A 57-year-old Sikh temple volunteer, Avtaar Singh was killed in California after being abducted earlier this month, authorities said. He was found dead days after he was reported missing.In a startling twist, officials have now confirmed that Singh was not the intended target of the kidnapping that led to his death.San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow told local media that Singh was not the intended target of the kidnapping and homicide.“This was not a random act,” Withrow said. “They were targeted after another individual for a specific reason and we’re hoping that reason comes to light.” Authorities have not disclosed further details about the motive or how Singh ended up in Napa County.Singh, a longtime sevadaar and cook at the Gurdwara Guru Nanak Parkash complex in Tracy, was reported missing on February 17 after he was allegedly abducted from the temple premises in the afternoon. Surveillance footage reviewed by the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office showed a white SUV and three individuals dressed in dark clothing with Singh and he appeared to have entered the vehicle against his will. His wife alerted authorities later that evening when he did not return home. The couple’s six-month-old triplets were found alone at their residence within the temple complex, according to KTVU. Three days later, Singh’s body was discovered near Lake Berryessa in Napa County, nearly 100 miles from Tracy and about a two-hour drive away. The vehicle believed to be involved was also located at the scene. Confirming the development, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office said on Monday, “It is with profound sadness that we confirm the kidnapping victim, Avtar Singh, has been located deceased. Our detectives are working tirelessly to investigate this case and identify those responsible for this terrible act.”Addressing members of the gurdwara congregation, San Joaquin District Attorney Ron Freitas described Singh as an innocent victim. “He was in no way responsible for the evil that came to him,” Freitas said, while also urging anyone with information to come forward, highlighting that there are “people who saw things, people who know things.”Singh was widely known within the Sikh community for his service and humility. He had served for years at institutions linked to Damdami Taksal, including at the Tracy gurdwara where he resided and worked as a cook. Community members described him as dependable and selfless, someone who could be counted on to fix anything around the property. A fundraiser organised to support his family described him as known for his “humility, quiet dedication, and loving nature that made everyone feel like family,” adding that his absence has left a profound void.His funeral is scheduled to be held at Fry Memorial Chapel, followed by prayers and a community meal at the gurdwara. Investigators continue to probe the circumstances of the abduction and killing, while urging anyone with relevant information to contact the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office.

MUMBAI: Indian startups have laid off more than 4,500 employees since July last year, data sourced from executive search firm Longhouse Consulting showed. The sudden ban on online real-money gaming which nudged many startups to shut overnight has pushed the numbers up but much of it also has to do with the selective flow of capital into companies and investor pressure to turn profitable. This means leaner teams and focus only on filling up roles that are key to growth.

Besides, with firms increasingly betting on AI and many founders building AI-first startups, the approach by design now is to have smaller headcount. Consider home decor startup Livspace, for instance, which recently sacked 1,000 staff in AI push. “Investors are now rewarding startups that can achieve significant milestones with optimised headcounts. By building lean, startups are not just reacting to tighter funding environment; they are de-risking their models against macroeconomic volatility. This lean by design approach allows for longer runways,” said Viswanath PS, MD & CEO at Randstad India. Even early stage startups looking to raise growth funds need to show at least a path to profitability early in the game now, said Anshuman Das, CEO and founder at Longhouse. “From the start, hence, they are designing the companies very differently. They are not doing big hiring in all functions but only adding incremental hires and senior hiring wherever it is a must,” Das said. Also, as many startups head for IPO, they are cutting costs and trying to turn in a profit, Das said. “Much of the big money in 2024 and 2025 flowed into quick commerce. Sectors such as traditional SaaS are not attracting big money with the AI economy taking over,” said Das.Real-money gaming startups aside, companies including Porter, Zepto, Krutrim and Zupee have also sacked people during the period, the data showed. “There are some targeted corrections, especially in roles that were over-hired during the boom phase. Every hire has to justify itself. If not, the position is reconsidered. Hiring is definitely more selective and strategic,” said Aditya Narayan Mishra, MD & CEO at CIEL HR. The pace of layoffs, though, has moderated in recent times and even as entry-level hiring remains cautious, demand for specialists with 4-10 years of experience has grown. Green-tech and AI-first ventures will lead job creation, said Viswanath, adding that as companies look to optimise operational costs, many jobs will move to tier two hubs. Traction will also be seen in hiring for remote tech roles by overseas startups, said Das.

The Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy witnessed a rollercoaster of emotions on Tuesday, as England secured a thrilling two-wicket victory over Pakistan in the 45th match of the T20 World Cup. While the Super Eights, Group 2 encounter provided high-octane cricket that saw Harry Brook etch his name into the history books, the evening was unfortunately marred by a violent physical altercation in the stands that has since gone viral.

Tensions boil over as England and Pakistan supporters fight during Super 8 encounter

Despite the festive atmosphere typical of Sri Lankan cricket hubs, tensions reached a breaking point during the mid-innings interval. An ugly brawl erupted between a section of the traveling England supporters and Pakistan fans, specifically centering on a spectator identified as Saud. Video footage captured by onlookers shows a heated verbal exchange rapidly escalating into a physical scuffle, forcing local Sri Lankan security and nearby spectators to intervene to prevent serious injury.

