FILE – The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV sits on display at the Chicago Auto Show, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

FILE – The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV sits on display at the Chicago Auto Show, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

General Motors will be hit with charges of about $6 billion as sales of electric vehicles sputter after the US cut tax incentives to buy them and also eased auto emissions standards. Shares slid almost 3% Friday. The charges that will be recorded in the fourth quarter follow an announcement in October that the Detroit automaker would take a $1.6 billion charge for the same reason in the previous quarter, with automakers forced to reconsider ambitious plans to convert their fleets to electric power. The EV tax credit ended in September. The clean vehicle tax credit was worth $7,500 for new EVs and up to $4,000 for used ones. GM, which had been the most ambitious among all U.S. automakers with plans to replace internal combustion engines, said in its filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission late Thursday that the $6 billion in charges includes non-cash impairments and other non-cash charges of about $1.8 billion as well as supplier commercial settlements, contract cancellation fees, and other charges of approximately $4.2 billion. EVs have been considered to be the future of the US automotive industry. GM announced in 2020 that it was going to invest $27 billion in electric and autonomous vehicles over the next five years, a 35% increase over plans made before the pandemic. GM expected more than half of its factories in North America and China would be capable of making electric vehicles by 2030. It also pledged at the time to increase its investment in EV charging networks by nearly $750 million through 2025. Its goal was to make the vast majority of the vehicles electric by 2035, and the entire company carbon neutral five years after that. Those plans have been shaken due to the drastic differences in economic and environmental policies between the Biden and Trump administrations. China has become a global leader in electric vehicle technology in recent years, with factories there churning out millions of cars and laying the groundwork for a massive charging network for vehicles. Earlier this month, Tesla was dethroned as the world’s largest EV automaker, replaced by China’s BYD, which produced 2.26 million electric vehicles last year. Also Friday, Netherlands-based Stellantis, said that due to shifting customer demand it would “phase out plug in hybrid (PHEV) programs in North America beginning with the 2026 model year, and focus on more competitive electrified solutions.” Stellantis owns Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler and other carmakers.

US President Donald Trump (AP photo)

US President Donald Trump late Friday once again spoke about taking action on Greenland, saying the US would have to do “something” or risk Russia and China stepping in. He said Washington does not want Moscow or Beijing as its “neighbours”.Speaking to reporters during a meeting with top oil and gas executives, Trump questioned Denmark’s claim over Greenland, saying that landing a boat there 500 years ago does not give ownership of the land.When asked about Greenland, Trump said, “We are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not, because if we don’t do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland — and we’re not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour. I would like to make a deal the easy way but if we don’t do it the easy way, we’re going to do it the hard way”.He added, “And by the way, I’m a fan of Denmark as well. They’ve been very nice to me. I’m a big fan but the fact that they had a boat land there 500 years ago doesn’t mean that they own the land. We had lots of boats go there also. But we need that because if you take a look at outside of Greenland right now, they are Russian destroyers, Chinese destroyers and bigger there are Russian submarines all over the place. We’re not going to have Russia or China occupy Greenland and that’s what they’re going to do if we don’t. We will do something with Greenland either the nice way or the difficult way.”When questioned about why the US needed to “own” Greenland when it already has a military presence there, Trump said ownership was essential for defence.He said, “When we own it we defend it. You don’t defend leases the same way. You have to own it. Countries have to have ownership and you defend ownership. You don’t defend leases. If we don’t do it, China or Russia well. That’s not going to happen… Nato has to understand that. I’m all for Nato. I saved it. If it weren’t for me, Nato would not be there.”Trump’s repeated comments on Greenland have drawn strong pushback from Denmark and Greenland. Copenhagen has warned that its troops are under orders to “shoot first and ask question later” if Greenland comes under attack, as concerns grow in Europe over the US openly discussing possible military action against the Arctic territory.Earlier, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen rejected Trump’s claims that the US “needs” Greenland for security reasons, calling them an “unacceptable pleasure”.When asked what it would mean if the US used force against another Nato member, Frederiksen said, “If the US attacks another Nato country, everything stops.” She added that while she could not predict Washington’s actions, “there is full support from Europe that borders must be respected.”Trump has renewed his push to take over Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory rich in natural resources such as rare earth minerals, uranium and iron. His latest remarks come days after the US used military force in Venezuela to seize President Nicolas Maduro.For decades, the US has viewed Greenland as strategically important. Under Trump, the island has again been placed at the centre of Washington’s Arctic strategy. Trump had earlier offered to buy Greenland in 2019 during his first term, but Denmark said it was not for sale.Trump has repeatedly warned that Russia and China could take control of foreign territories if the US does not act. Referring to the Venezuela operation, he said, “If we didn’t do what we did, China or Russia would have been in Venezuela.”In response to a question about Europe, Trump sharply criticised wind energy. He said, “I’m not much of a windmill person. I can proudly say that we have not approved one wind mill since I’ve been in office and we’re going to keep it that way. My role is to not let any windmill get build. They’re losers. They lose money, they destroy your landscape, they kill your birds, they are all made in China”.He also suggested that Europe should question China about its own use of wind power.Trump said, “They (China) use coal, oil and gas and some nuclear but they don’t have windmills. They make them and sell them to suckers like Europe and suckers like the United States before. They are the worst form of energy, most expensive form of energy”.These remarks came shortly after Trump signed a memorandum directing the US to withdraw from international organisations, conventions and treaties that he said were “contrary to the interests” of the US.According to a White House statement, the move includes withdrawal from 35 non-UN organisations and 31 UN entities. Among the non-UN organisations listed are the India- and France-led International Solar Alliance, environmental bodies such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.Other organisations affected include the International Energy Forum, the International Renewable Energy Agency, the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation and the Global Counterterrorism Forum.

Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has stirred debate by suggesting a major change in England’s coaching setup following the Ashes 2025-26 series. Pietersen floated the idea of bringing back former Zimbabwe cricketer Andy Flower and moving on from current head coach Brendon McCullum.

McCullum is under heavy pressure after England’s poor Ashes tour in Australia. The team went into the series with high hopes, but the performances fell well short. The disappointing result has also hurt England’s standing in Test cricket, pushing them down to seventh place in the ongoing ICC WTC 2025-27 cycle.

Can England Bring Back Andy Flower? – Kevin Pietersen Asks ECB to Sack Brendon McCullum

Kevin Pietersen said that England should consider bringing back Andy Flower as head coach. Pietersen said that Flower has evolved over time and understands modern players better. Kevin Pietersen added that appointing Flower would be a risky move but worth discussing.

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“This is a WILD thought. I reckon one of my wildest. Can England bring back Andy Flower now that he’s changed and in line with the modern day player? He gets Test Cricket,” Kevin Pietersen wrote.

“I’ve been told by many players that he’s changed his ways since our drama. He’s winning leagues so really does get the modern day player. VERY IMPORTANT! Wild, I know! Thoughts?” Kevin Pietersen added.

This is a WILD thought. I reckon one of my wildest.
Can England bring back Andy Flower now that he’s changed and in line with the modern day player?
He gets Test Cricket.
I’ve been told by many players that he’s changed his ways since our drama.
He’s winning leagues so…

— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) January 9, 2026

England Struggle for Consistency Under Brendon McCullum

England’s results have failed to meet expectations. After a bright start to his time as head coach, the team has struggled to win major series and has not made a strong impact in Test cricket. England have not been serious contenders in the WTC and have failed to beat top sides like India and Australia.

A major issue has been England’s performances away from home. The team has often used the same aggressive style in all conditions, even when it has not worked. This approach has led to poor results on overseas tours, especially in challenging conditions.

Even in England, the team has not fully taken advantage of home pitches. While McCullum’s overall record since 2022 is not poor, his recent form has been worrying. The England and Wales Cricket Board may have to rethink its plans if England want to stay competitive in the current Test cycle.

