Faf du Plessis on the left (Photo Credits: IPL)

Former England cricket all-rounder Moeen Ali has decided to participate in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026, choosing not to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.The 38-year-old’s announcement follows a similar decision made by Faf du Plessis to play in the PSL.Revealing his decision on X, he wrote, “I’m really excited to be joining PSL in its New Era. The league has earned a reputation for top-level T20 cricket, with high-quality competition and world-class talent across every team. Playing in Pakistan is always incredible; quality of cricket is outstanding and the passion and intensity from the crowd push you to bring your best. I’m looking forward to being part of it all and creating some great memories along the way. Ready for another special experience Insha’Allah!”Moeen Ali has been consistently playing in the IPL since 2018, representing teams including Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Chennai Super Kings, and Kolkata Knight Riders.In his IPL career spanning 73 matches, he has accumulated 1167 runs and claimed 41 wickets.During the 2025 IPL season, he played six matches for Kolkata Knight Riders before being released prior to the mini-auction.Moeen, who has played 92 T20 internationals for England, has previous PSL experience with nine matches for Multan Sultans.Former South African captain Faf du Plessis has also withdrawn from the upcoming IPL auction, making his announcement on November 29, two weeks before the IPL auction on December 15.Du Plessis began his IPL journey with Chennai Super Kings in 2013, quickly becoming an essential team member. He spent seven seasons with CSK and played for Rising Pune Supergiant in 2016 and 2017.His most successful IPL season was in 2021 with CSK, scoring 633 runs and nearly winning the Orange Cap.After CSK released him, Royal Challengers Bengaluru signed him as captain for 2022-24. He excelled in this role, scoring 730 runs in 2023.In 2025, he played for Delhi Capitals, scoring 202 runs in nine matches before an injury ended his season.Du Plessis’s IPL career statistics are impressive, with 4,773 runs in 154 matches at an average of 35.10 and a strike rate of 135.79.“After 14 seasons in the IPL, I’ve decided not to put my name into the auction this year. India has a special place in my heart… this certainly isn’t goodbye.”Du Plessis will now focus on the PSL, where he previously played for Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators.“A new country. A new environment. A new challenge,” he expressed about his PSL participation.

US markets moved lower on Monday, giving back part of last week’s gains as bitcoin and other once-popular assets continued to weaken. The S&P 500 was down 0.4% in morning trading, putting its five-day winning run at risk. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 204 points, also 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite edged down 0.5%.Earlier rally had been fueled by optimism that the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates at its meeting next week to support a cooling labor market. Those expectations remain strong, with CME Group data showing traders see almost an 88% chance of a rate cut, reported AP.Even so, yields on long-term US government bonds moved higher. This followed a rise in global yields after the Bank of Japan’s chief suggested that interest rates there could increase. When bond yields rise, they often draw investors away from riskier markets, putting pressure on stocks and cryptocurrencies in particular.Bitcoin, which had been around $125,000 in October, slid below $86,000 — a 5% more drop than yesterday. The decline weighed on crypto-linked companies: Coinbase Global fell 3.7% and Robinhood Markets dropped 4.6%. Strategy, previously known as MicroStrategy, tumbled 8% after saying it had raised $1.44 billion in US dollars through stock sales to help cover dividends on preferred shares and pay interest on its debt.Synopsys was among the strongest performers, rising 3.9% after revealing that Nvidia will invest $2 billion in the company as part of a deepened partnership. Nvidia, now the most influential stock on Wall Street, recovered from early losses to close 0.9% higher.Investors also reacted to early reports from the holiday shopping weekend. Spending during Black Friday and Cyber Monday appeared to exceed projections despite ongoing concerns about the broader US economy. Amazon inched up 0.4%, while Best Buy slipped 1.9%.Global markets showed mixed results. France’s CAC 40 index eased 0.3%, partly due to a 5.1% decline in Airbus. The company said that most of its 6,000 A320 aircraft had been updated after a software issue discovered over the weekend that could affect flight controls. Airlines faced minor disruptions as they rushed to apply the fix during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.In Japan, the Nikkei 225 dropped 1.9% amid worries that the country’s long-standing near-zero interest rates may soon rise as inflation remains above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target.In the US, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note climbed to 4.08% from 4.02% at the end of last week. It briefly went past 4.09% before easing after a report showed US factory activity declined more than expected. Manufacturers reported weak hiring conditions and said they are “still more focused on managing headcount than on hiring,” as quoted by AP. Several companies also mentioned ongoing challenges related to tariffs, with one saying, “Conditions are more trying than during the coronavirus pandemic in terms of supply chain uncertainty.”

