England batters once again failed to impress as Harshit Rana, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, and Hardik Pandya claimed two wickets each to seal an emphatic 142-run victory for India in the third ODI at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Wednesday. Despite getting off to a great start, England failed to capitalise on the solid start, and inconsistency through their batting order once again raised many red flags for the side heading into the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Openers Ben Duckett (34) and Phil Salt (23) flew straight out of the floodgates scoring at 10 runs an over in the Power-play. The duo recorded a fifty-plus partnership for the fourth time in their last five games in the format but the story remained the same. Duckett started the onslaught early hitting Arshdeep Singh for four consecutive boundaries in the fifth over. However, it was the left-arm pacer who had the last laugh dismissing the left-hander in his next over.

A slower ball by Arshdeep saw Duckett slash the ball straight down the ground but could not time it well enough. The ball which travelled high, failed to clear the 30-yard circle making for a simple catch for Rohit Sharma at mid-off.

Tom Banton (38), who replaced Jamie Overton in the side on the day, started strongly hitting a six in the next over off Washington Sundar. He received a lifeline two deliveries later as a thin edge saw the ball zip past wicketkeeper KL Rahul and race away for a four.

Due to urgent repair of 40" I/d rising main damaged by some telecom agency, a shutdown has been allowed by the competent authority on 13.02.2025. During the shutdown, the water supply to water works Manimajra and water works Sector 26 will remain closed. Due to above shutdown there will be no pumping from Water Works Sector 32 to Manimajra area and area fed by Water Works Sector 26, Chandigarh i.e. Sector 1 to 12, 19, 20-A & B, 21-B, 26 to 30, Bapudham Colony, Industrial area Ph-1 and Sanjay Colony, Chandigarh.  Accordingly, the schedule of water supply timing will be as under:

Germany will extend its strict border controls, initially implemented to address migration and terrorism concerns, for an additional six months beyond their planned expiration in March, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced on Wednesday.

Last September, Germany introduced passport and identity document checks at land border crossings to curb the number of people entering the country without a visa. The measure was initially set to be in place for six months, responding to rising illegal immigration and security concerns.

According to the German Interior Ministry, in recent months, Germany has detected approximately 80,000 cases of illegal entry, arrested around 1,900 smugglers, and turned away about 47,000 individuals for reasons such as falsified documents or lost visas. "With border controls, we are effectively preventing irregular migration," Scholz said.

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and AFD, France have signed a $100 million credit facility agreement to scale up green finance solutions for Indian micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), according to a SIDBI statement issued on Wednesday.

The partnership aims to support sustainable growth and drive the transition towards a low-carbon economy.

Under this agreement, AFD will provide a credit line of $100 million to SIDBI to deploy the funds to expand access to affordable financing for MSMEs investing in energy-efficient technologies, renewable energy solutions, and climate-friendly business practices.

India's energy Maharatna, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL) to explore new opportunities in the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) sector.

TPREL is a subsidiary of The Tata Power Company Limited. The agreement was signed during the third edition of India Energy Week 2025.

This collaboration will focus on several key areas, including large-scale energy storage systems, grid stabilisation, renewable energy integration, hybrid energy solutions, industrial and commercial storage applications, microgrids, backup power solutions, and electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.

Both companies aim to use their expertise to drive innovation and growth in the energy storage sector.

Australian researchers have developed a new treatment for deadly childhood cancer using engineered immune cells.

The research, published on Wednesday, was led by a team from the University of Queensland (UQ) that developed a new therapeutic strategy for paediatric sarcomas, news agency reported.

Sarcomas are cancers that develop in the bones and soft tissues, including muscles, fat, and blood vessels. In children, the tumours tend to grow aggressively and spread throughout the body, making treatment difficult.

According to the new study, sarcomas account for 5-10 per cent of all childhood cancers but are responsible for more deaths than brain cancer, skin cancer, leukaemia, and lymphoma.

As India moves closer to a major tax overhaul, the new Income-Tax Bill 2025 seeks to simplify the tax structure and to make it more transparent, efficient, and business-friendly.

Expected to be tabled in Parliament on Thursday, the proposed bill aims to replace the decades-old Income Tax Act, 1961, which has become increasingly complex due to continuous amendments, court rulings and exemptions.

While these changes had good intentions, they resulted in a tax code that became difficult to interpret which led to rising litigation, higher compliance costs, and confusion among taxpayers.

The Income-Tax Bill 2025 proposes cutting down the number of sections by almost half, from 819 to 536, eliminating redundant exemptions, and reducing the total word count from 5 lakh to 2.5 lakh.

In view of the model code of conduct (MCC) imposed after the announcement of the Municipal Election in Haryana, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on Wednesday said that it removed multiple political advertisements including posters, banners, hoardings, wall paintings, signage, and flags from four zones of the city.

The civic polls will be held in a single phase on March 2, and the counting of votes will take place on March 12.

The nomination submissions will continue until February 17, with the candidates allowed to file their papers between 11 am and 3 pm on working days, excluding holidays.

The nominations for the post of Mayor will be accepted in the SDM Court and nominations for the councillor from different wards will be accepted in various other government offices in Gurugram, Sohna, Manesar and Pataudi.

On February 18, the nomination papers will undergo scrutiny and by February 19, the candidates can withdraw their nominations between 11 am and 3 pm.

Australia's woes in the lead-up to the Champions Trophy worsened as they succumbed to a 49-run defeat against Sri Lanka in the opening ODI of the two-match series at the R Premadasa Stadium here on Wednesday. A brittle batting display saw the visitors bowled out for just 165 in 33.5 overs, chasing a target of 215 set by Sri Lankan, riding on captain Charith Asalanka’s masterful 127 off 126 balls.

Despite an early bowling wicket-blitz by Aaron Hardie and Spencer Johnson that reduced Sri Lanka to 31/4, Asalanka’s counter-attacking century ensured the hosts posted a competitive total of 214 after they won the toss and elected to bat first. His determined knock, laced with well-timed boundaries, was the bedrock of Sri Lanka’s innings, as he stitched together a crucial 79-run stand with Eshan Malinga, who contributed just a single run.

Australia, too, found themselves reeling 31/4 in a mirror collapse, with the top three managing a combined five runs. Matt Short fell for a second-ball duck, Jake Fraser-McGurk followed soon after for two, while Cooper Connolly’s attempted aggression against Maheesh Theekshana saw him trapped lbw for three.

General Officer Commanding (GoC) of Nagrota headquartered White Knight Corps, Lt General, Navin Sachdeva on Wednesday led the wreath-laying ceremony of two soldiers, who were killed in an IED blast near the Line of Control (LoC) in Akhnoor sector.

The solemn wreath-laying ceremony to pay homage to Captain Karamjit Singh Bakshi from Jharkhand's Ranchi and Naik Mukesh Singh Manhas from Jammu and Kashmir's Samba was held at the Indian Air Force (IAF) station before the mortal remains of the deceased were dispatched to their hometowns for the last rites.

Lt Gen. Sachdeva and other ranks laid wreaths at the Tricolour-wrapped coffins of the deceased.