Sherfane Rutherford of Pretoria Capitals plays a shot during match 8 of the Betway SA20 season 4 between MI Cape Town (MICT) and The Pretoria Capitals (PC) held at the Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town , South Africa on the 31st December 2025. (Sportzpics)

New Year’s Eve turned into a night of fireworks for Pretoria Capitals as they registered their first win of SA20 Season 4 with an emphatic 85-run bonus-point victory over MI Cape Town at Newlands on Wednesday.Capitals piled up a daunting 220/5 before skittling the hosts for just 135, with Sherfane Rutherford delivering a sensational all-round performance on a memorable night in Cape Town.

After being put under pressure early, Capitals found themselves wobbling at 36/3 inside the Powerplay, thanks largely to a probing opening spell from a fit-again Kagiso Rabada. However, Shai Hope and Wihan Lubbe steadied the innings with a crucial fourth-wicket stand, arresting the slide with calculated aggression.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Hope struck a composed 45 off 30 balls while Lubbe anchored the recovery with a fluent 60 off 36, ensuring Capitals had a platform to launch from in the death overs. That platform was spectacularly exploited by Sherfane Rutherford and Dewald Brevis.The duo unleashed a breathtaking assault, adding 86 runs in just 27 balls. Rutherford’s unbeaten 47 came off only 15 deliveries and included six towering sixes, while Brevis matched the tempo with a rapid 36 not out from 13 balls. Capitals plundered 92 runs in the final five overs at a staggering run-rate of 18.2.Rutherford’s penultimate over assault on Dewald Pretorius stunned the Newlands crowd, as the West Indian smashed four consecutive sixes, part of a sequence of six maximums in a row across two overs.In reply, MI Cape Town’s hopes rested heavily on openers Ryan Rickelton and Rassie van der Dussen, who provided a brisk start with a 60-run stand inside the Powerplay. But once both fell in quick succession, the chase unraveled rapidly.

Nicholas Pooran briefly threatened a counterattack, hammering Keshav Maharaj for four sixes in a row during a 25 off six balls. Maharaj, however, had the final say, dismissing Pooran and finishing with figures of 3/28 to break the spine of the middle order.Rutherford capped off a dream evening with career-best bowling figures of 4/24 as MI Cape Town collapsed, sealing a dominant victory for Pretoria Capitals and kickstarting their Season 4 campaign in emphatic fashion.Brief ScoresPretoria Capitals: 220 for 5 in 20 overs (Wihan Lubbe 60, Sherfane Rutherford 47 not out; Kagiso Rabada 2/48) MI Cape Town: 135 all out in 14.5 overs (Ryan Rickelton 33; Sherfane Rutherford 4/24, Keshav Maharaj 3/28)

The Corporate Affairs Ministry has relaxed compliance requirements for company directors by replacing the mandatory annual KYC filing with a simplified requirement once every three years under the Companies Act, 2013, PTI reported.The change follows a review of Rule 12A of the Companies (Appointment & Qualification of Directors) Rules, 2014, based on recommendations of the High Level Committee on Non-Financial Regulatory Reforms and suggestions received from stakeholders, the ministry said in a release.The amended rules were notified on December 31, 2025, and will come into effect from March 31, 2026.Under the revised framework, directors will be required to submit an abridged KYC intimation once every three years, replacing the existing annual KYC filing requirement.The ministry said a revised KYC form has been introduced, which can be used not only for KYC compliance but also for updating mobile numbers, email addresses and residential addresses, as well as for reactivation of the Director Identification Number (DIN).Verification through a digital signature by the DIN holder or director and certification by a professional will be mandatory only if the KYC form is submitted for updating the mobile number, email address or residential address, it said.The amendment is aimed at providing significant ease of compliance to directors across all companies.All directors who have completed their KYC requirements to date are covered under the new provisions, and their next KYC filing will be due by June 30, 2028, according to the ministry.Directors who have not submitted their KYC forms so far may continue to get their DINs reactivated as per existing provisions until March 31, 2026, it added.