Sanchar Saathi mobile app

In what raises privacy concerns and fears around state surveillance, govt has asked smartphone makers to mandatorily pre-install its Sanchar Saathi app on their devices, ostensibly to strengthen cyber security on the devices and prevent tampering and spoofing of IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number.The order, originally issued on November 21, gives the device makers – ranging from Apple, Samsung, Google, Motorola, and the Chinese lot of Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo – 90 days to comply with the regulation or otherwise face penalties. The govt’s order is even valid for devices being imported to the country, or still in pre-sales transit.The direction — that raised red flags within the industry as well as privacy advocates — said, “Central govt hereby directs every manufacturer and importers of mobile handsets that are intended for use in India to… ensure that the Sanchar Saathi mobile application, as specified by Department of Telecom (DoT), is pre-installed on all mobile handsets manufactured or imported for use in India.”And to ensure that the exercise does not end up as mere eyewash, the order also asks the companies to ensure that the pre-installed Sanchar Saathi app is “readily visible and accessible to the end users” at the time of first use or device setup and that “its functionalities are not disabled or restricted”.The order said that a provision to follow the instructions should also be made for devices which are in transit for sales. “For all such devices that have already been manufactured and are in sales channels in India, the manufacturer and importers of mobile handsets shall make an endeavour to push the App through software updates.”Sanchar Saathi is pitched as a citizen-centric initiative of DoT that promises to “empower mobile subscribers, strengthen their security” while increasing awareness about govt initiatives.The direction has been given under the Telecommunications (Telecom Cyber Security) Rules, 2024, and its further amendments. “Rule 5 of the Rules empowers the govt to establish digital or other mechanisms necessary to identify and report acts that may endanger telecom cyber security, and accordingly, the DoT has instituted the Sanchar Saathi App, that, inter-alia, enables stakeholders to report IMEI related suspicious misuse and also to verify authenticity of IMEIs used in mobile devices,” the order said.The order said that mobile handsets bearing duplicate or spoofed IMEI pose serious danger to telecom cyber security. Govt instructed the manufacturer and importers of mobile handsets to submit compliance reports to the DoT within 120 days from issue of the directions. “Failure to comply with these directions shall attract action under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, the Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024 (as amended), and other applicable laws.”

Recent estimates put India’s economy at more than ten times Pakistan’s size. (AI image)

“In another decade, we’re going to have another “North and South Korea at night” photo.”With that one line on X, economist Noah Smith dropped an image into everyone’s mind: A future satellite shot where a border glows in the dark, one side blazing with light, the other visibly behind. His post has been widely shared and quoted in Indian and Pakistani timelines.Strip away the drama and the tweet is really about one thing: compounding GDP growth. The original Korea-at-night image became famous because it compresses decades of economic divergence into a single frame. Smith is hinting that, on current trends, we may see something similar for India and Pakistan – even if the story won’t be as extreme as the two Koreas.

