In the Group 2 Super 8s match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, England defeated New Zealand by four wickets on Friday at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo thanks to a late cameo of an undefeated 19 off 7 deliveries and a steady 32 off 18 deliveries from Will Jacks.

Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson bowled excellently to start the chase of 160, taking wickets for New Zealand in the first eight deliveries. Jos Buttler and Phil Salt were dismissed early, leaving England with just two runs.

During the first six overs, New Zealand had a fantastic opportunity to seize control. But Harry Brook, the captain, kept the hunt going. At the conclusion of the required powerplay, he and Jacob Bethell formed an undefeated 45-run partnership for the third wicket.

With his first ball of the game, Glenn Phillips made an early impression by dismissing Brook for 26, giving New Zealand a crucial third wicket.

Then, Phillips made a spectacular catch to throw out Bethell (21) as he lunged forward. As the pressure mounted, England lost two wickets in two overs and found themselves in deep difficulty.

Earlier, New Zealand had a solid start to their innings after choosing to bat first. Jofra Archer gave a good opening over but quickly lost his composure. Tim Seifert and Finn Allen both took their time and countered some excellent bowling from Liam Dawson and Sam Curran.

After the first over produced no runs, they applied pressure to the English bowlers. New Zealand finished the required batting powerplay with 54 runs in the following five overs. The English bowlers did not take a wicket during this time for the first time in seven games.

With a daring, playful delivery that pulled Tim Seifert (35) out of his crease, Adil Rashid ended the opening partnership of 64 runs. With 41 wickets in T20 World Cups, Rashid surpassed Wanindu Hasaranga on the all-time list and got closer to breaking Shakib Al Hasan’s record for most wickets. Right now, the only people ahead of him are Adam Zampa (44) and Rashid Khan (43).

Finn Allen (29) holed out in the deep and found Jacob Bethell to end Will Jacks’ stay in his opening over. Due to Allen’s poor decision, New Zealand’s explosive start was halted as both set batters were quickly returned to the hut.

All-rounder Glenn Philips was the only hitter to demonstrate any resistance against England’s excellent spin after the openers left. He and Rachin Ravindra (11), who mistimed a pull shot to mid-wicket off Rehan Ahmed, stitched a partnership of 31 runs. Then, Mark Chapman (15) joined Philips for 26 runs, but he left as soon as the Kiwis kept losing wickets.

Will Jacks took his second wicket of the evening to cap off an incredible England performance. As England continued to exert pressure towards the conclusion of the innings, he removed Phillips, who had scored a respectable 39 off 28 balls. New Zealand’s inning began to collapse after they lost their sixth wicket.

Rashid, Jacks, and Ahmed each took two wickets to reduce New Zealand to 159/7, and the Kiwis lost the final four wickets for just 36 runs, never recovering their innings.

After demonstrating resilience with the bat, all-rounders Sam Curran and Tom Banton stitched a partnership of 42 off 35 deliveries. To help New Zealand gain more control, Ravindra claimed his second wicket of the game, the crucial wicket of Sam Curran (24), in his 50th T20I outing. Curran was enticed to hit the ball in the air by Ravindra, who bowled from slightly back of a length. Ravindra was brilliant under the lights against England after a fantastic effort against Sri Lanka.

Phillips demonstrated that he was the X-factor as New Zealand got closer to victory with two deft catches, a wicket of his own, and the highest score for the Black Caps.

With 43 needed off 18, Philips had the belt treatment, going for 22 runs after being hammered for two maximums and as many boundaries. Santner was delivering the penultimate over when he was hit for a maximum for 16 runs on the final delivery and a boundary on the first delivery by Rehan Ahmed.

As England overcame the Kiwis by four wickets with three balls left, Henry, bowling the final over, was unable to defend much.

Brief scores:

New Zealand 159/7 in 20 overs (Glenn Philips 39, Tim Seifert 35; Will Jacks 2-23, Adil Rashid 2-28)
England 161/6 in 19.3 overs (Tom Banton 33, Harry Brook 26; Rachin Ravindra 3-19, Lockie Ferguson 1-14)

According to an official release, the Indian economy is expected to experience robust and long-term growth, with real GDP growth of 7.6% predicted for FY 2025–2026.

This strong performance supports India’s growth momentum and advances the country’s goal of realizing the “Viksit Bharat” vision, which is characterized by increased productivity, resilience, and inclusive development.

In light of this, moving the GDP base year to 2022–2023 is a big step toward bringing India’s national accounts into line with the realities of a constantly changing economy.

“The new series provides a more accurate, consistent, and comprehensive measure of economic activity by integrating improved data sources, strengthening methodological frameworks, expanding coverage of emerging sectors, and enhancing transparency through the SUT framework,” the statement reads.