Australia Overcome Absentees as England’s Ashes Hopes Fade

Australia were without Josh Hazlewood for the entire series, while Pat Cummins was available only for the Adelaide Test. The hosts also dealt with form issues involving Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne and handed Jake Weatherald his Test debut, yet England still failed to take control.

The series began disastrously for England in the first Test at Perth, where they were bowled out twice inside two days, lasting just 66.9 overs. Australia then chased down 205 with ease, with Travis Head’s century giving the hosts a 1-0 lead.

England showed more fight in Brisbane and Adelaide, but Australia continued to win the key phases. The visitors finally ended their 18-Test winless streak in Australia with a Boxing Day Test victory inside two days.

That win briefly raised hopes of a 2-3 finish in the five-match series. However, the momentum did not last, as Australia sealed the final Test in Sydney with a five-wicket win to close out the series 4-1. England left the Ashes tour with more regrets than rewards and plenty of familiar “what if” moments.

Also read: Stuart Broad arrogantly guarantees Ashes 2027 win after humiliation in Australia

SA20 Commissioner Graeme Smith during the Betway SA20 Captain’s day prior to the start of season 4. Held at the Westin Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa on the 23rd December 2025. (Photo credit: Shaun Roy / Sportzpics for SA20)

TimesofIndia.com in Durban: SA20 is in the middle of its fourth edition and the league commercially is having its best edition till date. The stadiums are full, investors are happy and the league is growing from strength to strength with every match. With hundreds, hat-tricks, Super Over and tight contests, quality of cricket has been right up there and League Commissioner Graeme Smith is very happy to see the progress. In an interaction on the sidelines of a fixture in Durban, the former South Africa captain opens up on the commercial success, support of IPL franchises, role of Cricket South Africa and more.

Excerpts:

This season has been very unlike in the past in terms of rain interruptions. Has that been a challenge?

I think firstly, we’ve seen growth in the first two weeks. Viewership, crowd attendance, atmosphere, and cricket has been good. So I think that was really exciting. Unfortunately, you can’t always predict these things, and when these unseasonal types of fronts come through certain parts of South Africa, it’s a challenge, especially when you’ve got a game a day and you’re moving around the country. But I think right now we’ve just got to stay positive. There’s a lot of cricket still left to be played. We’re only halfway really in the season.And the tension and the atmosphere, and I can just feel in the mind of people that are talking, wanting to come to games. Even one or two washed out games, watching how the crowds haven’t left, it shows you that the product I think has really stepped up another level this year.

SA20 League Commissioner Graeme Smith during an event ahead of Season 4 of SA20, South Africa’s premier T20 franchise league, in Mumbai.

As a League Commissioner and administrator, what markers do you look at to evaluate success.

I don’t know if I like the word administrator, but, you know, I mean, obviously we’re always following metrics. I think for us, ticketing is a big one. So we’ve seen a big increase in ticketing. I think we’ve four more sold-out games already than we were at the same point last year. Over 27 or 28% increase in ticketing in the first half of the season. Viewership is up in India, viewership is up here.Digital growth is up. The other metrics that’s important for me is always got to be the cricket. The pitches have been slightly better on a consistent level than they were last year. We’ve seen closer games, super overs, hundreds, hat-tricks, and, a number of last over finishes. For me the quality of cricket has been excellent this year. I’m hoping that over the next two weeks we’ll really see the same or even get better.

Do you think the SA20 now needs more teams from next season?

I don’t know if it requires it. The decision’s got to be that it’s got to add value. Outside IPL, we’ve seen other leagues get bigger and struggle, over longer periods. We also work very closely with Cricket South Africa on the future tours programmes and making sure that there’s enough international cricket happening around the SA20. There’s definitely interest in being a part of the league.

SA20 League Commissioner Graeme Smith during an event ahead of Season 4 of SA20, South Africa’s premier T20 franchise league, in Mumbai.