The incident gained massive digital traction after Australian influencer Jake Jennings shared the footage on social media. Jennings labeled Saud a “serial offender,” claiming he had witnessed the individual causing similar disruptions earlier in the tournament, and publicly urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to implement a stadium ban.

However, Saud offered a starkly different account of the provocation. Speaking to local reporters after being escorted from the section, he alleged that the England supporters were the aggressors, claiming they “misbehaved” and threw beer at him, an act he described as a deep personal and cultural insult. While the ICC and Pallekele stadium authorities have yet to release a formal disciplinary statement, the footage has sparked a heated debate regarding fan conduct and security protocols for the remainder of the knockout stages.

Here’s the video:

Play silly games, win silly prizes.

Serial offender. Time for the @ICC to take a stand. #cricket #worldcup pic.twitter.com/pdbrAG13tY

— Jake Jeakings (@JakeJeakings1) February 24, 2026

Also READ: T20 World Cup 2026: Irfan Pathan slams Pakistan media after England defeat leaves their campaign in crisis

Harry Brook’s historic ton powers England to the semi-finals

On the field, the narrative was dominated by a masterclass from England Captain Brook. After Pakistan elected to bat first, they posted a competitive 164/9. Sahibzada Farhan was the standout performer for the Men in Green, continuing his golden run with a gritty 63 off 45 balls. While Babar Azam (25) struggled for timing, Liam Dawson’s clinical spell of 3/24 kept the Pakistani middle order in check.

England’s chase began in nightmarish fashion. Shaheen Shah Afridi produced a trademark opening burst, removing Phil Salt for a golden duck with the first ball of the innings before accounting for Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell. With the scoreboard reeling, Brook promoted himself to No. 3, a tactical gamble that paid off in spectacular fashion.

Brook smashed a breathtaking 100 off just 51 deliveries, becoming the first captain ever to score a century in a Men’s T20 World Cup. His maiden T20I hundred turned the tide, though a late-inning collapse saw him fall to a searing Afridi yorker. With 3 runs required in the final over and nerves frayed, Jofra Archer held his composure to smash a boundary, finishing the game at 166/8 with five balls to spare.

This victory officially makes England the first team to qualify for the semi-finals, while Pakistan must now win their final fixture and rely on net run-rate math to keep their trophy dreams alive.

Also READ: Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final qualification scenario after falling to England in Super 8

MUMBAI: The country’s credit card spend is consolidating, with HDFC Bank and State Bank of India moving close to controlling half of total card spending by value, while the top five issuers together have expanded their dominance to 85.6% of transaction value by Jan 2026.The shift marks a migration of high-value spending towards legacy lenders. At the start of FY26 in April 2025, the top five banks collectively accounted for 81.2% of total credit card transaction value. Within 10 months, their share rose by 4.4 percentage points, leaving smaller banks and fintech issuers competing for less than 15% of industry spending despite continued expansion in card issuance.The consolidation is being driven overwhelmingly by the top two issuers. HDFC Bank, already the market leader, increased its share of transaction value from 28% in April to 28.4% in Jan. SBI emerged as the biggest gainer of the fiscal year, expanding its share sharply from 19.3% to 24.7%. Together, the two banks absorbed more than five percentage points of market share from competitors, offsetting declines recorded by ICICI Bank and Axis Bank. Kotak Mahindra Bank retained fifth position with a modest increase in share from 3.3% to 3.5%.

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The dominance of the top banks has been further reinforced by the drop in the share of foreign banks from 5% to 4.5%. Citi was the most recent foreign bank to exit the credit card business. Some smaller banks that issued credit cards in partnership with fintechs and NBFCs have also faced regulatory restrictions.Despite the concentration in spending value, the distribution of credit cards remains comparatively stable. The top five banks accounted for 75.2% of active cards in April 2025, slipping marginally to 74.7% by Jan 2026. The divergence between card share and spending share suggests that while smaller lenders continue to expand card issuance, consumers rely disproportionately on cards from the largest banks for high-value purchases such as travel, lifestyle consumption, and major e-commerce transactions.Jan 2026 data further reinforced this concentration even as overall spending cooled after the year-end festive surge. Total industry credit card spending declined 2.7% month-on-month to nearly Rs 2 lakh crore from close to Rs 2.5 lakh crore in Dec. Online spending fell 2.5% to Rs 1.23 lakhcrore but retained dominance with a 61.8% share of transaction value, while point-of-sale spending declined 3.2% to Rs 76,000crore, reflecting a sharper drop in offline discretionary consumption.Even as the total spending pie shrank in Jan, HDFC Bank and SBI increased their combined share. Their joint transaction value fell from Rs 97,127 crore in Dec to Rs 94,544 crore in Jan, a smaller contraction than the industry-wide decline, lifting their combined market share marginally from 47.4% to 47.5%. In Jan alone, HDFC recorded Rs 56,518 crore in credit card payments and SBI recorded Rs 38,026 crore, indicating their near-majority control of industry spending. The consolidation trend was also visible in transaction volumes, with the two banks accounting for 43.9% of total credit card transactions in January.