NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday defended the West Bengal government’s actions after chaos erupted during football legend Lionel Messi’s appearance at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.Banerjee said West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee apologised within an hour of the incident, while other state governments had not owned responsibility for incidents such as the Kumbh stampede and the New Delhi railway station stampede.

“In states ruled by the BJP, so many people died during the Kumbh. So many people died in the stampede at New Delhi railway station — did you question them about that? Did you question Yogi Adityanath? What happened in Bengal — the chief minister apologised within one hour,” the TMC said.“Jhukta wahi hai jisme jaan hai. Akad to murdon ki pehchaan hai (Only those who have life in them bow; rigidity is the mark of the dead). We have bowed before the people. Action is being taken against everyone against whom there are allegations. That is why the BJP loses, and the Trinamool defeats them,” he added.Messi’s Kolkata appearance, the first stop of the GOAT Tour 2025, ended in chaos. What was meant to be a celebration of the World Cup-winning superstar in a football-loving state turned chaotic as VIPs and politicians on the pitch sparked fan frustration, with many attendees claiming they could barely see the footballer they had paid to watch.Angry fans resorted to vandalism at the stadium, alleging poor event management and criticising VIPs and politicians for hogging the football icon’s attention and time, to the extent that many fans did not even get a glimpse of Messi.Meanwhile, sports minister Aroop Biswas also resigned from his post on Tuesday following the chaos during Messi’s GOAT India Tour in Kolkata. The chief minister accepted his resignation.The state government also informed that a Special Investigation Team comprising IPS officers Piyush Pandey, Javed Shamim, Supratim Sarkar and Muralidhar has been constituted to conduct a thorough probe into the matter.The government has already served a notice to Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar, ordering him to clarify within 24 hours why such mismanagement and lapses occurred at the stadium and why proper coordination with concerned stakeholders, including the private organiser, was not carried out to ensure the smooth conduct of the event.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday extended greetings on the occasion of the 54th Vijay Diwas, remembering the soldiers who fought the 1971 war that led to the liberation of Bangladesh.In a post on X, PM Modi said the soldiers’ courage protected the country and etched a moment of pride in history.“On Vijay Diwas, we remember the brave soldiers whose courage and sacrifice ensured India had a historic victory in 1971. Their steadfast resolve and selfless service protected our nation and etched a moment of pride in our history,” Modi said.“This day stands as a salute to their valour and a reminder of their unmatched spirit. Their heroism continues to inspire generations of Indians,” he added.

President Droupadi Murmu also paid her respects, recalling the devotion and patriotism of the Indian Armed Forces. She cited their courage and valour displayed during Operation Sindoor, India’s responsive strike against Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.“On the occasion of Vijay Diwas, I pay my humble respects to the brave sons of Mother India. Their courage, valour and unparalleled devotion to the motherland have always filled the nation with pride,” Murmu wrote on X.She added that the Indian Army’s “Empowerment through Indigenisation” initiative reflected its preparedness for future challenges.“In Operation Sindoor, the Army demonstrated self-reliance, strategic resolve and effective use of modern warfare techniques. I extend my best wishes to all soldiers and their families. Jai Hind!” she said.The Indian Army also recalled the heroism of the Armed Forces by sharing footage recounting the historic liberation of Bangladesh.“Vijay Diwas is not just a date — it stands as a symbol of the historic and decisive victory of the Indian Armed Forces in the 1971 war,” the Army said in a post.Describing the conflict as a triumph that reshaped military history, the Army said “Indian forces and the Mukti Bahini fought shoulder to shoulder, giving the Bangladesh Liberation struggle its decisive push.”The Army noted that the victory ended widespread atrocities by the Pakistani Army and culminated in the surrender of nearly 93,000 Pakistani soldiers within 13 days — one of the largest military surrenders in history.

The five-match T20 International series between the hosts India and South Africa reaches its penultimate stage with the highly crucial fourth match at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. With India taking a dominant 2-1 lead after a comprehensive seven-wicket win in Dharamsala, the home team will be looking to secure an unassailable series victory. South Africa, having shown flashes of brilliance but struggling with consistency, must win this match to keep the series alive and force a decider. The focus for both sides will be on adapting quickly to the challenging Lucknow surface, known for its slow nature.

IND vs SA, 4th T20I: Match Details

Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow Pitch Report

The Ekana Cricket Stadium pitch has a reputation for being slow and low, offering a significant challenge to free-flowing stroke play. Historically, the surface has favored pace bowlers who use variations and, crucially, spinners, who can extract good turn and grip, though recent BBL matches have shown pacers dominating the wickets column. The average first innings score at this venue is modest, around 151, and defending totals has been more successful than chasing in T20Is. However, dew remains a concern for the team bowling second. A score between 160-170 is likely to be highly competitive. The captain winning the toss may elect to bat first to put runs on the board and exploit any turn in the second innings.