India vs Pakistan: GDP paths that are pulling apart

On paper, India and Pakistan still share plenty: A long border, dense populations, a common colonial history, and deep cultural overlaps. But the GDP numbers show they are now moving on very different economic trajectories.In 2024, India’s economy was about $3.9 trillion in nominal terms, compared with roughly $370-410 billion for Pakistan – a gap of around 10:1. India’s GDP per capita was about $2,700, versus roughly $1,500-1,700 in Pakistan.India’s economy grew at its fastest clip in six quarters in the July-September period, expanding 8.2% from a year earlier and easily beating market forecasts of about 7.3%. The reading was also stronger than the 7.8% growth recorded in the previous quarter, even as Washington slapped new US tariffs of up to 50% on a range of Indian exports. India’s economy is now on track to clock about 7% of growth for the current fiscal year.

GDP per capita: India vs Pak

Pakistan, by contrast, managed growth of roughly 2.38% in 2024 after a contraction in 2023.Those differences might look small in a single year, but over time they compound. If India sustains growth in the 6-7% range while Pakistan stays closer to 2-3%, the absolute GDP gap widens dramatically. That is already visible: recent estimates put India’s economy at more than ten times Pakistan’s size, and some Indian states now have output similar to, or larger than, Pakistan’s entire GDP.The quality of that growth story matters too. India has built a broad-based mix of services (IT, finance, telecom), manufacturing and a large domestic market. The World Bank notes that India has stayed the fastest-growing major economy despite a tough global environment, backed by reforms and strong services activity.Pakistan, meanwhile, has lurched through repeated balance-of-payments crises and IMF programmes. An IMF-cited analysis recently highlighted how “elite capture” and corruption are effectively taxing growth.If India keeps outgrowing Pakistan at anything like the recent pace, Smith’s imagined “before and after” shot of the subcontinent in 2035 will show a much brighter India, with more continuous belts of light along expressways and industrial corridors – and a Pakistan that has grown, but not nearly as fast.

Filmmaker Raj Nidimoru and actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s alleged relationship is back in the headlines, this time over fresh speculation that the two are set to make things official and take the plunge.

Sam and Raj wedding on the cards?

Viral buzz indicates that the director and actress, may just be planning an intimate wedding. Although unconfirmed, a Filmibeat report, claims that the two are set to exchange vows on Monday, December 1. The rumoured ceremony is said to be scheduled at the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore, though no official confirmation has been issued by either party.

Raj’s ex-wife Shhyamali shares cryptic post

Amid the growing chatter about the upcoming wedding, a social media post by Nidimoru’s ex-wife, Shhyamali De, has drawn raised eyebrows. Fans noted that De shared a quote on her Instagram stories that read, “Desperate people do desperate things,” from author Michael Brooks. This post comes just days after she shared another cryptic post about ‘past debts’. She wrote, “Through the bond of past debts (runānubandha), one becomes connected with pets, spouse, children, and home. When those karmic debts are exhausted, those relationships come to an end, and with them, the associated joys and sorrows cease.”The timing of the post has once again sparked buzz online as a subtle swing at her ex.Samantha Ruth Prabhu WEDS ‘The Family Man’ director Raj Nidimoru in intimate ceremony at Isha Yoga Centre; actress shares PICS

Sam and Raj’s professional commitments

Meanwhile, Sam and Raj, seemed to have made their romance Instagram official by sharing a photo of themselves hugging while at the actress’s brand launch event. The director has also started collaborating with the actress on a professional front and has collaborated with her on various upcoming projects. Both stars, who head production houses, are reportedly co-producing the upcoming Telugu action drama ‘Maa Inti Bangaram’, directed by Nandini Reddy.Despite intense online speculation, neither Samantha nor Raj has commented on the reports or officially confirmed dating buzz.Also Read: Samantha Ruth Prabhu flaunts giant WEDDING ring, stuns in a red saree as she marries Raj Nidimoru, drops FIRST PICS; netizens react

Virat Kohli delivered a match-defining 135 off 120 balls in Ranchi’s first ODI against South Africa, powering India to 349/8 and a tense 17-run victory on November 30, 2025. The 37-year-old’s knock, featuring 11 fours and seven sixes, marked his 52nd ODI century and earned him Player of the Match honors at JSCA International Stadium Complex. This performance silenced whispers of a Test return following his May 2025 retirement from the format after 123 matches and 9,230 runs.​

