The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy will hit a crescendo over its first weekend. As Australia take on England in Lahore on Saturday, the eyes and chatter of cricket fans worldwide will be on the highly-anticipated India-Pakistan game happening in the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

It will be the day when TV and streaming figures around the world will fly faster than a rocket sent into spaceship when Rohit Sharma & Co square off against the Mohammad Rizwan-led side. The typical India-Pakistan craze was very much evident when tickets for the clash in the 25,000-capacity stadium were sold out minutes after going on sale.

India are favourites to win the clash after beating Bangladesh by six wickets in their opening match in Dubai. Pakistan, the current Champions Trophy cup holders, arrive after a 60-run defeat to New Zealand and losing Fakhar Zaman to an oblique injury.

Left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Harsh Dubey picked a five-wicket haul as Vidarbha entered their second consecutive Ranji Trophy final after beating defending champions Mumbai by 80 runs in Nagpur.

Vidarbha, who were the Ranji Trophy runners-up last year, will host Kerala in the title clash happening from February 26 in Nagpur. In the morning, Kerala reached their first-ever Ranji Trophy final by the slimmest of margins against Gujarat in Ahmedabad.

Gujarat needed three runs to achieve the all-important first innings lead, but Arzan Nagwaswalla went for a lofted drive and was caught by Sachin Baby at first slip after the ball ricocheted off Salman Nizar's head at short leg.

It meant Kerala bowled out Gujarat for 455, as they took the first innings lead by two runs, which was enough for them to take the Ranji Trophy final. Kerala had previously taken a one-run lead against Jammu and Kashmir in the quarter-final in Pune. Eventually, the game ended in a draw as Kerala made 114/4 in second innings, with Jalaj Saxena unbeaten on 37.

A shocking incident of a woman being gang-raped by four youths she knew at a private hotel in Bengaluru came to light on Friday.

According to police sources, the incident had taken place on the terrace of a private hotel near the Jyothi Nivas College under the Koramangala police station limits. The woman registered a complaint with the police early on Friday and the police have launched a hunt for the accused.

The victim has been admitted to a private hospital and she is being treated. The police have visited the crime scene and gathered information and CCTV footage from the surrounding buildings.

Further details regarding the incident are yet to emerge

Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltd (Adani Electricity) has been recognised as India's top power utility by the Ministry of Power based on two independent areas of performance excellence and customer service excellence.

For the third consecutive year, Adani Electricity has secured the leading position in the 13th Integrated Rating Exercise by the PFC, highlighting its strong financial stability.

Additionally, it has been awarded an A+ grade, the highest rating, in the Consumer Service Rating of DISCOMs (CSRD) Report for FY 2023-24 by the REC, reaffirming its leadership in consumer service delivery.

"These dual recognitions reflect Adani Electricity’s unwavering commitment to providing reliable, sustainable, and customer-focused power solutions," the company said in a statement.

The integrated rating & ranking of power distribution utilities by the PFC, under the administrative control of the Ministry of Power, serves as India's primary evaluation of utilities' financial and operational performance. It assesses utilities based on financial sustainability, performance excellence, external environment, and other crucial operational factors.

Stronger policy frameworks and robust macro fundamentals remain the key to resilience and fostering overall macroeconomic stability, according to RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra.

In the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting held earlier this month, the minutes of which were released by the central bank on Friday, Malhotra said that domestically too, there is a need to preserve the high growth momentum, while maintaining price stability, necessitating monetary policy to use various policy instruments to maintain the inflation-growth balance.

Headline inflation, after moving above the upper tolerance band in October, has moderated in November and December.

"Going forward, food inflation pressures are likely to see significant easing on robust kharif harvest arrivals, winter season correction of vegetable prices and a promising rabi crop outlook," said Malhotra.

The food inflation outlook is turning decisively positive. Moreover, the budget proposals on agriculture and the commitment to fiscal consolidation, among others, are positive for price stability and would help to anchor inflation expectations over the medium term, he said.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, two cricketers who hold the power to bring the most populated country to a standstill, will be heading into the Champions Trophy clash against Pakistan on Sunday perhaps for the final time. In an exclusive, Former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif stated that he believes the 2025 Champions Trophy will be the final time the heavily-reputed duo will face their arch-rivals.

Virat and Rohit have already confirmed their retirement from the shortest format, and the next 50-over ICC tournament will be the 2027 ODI World Cup to be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.

“I think it is their final ICC tournament. If you look at India’s batting lineup then you can see so many talented young players, like Jaiswal and Sai Sudarshan, who are just waiting for their turn in the pecking order. I think it's their last time facing Pakistan as well unless they meet in the finals,” 

In order to give impetus to the education sector in the state and provide job opportunities to the youth, the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann will soon give regular appointment letters to 3381 Elementary Teachers in the state.

A decision to this effect was taken in a meeting held under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister here at his official residence.

During a meeting to review the education department here today, the Chief Minister said that it is matter of immense pride and satisfaction that the recruitment process of 3381 ETT teachers has been completed. He said that this recruitment process has been completed in a batch of two including 951 and 2430 teachers. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that these teachers will be shortly given the appointment letters.

The Chief Minister said that for the first time in the history of the state, any government has given a record number of 50,892 jobs to the youth in 35 months of coming into power. He said that out of this more than 11000 jobs have been given only in the Education department, which is the main focus of the state government. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that it is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction for him that all the jobs have been given completely on the basis of merit, without any corruption or nepotism.

In a major blow to trans-border smuggling networks, the Amritsar Commissionerate Police has arrested four drug smugglers and recovered 5.06 kg heroin from their possession in two separate cases, Punjab's Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said on Friday.

Those arrested have been identified as Gurjant Singh, alias Kalu, of Bachiwind village in Amritsar, Jagjit Singh of Rania village in Amritsar, Sahil Kumar, alias Sahil, of Ghariyala village in Tarn Taran and Rinku of Basti Dune Wali in Guru Har Sahai in Ferozepur.

DGP Yadav said that the arrested individuals were in contact with Pakistan-based drug smugglers, who were using drones to smuggle narcotics across the border to further supply in different areas of Amritsar.

Two separate first information reports (FIRs) have been registered under relevant sections of the NDPS Act at Police Stations Cantonment and Sadar in Amritsar, he said.

The DGP said that more arrests and recoveries are likely in the coming days.

Opener Ryan Rickelton scored his maiden ODI hundred (103) as half-centuries from skipper Temba Bavuma(58), Rassie van der Dussen (52) and Aiden Markaram (52 not out) propelled South Africa to 315/6 in 50 overs against Afghanistan in the ICC Champions Trophy Group B clash at National Stadium.

South Africa's lineup for the match was missing both Heinrich Klaasen and Tristan Stubbs. Cricket South Africa (CSA) later confirmed that Klaasen had been sidelined as a precaution due to a soft tissue injury in his left elbow. Meanwhile, Stubbs was unlikely to have been in contention for the first-choice XI regardless.

Opting to bat first, South Africa had a steady yet cautious start, with Afghan pacers Fazalhaq Farooqi and Azmatullah Omarzai extracting significant movement off the surface. Tony de Zorzi struggled to get going and was the first to depart, falling to Mohammad Nabi for 11 after an attempted drive resulted in a mistimed shot straight to mid-on. With South Africa losing their first wicket early, Bavuma joined Rickelton at the crease, and together they navigated the testing conditions.