That’s not the issue. The issue is just what is right for the league going forward and when is the right time to add more teams. After the 27 World Cup, you know, the FTP, then it’s a little bit easier to work with. There’s more, space to work and manoeuvre if you want to grow the number of games, extend the league by another 20 games. You need another two, three weeks or whatever it is. I think post 2027 27, in the new cycle, we’ll work with Cricket South Africa and see what’s the best way forward.

SA20 has got global attention, what are the plans to sustain momentum?

Look, that’s always the case. There’s always, in the southern hemisphere, a lot of cricket on the go. Just look at India now. Women’s Premier League starts and there’s an Indian vs New Zealand series. We’ve been up against the Ashes and all that sort of stuff. I think the one thing about being here since the beginning is we’ve always built that way.We’ve never had a clean window. We’ve always had to build up against ILT20 or against, a busy southern hemisphere. And I think we’ve proven to be successful in that climate. You know, so our brains don’t work like that. Our brains are focused on, like, developing the best product. Making sure that people enjoy it, that cricket’s competitive, that the fans are filling the stadiums and having a great time.And hopefully we get some great sunshine in the next two weeks to really help with that momentum. I think the game every day and close games, we see, when we have two or three good games close together, how you can feel the tension shift and change. And, hopefully we’ll get that run of games now.

(L-R) Mark Boucher, SA20 League Commissioner Graeme Smith, Paarl Royals player David Miller, Joburg Super Kings captain Faf du Plessis, former Australian cricketer Tom Moody, and South African cricketer Hashim Amla during an event as they gear up for Season 4 of SA20, South Africa’s premier T20 franchise league, in Mumbai.

How much impact does SA20 have on the social critical scenario of South Africa as a community builder?

Well, I mean, we have obviously our social partners like Laureus where we’re investing in communities. I think the most important thing is that we’re also delivering money back to Cricket South Africa, which flows into growing the game. We, as SA20, have invested in our own development programmes as well. So we have SA20 schools, which is girls and boys in our over 700 schools.And then from an economy perspective, last year we brought over R4 billion to the economy, created 8,500 jobs. So those are some really great metrics in a very young product. You know, we’re delivering almost a world event every year in this country. From that perspective, I think being just around four years old now, I think we’ve done some amazing work around the social aspect of South Africa.

Do you see SA20 has come to a stage where it is changing the lives of cricketers who are coming from backgrounds where they did not have money to play cricket. Now they are in, you know, SA20 playing. Say someone like Mokoena who was spotted.

Graeme Smith Commissioner of SA20 during match 14 of the Betway SA20 season 4 between Pretoria Capitals (PC) and Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) held at the Supersport Park Stadium in Centurion , South Africa on the 5th January 2026. (Photo Credit: Arjun SIngh / Sportzpics for SA20)

I mean, it’s great. I actually watched his interview last night. Just listening to him, his first experience bowling at the Wanderers in a high-pressure game, and he’s done extremely well. He’s been throwing the ball in some of the most high-pressure moments as a young man. It’s great to see him coming through last year. I think credit to our franchises that have really got behind the youth programme that we’ve tried. The rookies have started now in the U23. I think IPL franchises are good at attracting youth and backing them.I think we’ve seen that in India. We see it here as well. And, you know, a lot more players are getting an opportunity to be recognised on a global stage. I was looking at it the other day. Over 10 years, you know, the player salaries will probably be close to a billion rand, if you take it over the 10-year period. And that’s a huge, huge uplift in South African cricket ecosystem for players. I think now as a youngster coming through, the cricket dream or from a job perspective, it’s looking highly strong for youngsters that want to make it or play.

What has been the biggest challenge as a League Commissioner? Identifying and freezing a window?

We’ve been pretty consistent in our window. I think this year is an anomaly. We normally, every year we start at January 9 and 10 after the New Year’s Test match and we run for those couple of weeks after that. This year because of South Africa being in India up until the 20th of December and the World Cup in February and there wasn’t any international cricket in the window.