NEW DELHI: “You are a nominated official, but I am an elected representative … ” The Trinamool Congress’s offensive against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has set the stage for an all-out confrontation over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls ahead of upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee, who led a Trinamool delegation to the Election Commission on Wednesday, accused the CEC of “losing temper” and “raising fingers at party members. Abhishek dared the CEC to respond to his allegations.

“They think that by raising their voice and speaking aggressively, everyone will be silenced. When we started speaking, he began losing his temper. He tried to stop some of us and pointed fingers at me. I then stated that you are a nominated official, but I am an elected representative. You are answerable to your masters, but I am answerable to the masses who elected me, for whom we have come here to ensure that no legitimate voter is deleted from the list... If he has the courage, let him release the footage. I am standing very close to the ECI office,” Abhishek said standing at the gate of the Election Commission office.“Gyanesh Kumar must be hearing what I am saying to the media right now. If he has the courage, he should come down, face the media, and rebut every point I am making, rather than making selective leaks after 8 pm. What is stopping him? Does he think the people of Bengal are his subservient? Apart from two-three questions, he has failed. Does he think the people of Bengal, and we MPs, ministers, and MLAs elected by the people, are bonded labourers or slaves?” the Trinamool MP asked, targeting the CEC.Abhishek Banerjee’s dig on selective leaks referred to the party’s last meeting with the poll body on November 28. The Trinamool leader claimed that they had asked the Election Commission five questions in that meeting, but didn’t receive a single precise answer to any of them. The Trinamool leader had accused the Election Commission of selectively leaking information to some journalists, claiming that they had answered every question. In return, the Election Commission accused the Trinamool of intimidating its electoral staff in the state.The Election Commission (EC) officials said that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation was told that intimidation of any electoral staff by ground-level political representatives and workers will not be tolerated and that the West Bengal government should immediately release the enhanced honorarium to each BLO.Draft rolls for West Bengal released by the ECI in December show that 58,20,899 names, about 7.59 per cent of the electorate, have been provisionally deleted due to reasons such as death, permanent migration or untraceability. The Trinamool has raised concerns over the scale of deletions, alleging possible disenfranchisement. Also, around 1.36 crore entries have also been flagged for “logical discrepancies”, while 30 lakh voters were categorised as unmapped – a significant percentage of whom are likely to be called for verification hearings. The timeline for final publication of electoral rolls in the state is February 14, 2026.Abhishek Banerjee questioned the list of “logical discrepancies” made by the EC and accused the poll body of weaponsing the voter list to help the BJP. The TMC leader demanded that the list of voters under the “logical discrepancy” category be published and the methodology and legal authority used to create this category be disclosed. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has already claimed that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise was a huge “scam” being conducted with the help of artificial intelligence, and has warned that her party will gherao the Election Commission’s office in Delhi if the name of even a single legitimate voter is deleted from the electoral rolls.Trinamool Congress has said that it will not accept the final voter list if it has “discrepancies” and if needed “it would fight it legally.” Clearly SIR, which is already in the centre of a political storm, is set for a rough ride in West Bengal with the Trinamool Congress piling unrelenting pressure on the Election Commission.

Donald Trump (File photo)

US President Donald Trump asserted that he’s healthy amid reports that emerged after bruising was seen on his hands during a recent public appearance. In an interview with Wall Street Journal published Thursday, he blamed aspirin for the hand bruises and denied falling asleep during meetings. He also corrected his previous statement about getting an MRI scan in October, clarifying it was actually a CT scan.At 79, Trump remains determined to maintain his image of vitality despite growing health concerns during his second term. He insists his health is perfect, though visible signs like bruised hands, often concealed with makeup or bandages, and swollen ankles have sparked public interest.

