England’s Ben Stokes, centre, celebrates with teammates (AP Photo/James Elsby)

England managing director Rob Key has said the board will examine claims that players drank excessively during a mid-series break in Queensland, following reports that the trip resembled a “stag-do” during the Ashes. After heavy defeats in the opening two Tests in Perth and Brisbane, the England squad travelled to Noosa, a popular holiday spot on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. The players spent several days at the beach and visiting local restaurants and bars, with their movements closely followed by television crews, photographers and reporters. England then moved on to Adelaide, where they lost the third Test and with it the Ashes.

According to Britain’s Daily Telegraph, several players, though not the entire squad, were said to have been drinking for five or six days after the Brisbane Test. The report stressed that nothing outrageous took place in Noosa but raised concerns about the amount of alcohol consumed, particularly given existing questions around England’s preparation and professionalism on tour. Speaking to English media in Melbourne ahead of the Boxing Day Test, Key said the matter would be looked into if the claims proved accurate. He made it clear that excessive drinking was not acceptable for an international team at any stage. “If people are saying our players went out and drank excessively, then of course we will investigate that,” Key said. “That would not be something I would expect to see.” Key, who did not travel with the squad to Noosa, added that it would have been wrong not to review the situation. However, he said that the information he had received so far suggested the players had conducted themselves well. He stressed that he had no objection to players having the occasional drink, but drew a clear line if it went beyond that. Key said he supported the idea of the Noosa trip if its purpose was to help players switch off, step away from cricket and spend time on the beach. But he said any suggestion that it had turned into a heavy drinking exercise would be completely unacceptable. Key also revealed that he had previously looked into reports of England players being seen drinking on the eve of a limited-overs match in New Zealand shortly before the Ashes tour. On that occasion, he felt the situation did not merit formal disciplinary action, though he believed informal warnings were appropriate. Despite England losing the Ashes inside just 11 playing days, the joint fastest defeat in more than a century, Key voiced his support for head coach Brendon McCullum. The future of both men now lies with the England and Wales Cricket Board. Reflecting on recent disappointments, Key admitted England had fallen short on major occasions, including the drawn home Ashes series and last summer’s series against India, where they failed to convert strong positions into victories. “The big moments have passed us by,” he said. “We have to evolve and make sure we are doing things better going forward.”

S Jaishankar with Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (Image/X)

NEW DELHI: EAM S Jaishankar on Tuesday announced that India has proposed a comprehensive assistance package of $450 million to support Sri Lanka’s reconstruction following Cyclone Ditwah, one of the deadliest natural disasters to hit the island nation in decades.Speaking in Colombo as a special envoy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jaishankar stated that India remains firmly committed to supporting Sri Lanka during this challenging period. “The letter from Prime Minister Modi that I handed over builds on our first responder role and commits a reconstruction package of USD 450 million to Sri Lanka,” he said.

The announcement comes after the completion of the immediate humanitarian phase under Operation Sagar Bandhu, India’s rapid response mission launched after the cyclone, which has claimed more than 600 lives and affected millions across Sri Lanka.Jaishankar outlined the scale of India’s initial relief efforts, highlighting that Operation Sagar Bandhu delivered around 1,100 tonnes of relief material. “About 14.5 tonnes of medicines and medical equipment were also provided,” he added.He said PM Modi has directed Indian officials to work closely with the Sri Lankan government to identify and address rebuilding priorities. “Recognising the urgency of rebuilding, PM Modi directed that we now engage with the Sri Lankan government to address their priorities in that regard,” Jaishankar said.Detailing the proposed package, Jaishankar said it would include USD 350 million in concessional lines of credit and USD 100 million in grants. The assistance package, he said, is being finalised in close consultation with the Sri Lankan government to ensure the funds are channelled toward the most critical infrastructure and recovery needs.The move underscores India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy, positioning New Delhi as a first responder and long-term partner in Sri Lanka’s recovery and stability.Beyond immediate relief and reconstruction, Jaishankar said India would continue to support Sri Lanka’s economic recovery.“We will continue to encourage tourism traffic from India,” he said, describing tourism as a key pillar of Sri Lanka’s economy. He also highlighted the role of Indian investments, which could help boost Sri Lanka’s economy at a critical time.Acknowledging the scale of the crisis, Jaishankar said Sri Lanka was facing fresh challenges just as it was emerging from earlier difficulties. “Just as it was recovering from the economic crisis of 2022, this natural disaster has created new difficulties,” he said.Jaishankar arrived in Colombo on Monday evening and was received by deputy minister of tourism Ruwan Ranasinghe.Cyclone Ditwah made landfall on November 28 before looping back over the Bay of Bengal, triggering widespread flooding and landslides across Sri Lanka. The worst-hit areas include Gampaha, Colombo, Puttalam, Mannar, Trincomalee and Batticaloa, while landslides in the central hill country devastated districts such as Kandy, Badulla and Matale. Nearly 75,000 homes were damaged, including around 5,000 completely destroyed. The Sri Lankan government has announced a major compensation and rehabilitation plan, including financial assistance for families of victims, support for rebuilding homes in safer zones, and aid for education and basic household needs.