SA20 captain’s and league commissioner Graeme Smith with the trophy (SA20 | X)

So, it made sense for us to start slightly earlier. But outside that, our window will generally always be the same, depending on when the New Year’s Test match starts and run for a couple of weeks after that. In terms of plugs, I think for us, what we’ve realised is a lot of what we’ve done has been really good and it’s about making sure we hit those same markers every year. Obviously, they’re improving. I think we would love to see the pool of South African players get bigger.So, now we’re starting to see across the six teams that the South African group of players are getting really strong. If you want to start adding more teams and stuff into the future, you need to start looking at another 20, 25 high-quality players that make sure when we add new franchises that there’s enough depth to make sure that the league remains equally competitive. And then, you know, for us, commercially, we’re having our strongest year. You know, we’re seeing corporate South Africa get behind us. Global broadcasters as well. So, I think it’s about now just making sure you go from strength to strength.

With regards to the investors and the IPL team owners here in SA20, you reckon it was very important to have patience from them because they are coming from a big, giant league?

I think having six IPL franchises for us has been amazing. I know not every other league has all IPL, but for us it’s been amazing because they’re equally competitive, they want to win, they invest in players. They’re highly driven to be successful. I think they’ve also had the patience to learn. So, when they move into a new region, they’ve had to learn about South Africa, learn about ticketing, hospitality, the way fans operate, you know, the culture as well.

Graeme Smith during match 15 of the Betway SA20 season 4 between MI Cape Town (MICT) and The Joburg Super Kings (JSK) held at the Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa on the 6th January 2026 (Photo credit: Ron Gaunt / Sportzpics for SA20)

But they’ve brought excellence to South African cricket, and that has been a huge asset. They bring excellence to the table and they push you. And that helps everyone get better.

One of the most important success factors of the new franchise leagues is the presence of superstars from other countries. In the last four years, has the SA20 developed as a viable alternative for the global players?

Obviously these things, not being in a clean window, are always FTP-related. You know, like Ben Stokes was under contract, but the Ashes is happening, he doesn’t come back, he gets replaced. And a poor owner, right. So, I think what you want is for those top players in your window to, if they’re not playing international cricket, to want to be here.And I think that’s the message we’re getting back from them. That they really love coming here, it’s highly competitive cricket. Obviously, it’s a great place to be over the summer, and there’s crowds, and it’s fun. Hopefully, also credit to the franchises. I think they play a huge role in attracting the international talent as well.

Sourav Ganguly is head coach of Pretoria Capitals this season. How has it been having him around?

No, we hope to get more and more, you know. There’s some great friends that we have in India. And like I say, we’ve worked closely with the BCCI as well.

Former cricketer Sourav Ganguly at an event, in Kolkata, West Bengal.

They’ve been really supportive in helping us make some key decisions over the years in terms of building the product. But, you know, to have Dada, you know, is a highlight. And I know, having chatted to him a number of times through the year, how seriously he’s taking this, and he wants to do well.He’s a competitive man. With the Capitals franchise, he has a big influential role. Now, coaching, so he’s put himself in the hot seat. I hope the rest of the season goes well for him. It’s been a huge asset to have people like him, Kumar Sangakkara, Stephen Fleming come out here for our players and also for the status of the league.

Keeping the game and the league clean. Has that been a big area of attention?

You can’t control everything. We do invest a lot of money in making sure that our anti-corruption units are strong, working with the ICC, best practise. We’ve had a very strong anti-corruption team here. We educate players on everything… We’ve seen a strong influence in the drug-free sport.We’ve seen anti-corruption. So we do all the educational stuff pre-tournament, constantly follow up on it. Make sure there’s good policing units around. And you’re right. It is a risk to your league. So that’s why we spend a lot of money making sure that we’re doing everything we can to protect the integrity of the game.

Do you see on the horizon where an exhibition match or two, three matches, like women’s SA20 getting started some way?