Trump explained the bruising on his hand is from daily aspirin intake, which he takes to prevent blood clots. “They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart,” said Trump, talking about why he takes a larger dose. “I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?” he further added.he told WSJ. He further talked about one specific incident where his attorney general Pam Bondi accidentally hit his hand with her ring during a high-five.Trump’s medicals have been a topic for disccussion after, especially after some of his public statements around check-ups. While he initially told reporters about getting an MRI scan with exceptional results, he later told the Journal it was “less than that. It was a scan.” His doctor, Sean Barbabella, confirmed it was a CT scan to check for cardiovascular issues.Regarding accusations of falling asleep during public events, Trump strongly disagreed. “I’ve never been a big sleeper,” he said. He said that what appears to be dozing off is actually moments of relaxation. “I’ll just close. It’s very relaxing to me,” he said, adding that sometimes photographers catch him mid-blink.Trump’s health has become a particularly sensitive political issue, especially since he often criticises his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden as “sleepy.” Biden left office at 82, making him the oldest president in history – a record Trump is set to break during his current term. Despite questions about his health, Trump maintains an active public presence through social media, press interactions, and golf outings.

TOI correspondent from Washington: At the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Day 2026, New York turned a page in its long, turbulent chronicle. In a decommissioned subway station beneath the city it once ferried to power and possibility, Zohran Mamdani took the oath of office on the Quran, becoming the 112th mayor of the largest city in the United States. Few inaugurations in recent memory have carried such dense layers of symbolism—or such quiet irony.The book, the venue, and the officiator were all deliberate choices, each freighted with meaning. In a city whose skyline still bears the phantom ache of the September 11 attacks, Mamdani, 34, placed his hand on two Qurans held by his Syrian-origin wife, Ruma Duwaji. In doing so, he claimed a cascade of firsts: the youngest mayor in the city’s history; the first Muslim to hold the office; the first person of Indian origin; the first African-born New Yorker—he was born in Kampala, Uganda—to lead what is arguably the modern world’s most celebrated metropolis.

New York has always measured itself in symbols, and Mamdani’s inaugural gestures spoke volumes. His choice of the Old City Hall subway station for a private oath was his first executive statement. Closed in 1945, the station is a jewel of the Gilded Age, adorned with Guastavino tilework and vaulted skylights that once opened toward the seat of municipal power above. By descending into this architectural relic, Mamdani sidestepped the spectacle of a Times Square-style swearing-in and instead anchored his moment in the city’s buried history—its forgotten spaces as much as its gleaming facades.The oath was administered by New York Attorney General Letitia James, herself a figure of defiance in national politics and a frequent antagonist of former President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly targeted her for pursuing legal action against him. The pairing underscored the political tenor of the new administration: unapologetically progressive and unafraid of confrontation.Later on Thursday, Mamdani was sworn in again, this time publicly, on the steps of City Hall. That ceremony carried a different kind of theatre. Officiated by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, Mamdani’s political mentor, and featuring Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, his closest ally, the event drew thousands of supporters. A jubilant block party spilled onto Broadway’s storied Canyon of Heroes, turning the inauguration into a street-level celebration of movement politics.At the centre of it all stood Mamdani, whose ascent to City Hall defied almost every conventional rule of New York politics. A third-term Assembly member from Astoria, Queens, he entered the mayoral race as a marginal figure, polling at less than one per cent when he announced his candidacy. Yet by running an unambiguously left-wing campaign focused on affordability—rent freezes, universal childcare, and expanded public transit—he tapped into a deep reservoir of frustration with political centrism and establishment caution.His path to victory required the political equivalent of slaying giants. Most notably, Mamdani defeated former governor Andrew Cuomo not once, but twice: first in the June Democratic primary, and again in the general election after Cuomo mounted an independent bid. It was a repudiation not just of a rival, but of a style of politics that many New Yorkers had come to see as transactional and exhausted.Branded by his team as the “Inauguration of a New Era,” Thursday’s ceremonies reflected both New York’s storied past and its rapidly shifting demographic and political future. This is a city rebuilt repeatedly from catastrophe—economic collapse, social unrest, terror—and Mamdani’s elevation signals a renewed turn toward progressive experimentation at a moment when much of the United States appears to be retreating into a nativist, protectionist shell.The religious symbolism threaded through the day was especially striking. Multiple Qurans were used across the two oath ceremonies, including a family heirloom and a centuries-old volume that once belonged to the great historian Arturo Schomburg. For many New Yorkers, the sight of a mayor sworn in on the Quran in a city that endured virulent anti-Muslim sentiment after 9/11 felt like an act of civic reclamation—a passage from years marked by mourning and suspicion back toward pluralism and power.From an international vantage point, particularly among diasporas from the Indian subcontinent and Africa, the resonance was impossible to miss. For a quarter-century after 9/11, the figure of the Muslim immigrant in New York was often filtered through the lens of national security. Africans, too, were marginalised, with citizens from nearly half the continent now effectively barred from entering the United States.Today, that composite identity occupies the city’s highest office. New York, which once recoiled from the “other,” has entrusted an Indian-African-American Muslim with the task of addressing its most pressing challenges: a punishing housing crisis, an aging and overstretched subway system, and a widening gulf between wealth and poverty.The city that was once defined, in the world’s imagination, by an act of terror is now led by a man whose faith was once invoked to explain that tragedy. Whether Zohran Mamdani succeeds as mayor will be judged by governance rather than symbolism. But his inauguration has already etched itself into history—as a moment when New York, yet again, chose reinvention over fear, and transformation over memory’s darkest confines.