NEW DELHI: Congress MP Imran Masood on Tuesday said that Priyanka Gandhi will “deliver a decisive treatment” to Bangladesh if she becomes the Prime Minister.Refuting the charges from the BJP targeting Priyanka Gandhi for allegedly not speaking out strongly enough against violence against minorities in Bangladesh, Masood said that Wayanad MP spoke out the strongly the last time Bangladesh was becoming a central issue.“Priyanka Gandhi had raised her voice foremost last time when violence took place in Bangladesh. Make Priyanka Gandhi the Prime Minister first, and then see how she responds, just like Indira Gandhi,” Masood said.“Just like Indira Gandhi broke Pakistan into two places, Priyanka Gandhi will deliver a decisive treatment to the country (Bangladesh) so that it would not be able to become a hub of anti-India narratives,” he added.When asked what will Rahul Gandhi do if Priyanka becomes PM, Masood said,” Rahul Gandhi will act too—they are not separate. Rahul and Priyanka are like two eyes on the same face, the grandchildren of Indira Gandhi. Don’t look at them separately—they are two eyes, one vision”.Amid the ongoing protests in Dhaka, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra urged the Centre to take cognisance of the increasing violence against Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist minorities after the murder of Hindu youth Deepu Chandra Das in Bangladesh.The protests came in the backdrop of a mob lynching of the Hindu youth, Dipu Chandra Das, a worker in a garment factory, in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district.According to reports, Dipu Das, who was beaten to death by a mob over alleged blasphemy charges, had his body hanged and set on fire on December 18.The Daily Star, citing Mymensingh’s Additional Superintendent of Police, Abdullah Al Mamun, stated that a factory official had informed Bhaluka police that a group of workers attacked Dipu inside the factory, accusing him of making communal remarks.Factory sources told The Daily Star that the assailants later took Dipu out of the factory premises, where residents also joined the attack, resulting in his death.However, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-14 Company Commander in Mymensingh, Md Samsuzzaman, told The Daily Star that investigators found no evidence suggesting the deceased had posted or written anything on Facebook that could have hurt religious sentiments, adding that neither residents nor fellow garment factory workers could point to any such activity by the victim.The victim’s brother, Apu Chandra Das, also filed a case at Bhaluka Police Station on Friday, naming 140 to 150 unidentified individuals as accused. The incident sparked widespread outrage and condemnation among political leaders, religious organisations and minority groups in Bangladesh and India.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is shaking up how the tech giant approaches artificial intelligence with an unconventional leadership strategy: keeping executives out of the room. The CEO has launched a weekly AI accelerator meeting that deliberately excludes senior managers from presenting, instead giving the floor to lower-level technical employees working directly on AI projects. This bottom-up approach marks a radical departure from Microsoft’s traditional corporate hierarchy, where executives typically control the narrative in leadership meetings. Nadella wants unfiltered insights from engineers who are actually building AI products, not polished presentations from those managing them.

Frontline workers get direct access to CEO in AI push

According to internal memos obtained by Business Insider, Nadella created the new meeting format along with a corresponding Teams channel to speed up AI development and gather unfiltered insights from across the company. The approach is intentionally “messy and chaotic,” designed to avoid top-down AI leadership and get real-time feedback from engineers in the trenches.

The move reflects Nadella’s view that AI represents both an existential threat and a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Microsoft. He’s pushing the company to operate with unprecedented “intensity and urgency,” according to Business Insider sources familiar with the matter.