India vs South Africa: Team dynamics and key players

India: India’s strength lies in their bowling attack, which dismantled the Proteas for a paltry 117 in the last game. Varun Chakravarthy, the leading wicket-taker of the series, has been unplayable, supported brilliantly by Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana. Their batting, while potent, needs more consistency from captain Suryakumar Yadav and vice-captain Shubman Gill, with only Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma looking comfortable. India will rely on their spin duo and the all-round value of Hardik Pandya to seal the series.

South Africa: South Africa desperately needs its star batters, particularly Quinton de Kock, Dewald Brevis, and Tristan Stubbs, to fire collectively. Captain Aiden Markram has been the lone warrior with the bat, and he must find support. Their pace attack, featuring Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi (who has been excellent with 6 wickets), will relish the conditions, where variations are key. The selection of spin options like Keshav Maharaj will be vital in restricting the hosts and ensuring a fightback to level the series.

Also READ: Sri Lankan authorities to arrest World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga – here’s the reason

IND vs SA, 4th T20I: Today’s Match Prediction

Case 1:

• India wins the toss and bats first
• India powerplay score: 50-60 (6 overs)
• India total score: 170-185

Case 2:

• South Africa wins the toss and bats first
• South Africa powerplay score: 40-50 (6 overs)
• South Africa total score: 155-170

Match result: India to win the contest

Also READ: Rahul Chahar reveals his all-time IPL XI, no place for Andre Russell and Sunil Narine

Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan

NEW DELHI: The IPL 2026 auction delivered many big-money headlines, but few stories matched the emotional weight of Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan scripting their return to the league after early rejection. Once touted as India’s next batting stars, both were initially left unsold, only to find new life in the accelerated round — a reminder of how quickly fortunes can change at the IPL auction table.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Shaw’s journey was the most dramatic. After going unsold twice at his base price of Rs 75 lakh, the former India opener briefly took to social media, posting a heartbreak emoji with the words “It’s OK.” Within minutes, the script flipped. Delhi Capitals, the franchise he represented from 2018 to 2024, revived his name late in the auction and brought him back for Rs 75 lakh. Shaw swiftly deleted his earlier post and shared DC’s welcome graphic instead, captioning it “Back to my family,” sealing a full-circle moment.

The 26-year-old has been in strong domestic form and recently made headlines by scoring the second-fastest double century in Ranji Trophy history. Having shifted from Mumbai to Maharashtra this season, Shaw now gets another chance to revive his IPL and international ambitions with a familiar franchise.

Sarfaraz Khan’s wait ended in similar fashion. After going unsold in the main round despite a prolific domestic record — including a blistering 22-ball 73 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy just an hour before the auction started — Chennai Super Kings snapped him up for Rs 75 lakh. For Sarfaraz, the move represents an opportunity to showcase his power-hitting under MS Dhoni’s watchful eye.

While Shaw and Sarfaraz embodied redemption, the auction also saw fireworks elsewhere. Kolkata Knight Riders shattered records by signing Australia all-rounder Cameron Green for Rs 25.20 crore, making him the most expensive overseas player in IPL history. KKR also landed Sri Lanka pacer Matheesha Pathirana for Rs 18 crore, while uncapped Indians continued to cash in big.Yet amid the crores and bidding wars, it was the quiet, late picks of Shaw and Sarfaraz that stood out — proof that in the IPL, a comeback is never more than one bid away.

Market experts anticipate sideways trading in Indian markets due to the lack of significant short-term catalysts. (AI image)

Stock market today: Nifty50 and BSE Sensex, the Indian equity benchmark indices, opened flat in trade on Wednesday. While Nifty50 was above 25,850, BSE Sensex was near 84,700. At 9:16 AM, Nifty50 was trading at 25,864.25, up 4 points or 0.016%. BSE Sensex was at 84,705.43, up 26 points or 0.030%.Market experts anticipate sideways trading in Indian markets due to the lack of significant short-term catalysts.Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited says, “Recent sharp fall in the rupee and crude has been attracting the attention of investors. Decline in crude, on poor demand from China and the US, is good news for India’s macros, which are already in a Goldilocks setting. However, sustained fall in the rupee is accelerating FII outflows, thereby hurting the market. This kind of sharp depreciation in the rupee was not expected particularly after the November trade data showed a sharp decline in trade deficit at $24.5 billion vs $41.5 billion in October. One possible reason for the RBI’s non-intervention in the currency market to stem the rupee slide is that the rupee depreciation is not hurting the economy. With very low CPI inflation of 0.71% in November, there is no threat of imported inflation. On the other hand, rupee depreciation is a boost for India’s exports which were impacted by the Trump tariffs.” “With the ongoing weakening of the AI trade, FIIs are likely to turn buyers in India sometime in 2026. If, along with this, a US-India trade deal happens, FIIs will turn buyers in India. There is a likelihood of rupee strengthening in H1 2026. Therefore, while FII selling is depressing stock prices now, investors should buy in anticipation of a 2026 rally.”US stock market indices showed varied results on Tuesday afternoon, with Nasdaq finishing higher, whilst the S&P 500 and Dow Jones declined due to losses in healthcare and energy sectors.Asian equities followed US markets lower at opening, showing modest declines after underwhelming US employment data failed to strengthen expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts.Oil prices rose significantly on Wednesday following US President Donald Trump’s declaration of “a total and complete” embargo on all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, heightening geopolitical concerns amidst existing demand uncertainties.Foreign portfolio investors conducted net sales of shares amounting to Rs 2,381 crore on Tuesday. Domestic institutional investors maintained net purchases at Rs 1,077 crore.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)

Amazon is cutting 370 jobs, or 8.5%, at its European headquarters in Luxembourg, impacting software developers most due to AI advancements. This is company’s biggest ever job cuts in the Europe, following global layoffs back in October and a negotiated social plan. Despite the reduction, Luxembourg remains a strategic European hub for Amazon, which continues to hire in key areas.