The T20 World Cup 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, is now just over a month away, with the tournament set to begin on February 7. As the tension mounts, several major cricket boards, including India and Australia, have already begun releasing their provisional squads, leaving fans to speculate on the final lineups for the remaining powerhouses.

For South Africa, the ongoing SA20 2026 league is serving as the ultimate audition ground, providing a high-stakes platform for veterans and rising stars alike to prove their worth. The competition for the final 15 spots is fiercer than ever, as the Proteas aim to finally secure the world title that narrowly eluded them in the previous edition.

Dale Steyn backs South African player white-ball statement despite no T20 World Cup 2026 hope

Legendary fast bowler Dale Steyn has emerged as a vocal advocate for Simon Harmer’s inclusion in the South African T20 World Cup squad, citing the off-spinner’s incredible recent form and big-game temperament. Harmer has been in sensational touch, most recently scripting history during the Test series in India in late 2025, where he took 17 wickets at a staggering average of 8.94, surpassing Steyn’s own long-standing record for the most wickets by a South African in a series on Indian soil.

While often viewed primarily as a red-ball specialist, Harmer has been making a loud statement in the shorter formats; in the current SA20 2025/26 season, he was called up by Durban’s Super Giants to replace the legendary Sunil Narine, immediately making an impact with his control and wicket-taking ability. His T20 stats over the last year show a significant evolution, with an improved economy rate of 6.17 in his early 2026 appearances and a knack for picking up crucial middle-over breakthroughs. Steyn argues that on the spinning tracks of India and Sri Lanka the very conditions where Harmer just dismantled the Indian Test lineup, his experience and 500+ first-class wickets become an invaluable asset.

Harmer’s ability to extract sharp bounce and turn, combined with his lower-order batting utility, makes him a unique tactical option that Steyn believes the Proteas cannot afford to ignore. Despite the selectors leaning toward Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, Steyn insists that Harmer effect provides the psychological edge and variety needed for a World Cup campaign.

“Simon Harmer won’t be selected for the Proteas World Cup team, but seriously, he’s making a valid white ball statement if I’ve ever seen one.” Steyn wrote on X.

Simon Harmer won’t be selected for the Proteas World Cup team, but seriously, he’s making a valid white ball statement if I’ve ever seen one.

— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) December 30, 2025

Also READ: Lakshmipathy Balaji predicts the finalists of T20 World Cup 2026

South Africa’s heartbreaking journey so far in T20 World Cup history

South Africa’s journey through T20 World Cup history has been a saga of immense talent often met with heartbreaking conclusions. Since the inaugural tournament in 2007, which they hosted, the Proteas have participated in every edition but have frequently been haunted by narrow misses and net run-rate technicalities. Their most painful chapter came in the most recent T20 World Cup 2024, where they reached their first-ever final across all formats. Despite being in a winning position against India, they fell short by just seven runs, ending as runners-up.

Prior to that, they reached the semi-finals in 2009 and 2014, only to be thwarted by Pakistan and India respectively. For a team that has produced T20 legends like AB de Villiers (their leading run-scorer in the tournament with 717 runs) and Anrich Nortje (their highest wicket-taker with 35 scalps), the empty trophy cabinet remains a point of national obsession. As they head into 2026, the Proteas are desperate to shed the “underachiever” label and finally convert their consistent top-tier performances into a global title.

Also READ: Harbhajan Singh picks the semifinalists of T20 World Cup 2026

Global investment opportunities are set to widen meaningfully in 2026 as easing monetary policy, a weakening US dollar and profit growth outside the United States reshape capital flows, according to Franklin Templeton report.The asset manager report titled ‘Global Investment Outlook 2026 and Beyond’ said that lobal markets are entering a phase where returns are likely to “broaden” across regions and asset classes, moving away from the US-centric leadership seen in recent years, even as American equities — particularly technology stocks — remain resilient.”“In 2026, we foresee broadening opportunities across global capital markets, driven by attractive profits growth outside the United States and by global monetary policy easing,” the report said.Franklin Templeton identified three cyclical forces defining the near-term landscape — broadening, steepening and weakening. Broadening reflects expanding opportunities across geographies and asset classes; steepening points to yield curves as short-term rates fall faster than long-term yields; and weakening refers to the US dollar, which the firm expects to remain under pressure.Yield curves are likely to steepen as central banks cut policy rates, reducing the appeal of cash and pushing investors towards equities, credit and longer-duration fixed income. “Falling short-term interest rates will incentivise investors to move out of cash holdings and into risk assets,” the report said, adding that cyclically sensitive sectors such as financials, industrials and smaller companies could benefit.The US Federal Reserve resumed rate cuts in September 2025 after a nine-month pause and is expected to continue easing into the first half of 2026, even as inflation remains above target. Franklin Templeton said this policy backdrop reinforces its broadening thesis, encouraging investors to look beyond traditional safe assets.The US dollar has already fallen about 10% on a trade-weighted basis this year, and the report suggested the decline may not be over. “Weakening of the US dollar tends to reinforce a broadening of returns across capital markets, by region, sector, and asset class,” it said, highlighting positive implications for emerging market debt and equities.Looking beyond 2026, Franklin Templeton outlined three long-term themes likely to shape portfolios over the coming half-decade — the Age of Intelligence, the mainstreaming of private markets and an era of big government.Artificial intelligence remains central to the long-term investment case, but the report stressed that AI deployment is still in its early stages. “Its contribution to growth, social welfare, and investment returns is just beginning,” Franklin Templeton said, pointing to continued opportunities in data centres, advanced semiconductors and AI-enabling infrastructure.A key constraint — and opportunity — lies in energy. “One of the most compelling investment themes is the need to ‘feed the beast’ to sate AI’s vast energy appetite,” the report noted, flagging rising electricity demand and spillover benefits for engineering, industrial metals and power infrastructure.Private markets are also expected to play a larger role as investors search for income and diversification in a lower-rate environment. Franklin Templeton identified commercial real estate debt, infrastructure and secondary private equity offerings as preferred areas as cash yields decline.At the same time, the report struck a note of caution, warning that rising government intervention could dampen returns. “We have entered an era of big and intrusive government, which risks lowering returns and increasing risk across capital markets over the remainder of this decade,” it said.Franklin Templeton said investors will need to adapt portfolios to a world where leadership is more dispersed, policy uncertainty remains elevated and innovation — particularly in technology, private assets and digital finance — continues to be the dominant long-term driver of returns.