I do. I really do. I’ve said over the last few years, Cricket South Africa started a domestic women’s programme, I think it was two years ago. We’ve invested in the schools and, you know, trying to grow the depth of the women’s game here. You know, I think how it starts, I’m not sure yet. I think that’ll be a bit, you know, the Cricket South Africa CEO has come out and said that it’s time now. So, I think post this tournament, we will all sit down and figure out what that step looks like. But absolutely, it will be one of the major discussions post season four.

BENGALURU: Corporate forensic teams and background verification firms are flagging cases of location spoofing, particularly among hybrid employees and gig workers. In several instances, employees have been pulled up after allegedly misrepresenting their actual work location, with such discrepancies surfacing during random audits, compliance checks, or client reviews.Investigations found that some used travel routers or similar devices to make it appear they were working from their designated base locations while actually operating from elsewhere.An employee at an MNC firm was terminated after being flagged for location spoofing while working remotely, a Reddit post said. The individual said he was with the company for a couple of years and travelled to his home country in South Asia last month due to a family emergency.

To avoid drawing attention, the employee said he used atravel router configured with acloud-based server to make it appear as though he was working from the US. According to the post, the employee was subsequently interviewed by an internal investigator and was terminated for violating the company’s business conduct guidelines by masking his actual work location.Amit Rahane, partner at EY’s forensic and integrity services, said location spoofing is no longer theoretical. “Companies are detecting such cases through compliance audits, security reviews, and client checks rather than active surveillance. Many employees underestimate how much data is captured. Several controls were introduced during Covid to monitor moonlighting — such as IP tracking and login analytics — and these systems remain in place. As a result, location inconsistencies are often detected even without targeted monitoring,” he said.Ashok Hariharan, co-founder and CEO of identity verification platform Idfy, said companies want to verify whether a gig worker went to a specific location — for instance, whether a delivery was genuinely attempted at a customer’s residence. Hariharan said location spoofing can be identified by combining IP and VPN intelligence with GPS based checks. Rahane said most companies avoid active surveillance due to privacy concerns, with detection typically occurring through security audits, compliance checks, or client reviews.

MUMBAI: Even as startups are increasingly rushing to Dalal Street, buoyed by a booming primary market, many of the large, listed companies are trading below their IPO offer price, raising concerns over the long-term value they can generate for investors.Stock prices of close to 10 startups including Swiggy, FirstCry, Paytm, Ola Electric and Delhivery are trading below their offer price, data sourced from the exchanges and Prime Database showed (see graphic) . While market volatility and a broader correction have somewhat had a bearing, a bigger overhang has been the tepid growth of the companies which failed to keep pace with the expectations of the street, said analysts tracking the space.

“The realisation (on part of investors) that performance is not meeting expectations is resulting in disappointment and value correction,” said Nikunj Doshi, of Bay Capital. For many startups, acquisitions have been the way of reporting topline growth but whether they are getting reflected in the bottom line remains to be seen, said Doshi.Since 2021, over 30 startups have debuted on the exchanges, ditching larger private fundraises as regulatory easing and higher valuations in public markets made it smoother for firms to go for an IPO. Following a clutch of billiondollar startup listings floated by players such as Lenskart, Groww and Meesho last year, PhonePe, Zepto, Oyo and Flipkart, among others are gearing up for a debut in 2026.To be fair, most of the recently listed startups are trading above their offer price, but analysts said that the performance of digital companies should be weighed after six months of listing. “These companies are largely funded by VC, PE/HNI investors whose lock in expires after six months of listing and the floodgates of supply open. Some startups saw correction in their prices after six months,” said Doshi. A lock-in expiry is the time when restrictions on selling share ends, allowing shareholders to sell their stakes, increasing supply in secondary market which can be difficult to absorb.Public market valuations for tech-led businesses have meaningfully reset from the peak cycle. For instance, in the case of high-quality SaaS companies, which were earlier trading at mid-teens revenue multiples, current market benchmarks are materially lower, reflecting both multiple compression and a moderation in growth rate versus earlier expectations, said Mehekka Oberoi, fund manager at IIFL Fintech Fund. The next batch of startups may have to list at lower valuations compared to their last private fundings.