Amazon will cut 370 jobs at its European headquarters in Luxembourg in the coming weeks, marking the company’s largest-ever workforce reduction at the facility. The layoffs represent about 8.5% of the 4,370 employees based there and follow the tech giant’s October announcement of 14,000 global job cuts amid its push toward artificial intelligence.The company and staff delegates signed a social plan late Friday after two weeks of negotiations, according to the Luxembourg Times. Amazon had initially planned to eliminate 470 positions but reduced the number during talks mandated under European Union labor law, which requires companies to negotiate redundancies with employee representatives.

AI-driven restructuring hits software developers at Amazon hardest

Software developers will be primarily affected by the cuts, Bloomberg reported, as the tech industry increasingly deploys AI for coding tasks. One Amazon employee told Bloomberg that hundreds of workers entering Luxembourg’s job market simultaneously would struggle to find alternative employment in the country of 680,000 people. Affected employees who relocated from other countries face a three-month deadline to secure new jobs in Luxembourg or leave.“370 is a very big number but considering where we started, it feels a little better,” Prash Chandrasekhar, a staff delegation representative, told the Luxembourg Times. “It’s still a big impact and will put pressure on Luxembourg.”The layoffs won’t take effect until February. Details of compensation packages remain confidential, though Chandrasekhar said they “compare favourably” to other social plans in Luxembourg.“Our immediate focus will be on implementing the agreed measures and providing support to impacted employees throughout this transition,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement shared with the media.

Luxembourg maintains status as Amazon’s strategic European partner

Despite the cuts, Amazon remains Luxembourg’s fifth-largest employer. Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden met with Amazon CEO Andy Jassy in Seattle in November, where Jassy assured him that Luxembourg “remains the strategic partner in Europe,” the Luxembourg Times reported, citing the prime minister’s office.In a joint statement, Amazon’s leadership team and staff delegation said the company would provide “a comprehensive package that goes well beyond industry benchmarks and comparable local agreements in Luxembourg.” The company emphasized its commitment to implementing the plan “with care, clarity, and in full compliance with local employment law.”The Luxembourg reductions are part of Amazon’s broader cost-cutting campaign under CEO Andy Jassy, who has sought to make the company “leaner and less bureaucratic” while investing heavily in generative AI. Amazon laid off 27,000 employees globally between 2022 and 2023 following a pandemic-era hiring surge.Amazon currently lists 56 open positions in Luxembourg on its recruitment platform and has indicated it will continue hiring in “key strategic areas” despite the ongoing workforce reductions.

Oil prices rose sharply on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump ordered “a total and complete” blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, stoking fresh geopolitical tensions at a time when markets are already wary about weak global demand.Brent crude futures climbed 57 cents, or 0.9%, to $59.50 a barrel by 0135 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained 59 cents, or 1%, to $55.86 a barrel.

The rebound came a day after oil prices settled near five-year lows, pressured by progress in Russia-Ukraine peace talks. A potential deal could lead to easing of Western sanctions on Moscow, increasing supply in an already well-supplied market.Earlier on Tuesday, Trump ordered a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela and said he now regarded the country’s rulers as a foreign terrorist organisation. The move could disrupt about 0.4–0.5 million barrels per day of supply and lift prices by $1–2 per barrel, according to a US oil trader.“In regard to pricing impacts, we should see the prompt physical premiums reacting more than flat price, especially natural Merey replacements in the Gulf Coast like Canadian and Colombian Castilla blends, though the total loss of supply would be less than 200,000 barrels per day for the Chevron equity cargoes,” Matias Togni, analyst at oil market insights firm Next Barrel, told Reuters.Another analysts said that the oil market is currently well supplied, but warned that if the blockade remains in place for an extended period, crude prices could move higher.It remains unclear how the US will enforce the blockade or whether it will deploy the Coast Guard, as it did last week. In recent months, Washington has moved warships into the region.Trump’s latest move follows the US seizure of a sanctioned oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast last week, stepping up pressure on the government of President Nicolas Maduro, whom Trump has accused of allowing drugs to enter the US.Since the seizure, Venezuela’s crude exports have fallen sharply. While many tankers lifting oil from the country are under sanctions, others transporting Venezuelan crude, as well as oil from Iran and Russia, remain unsanctioned. Tankers chartered by Chevron are also shipping Venezuelan crude to the US under a prior authorisation from Washington.