IANS | January 2, 2026 1:25 PM

Gandhinagar, Jan 2 (IANS) In a step towards achieving the vision of Developed India by 2047 and Developed Gujarat@2047, the Bhupendra Patel government has accelerated plans for the strategic development of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

Broken promises spark fresh anger in PoK, protests expected to intensify

Vicky Nanjappa | January 2, 2026 1:24 PM

New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) The calm that was restored in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) in October is all set to end with talks being called off between the PoK’s Joint Awami Action Committee and the government.

Retail investors pour record Rs 34,840 crore into primary market in 8 months this fiscal

IANS | January 2, 2026 1:21 PM

New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) Investments by retail investors in the primary market reached a record Rs 34,840 crore in FY26 (April–November period), up from Rs 34,336 crore in FY25 (April–March) and Rs 18,057 crore in FY24 (April–March), according to industry data.