Microsoft reorganizes leadership for AI-first future

This grassroots meeting structure is part of broader organizational shifts at Microsoft. Nadella recently promoted sales chief Judson Althoff to CEO of commercial business, freeing up his own time to focus on technical AI work. In internal messages to corporate vice presidents, Nadella urged leaders to “work and act like ICs” (individual contributors) rather than traditional managers.“We all have to work and act like ICs in our own orgs, constantly learning and unlearning,” Nadella wrote in a Teams channel for executives, as seen by Business Insider.The CEO is also having direct conversations with executives about whether they’re willing to commit to the “mountain of work” required for Microsoft’s AI transformation—or leave. “You’ve gotta be asking yourself how much longer you want to do this,” one Microsoft executive told Business Insider.Nadella has shifted his language from saying Microsoft is in the “early innings” to the “middle innings” of AI, signaling his determination to see the transformation through to completion.

Defending champions Karnataka have officially named their squad for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy, signaling their intent to secure a record-extending sixth title. As one of the most successful sides in the history of India’s premier domestic one-day tournament, the state team enters the 2025-26 season with a powerful combination of seasoned international experience and emerging young talent. After clinching a dominant victory in the previous edition, the squad will be looking to maintain their white-ball supremacy as they prepare to kick off their campaign in Ahmedabad.

KL Rahul headlines Karnataka squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy

The 16-member squad feature the return of star India internationals KL Rahul and Prasidh Krishna. The inclusion of Rahul is a significant boost for the state side. Rahul, who has not featured in the Vijay Hazare Trophy since 2019, brings a wealth of experience and a formidable List A record for Karnataka, averaging nearly 45 in the tournament. He is expected to be available for key fixtures in early January before joining the national squad for the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand.

Similarly Prasidh will lead the bowling attack as his ability to generate high pace and bounce makes him a lethal asset in the 50-over format. His presence, alongside the reliable V. Vyshak and Abhilash Shetty, gives Karnataka one of the most balanced pace batteries in the competition.

Also READ: Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma headline Punjab’s 18-man squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy

Mayank Agarwal to lead the strong unit

The squad remains anchored by captain Mayank Agarwal, who was instrumental in Karnataka’s title victory last season, finishing as one of the tournament’s top run-getters. The middle order looks equally robust with the presence of Devdutt Padikkal, Karun Nair, and the hard-hitting Abhinav Manohar.

The selection committee has also rewarded domestic consistency, handing call-ups to youngsters Harshil Dharmani and Dhruv Prabhakar following their impressive performances in the U-23 State ‘A’ Trophy. Shreesha Achar will lead the spin department as the primary specialist slow bowler, supported by the all-round capabilities of Shreyas Gopal.

Placed in Group A, Karnataka will begin their campaign on December 24 in Ahmedabad. They face a challenging group that includes prominent sides like Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.

Karnataka squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy: Mayank Agarwal (c), Karun Nair (vc), Devdutt Padikkal, KL Rahul, Prasidh Krishna, R. Smaran, KL Shrijith, Abhinav Manohar, Shreyas Gopal, V. Vyshak, Manvanth Kumar, Shreesha Achar, Abhilash Shetty, B.R. Sharath, Harshil Dharmani, Dhruv Prabhakar.

Also READ: Mumbai announces squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy; Rohit Sharma makes historic return

Asian equity markets mostly traded in green on Tuesday, extending the upward rally as investors sentiments were eased by hopes of US interest rate cuts and a concerns around artificial intelligence cooled. At the same time, gold and silver climbed to fresh record levels, adding to the upbeat mood ahead of the festive break.Taiwan gained 160 points or 0.5%, to trade at 28,310. Shanghai and Shenzhen were also up 5 and 50 point respectively. South Korean Kospi also gained 11 points to trade at 4,117 at 11:50 AM IST.HSI, meanwhile, dipped 37 points to 25,764. Nikkei also followed in red, plunging 60 points. Markets were also supported by US economic data showing a rise in unemployment alongside easing inflation, developments that have strengthened the case for the Federal Reserve to begin lowering borrowing costs. The figures helped revive sentiment after a recent pullback in equities.Technology shares led gains again at the start of the week, with companies such as Nvidia and Tesla among the strongest performers on Wall Street, in the absence of major new catalysts. In commodities, precious metals continued to surge as expectations of US rate cuts made non-yielding assets more attractive. Gold prices moved to just below $4,500 an ounce, while silver edged close to $70 an ounce. Geopolitical tensions, including the US blockade against Venezuela and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, added further support. Oil prices, meanwhile, edged lower after rising more than 2% on Monday amid concerns over Washington’s actions towards Caracas. The United States has seized two oil tankers and is pursuing a third, following President Donald Trump’s order last week to impose a blockade on “sanctioned” tankers travelling to and from Venezuela.