IND vs SA: Harsha Bhogle reveals off-air chat with Virat Kohli before discussing his Test comeback

During the post-match presentation, commentator Harsha Bhogle posed a subtle query: whether Kohli planned to stick to one format amid ongoing speculation. Kohli affirmed his commitment to ODIs only, stating at 37 he prioritizes recovery after 300-plus games, emphasizing mental readiness and physical fitness over multi-format demands. Bhogle later clarified on X that he had an off-air chat with Kohli beforehand, seeking permission to “slip that in” to avoid catching him off-guard, countering fan suggestions of surprise.​

I had asked him before if he would be comfortable if I slipped that in….. https://t.co/DhXOZNVgYI

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) November 30, 2025

Also READ: Viral pictures: Gautam Gambhir embraces Virat Kohli after the latter’s 83rd century in the 1st ODI against South Africa

IND vs SA: Kohli’s Ranchi masterclass fuels ODI focus

Kohli’s innings showcased vintage flair, starting with an outside edge for four before unleashing straight drives and lofted sixes against Nandre Burger and Ottneil Baartman. His 136-run stand with Rohit Sharma for the second wicket, their eighth century partnership at home, laid the foundation on a pitch that slowed later. Now with six ODI tons against South Africa, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar‘s five, Kohli boasts a 173 average in Ranchi across 519 runs in five innings, all three centuries exceeding 120.​

South Africa mounted a chase to 332, led by Corbin Bosch‘s 67 off 51, but Kuldeep Yadav‘s 4/68 sealed the win. Kohli’s response to Bhogle underscored no U-turn: “That’s how it’s always going to be, I’m just playing one form of the game.” This stance aligns with his Test exit ahead of India’s England tour, prioritizing longevity in ODIs where reflexes and excitement sustain him.

Also WATCH: Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir engage in an animated discussion after India’s 1st ODI win against South Africa

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PM Modi with Sri Lanka President Dissanayake (File photo)

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Monday, expressing condolences over the loss of lives and widespread destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.PM Modi conveyed India’s solidarity with Sri Lanka during the crisis and assured continued assistance as part of Operation Sagar Bandhu, aligned with Vision Mahasagar and India’s role as the region’s ‘First Responder’.Meanwhile President Dissanayake thanked India for its swift support, including the rapid deployment of rescue teams and relief supplies, and conveyed the Sri Lankan people’s appreciation for New Delhi’s timely response.PM Modi assured that India would keep extending necessary help as Sri Lanka moves into rehabilitation, restoration of public services, and rebuilding livelihoods across the affected areas.Both leaders agreed to stay in close contact as relief efforts progress.Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre (DMC) on Sunday confirmed that the death toll from Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka has risen to at least 334, with nearly 400 people still missing in the aftermath of the storm. Massive damaged was also caused to homes and other infrastructures. Dissanayake had declared a state of emergency in response to the cyclone’s aftermath and called for international assistance.India launched Operation Sagar Bandhu on November 28 to deliver urgent HADR assistance to Sri Lanka after Cyclone Ditwah. In coordination with Sri Lankan authorities, India supplied a total of 53 tonnes of relief material, including emergency rations, medical supplies, tents and hygiene kits, delivered through Indian Navy ships and three IAF aircraft. Over 80 NDRF personnel and USAR teams were deployed for rescue operations. Chetak helicopters from INS Vikrant and IAF Mi-17s conducted extensive airlift missions, rescuing 121 people of multiple nationalities, including the critically injured. India also evacuated around 1,500 stranded citizens through special IAF and commercial flights. Reaffirming its Neighbourhood First policy and Vision Mahasagar, India has positioned itself as the First Responder and continues to support Sri Lanka’s ongoing rescue, relief and recovery efforts.