The Indian statistics system is striving for more worldwide coherence, comparability, and precision. When taken as a whole, these initiatives bolster official statistics’ legitimacy and support their function as a solid basis for well-informed policymaking and sustainable economic planning.

The statement went on to say that India bases its GDP estimates on the internationally recognized statistical framework known as the 2008 System of National Accounts (SNA 2008).

India plans to conform to the upgraded standard in its upcoming base year revision as the UN Statistical Division moves to SNA 2025, which is anticipated to be adopted internationally around 2029–2030.

Furthermore, India complies with internationally accepted standards for statistical quality and transparency as a signatory to the IMF’s Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS). The updated GDP series is still completely compliant with global statistical norms.

India’s statistical system is undergoing a thorough modernization, with the base year for GDP estimates being changed to 2022–2023; the base year for the CPI being changed to 2024; and the IIP being changed to 2022–2023.

The base year modification of WPI is also underway, continuing this momentum. The current WPI will remain in use as a deflator until the revised WPI is made accessible.

In the near future, the MoSPI also intends to include the Producer Price Index (PPI). According to the statement, PPI calculates the rate at which the prices of goods and services that manufacturers purchase and sell fluctuate.

Democrats in the US Senate charged that President Donald Trump‘s tariff policies have given China power in global agriculture while raising domestic grocery costs, so exacerbating the crises of farm and food affordability.

Democrats claimed that Trump’s trade battle with Beijing had severely reduced US export markets and put American farmers in financial jeopardy in a new report titled “Trump’s Broken Promises: Devastating America’s Farmers and Working Families.”

China, which used to be a significant consumer of US soybeans, reportedly halted purchasing in response to Trump’s tariffs. China purchased US soybeans for $3 billion in 2024. Trump’s tariffs forced China to switch from US markets to Argentina and Brazil in 2025, and since then, resuming purchases have decreased by 32%.

It also states that farmers have “no assurance about what to plant in the future year” and are starting a new growing year with excess commodities they cannot sell.

Concerns about foreign influence on the US food system were raised in the report. It states that with a quarter of the pork processing industry in the US, Smithfield Foods, which is owned by China’s WH Group, holds a commanding lead.

ChemChina, a Chinese state-owned company, “owns Syngenta Group, a key provider of agricultural chemicals and seeds, giving China control over major inputs for America’s farmers.”

Democrats contend that Trump’s domestic policies have made matters worse in light of this.

American farmers and ranchers are facing severe financial hardship as a result of Donald Trump’s tariffs. Prices are going up. Senator Maria Cantwell declared, “Markets are closing.” “The President is unconcerned. But it is time to see if Republicans are concerned about the rural towns they represent.

According to the survey, over the past year, the cost of beef has increased by 16.4%, coffee by 19.8%, lettuce by 7.3%, and frozen fish by 8.6%. According to the report, during Trump’s first year in office, American families spent $310 more on groceries.

Senator Ben Ray Lujan stated, “Behind every number is a family, a senior, a veteran, or a working family striving to make ends meet.” “Families are under pressure from all sides.”

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer stated: “On ‘day one,’ Trump pledged to lower rates. However, American households face the unpleasant truth that Trump has sold out customers out of loyalty to special interests when they visit the grocery store.

According to the report, the problem has gotten worse due to market consolidation in the meatpacking and seed industries. Farmers “keep just 15.9 cents of every dollar spent on food,” according to the report. It also mentions that “315 farmers filed for bankruptcy in 2025, a more than 46% rise from the previous year.”

“Unpredictable trade policies and corporate mergers are squeezing family farmers on one end and consumers on the other,” stated Rob Larew, president of the National Farmers Union.

Economic tensions between the US and China have long revolved on the tariff and agricultural export issue. Particularly in Midwestern areas where export markets are vital to farm revenues, soybeans have frequently been used as a political barometer.

In the US, food inflation has also emerged as a key domestic political problem. Despite Congress’ continued disagreements over tariffs, antitrust enforcement, and the future course of U.S. trade policy, both parties are concerned about the rising cost of groceries and farm bankruptcies.

Renowned filmmaker Venkat Prabhu revealed the titles of two upcoming Indian films based on Swami Ayyappa’s holy legacy.

The titles, “Tat Twam Assi” and “Arya Kerala Varman,” were revealed by Venkat Prabhu during a formal ceremony at Chennai’s esteemed Raja Annamalai Puram Temple.

In recent Tamil film history, this dual announcement represents one of the most ambitious spiritually grounded cinematic undertakings.

Producer JK Saravana will produce the movies under the Tantra Films label.

For those who do not know, JK Saravana co-produced the popular cult movies “Chennai 600028” and “Chennai 600028 II,” which were directed by Venkat Prabhu. The two large-format movies being made concurrently are united by religion and cinematic ambition, according to those close to the production company.

According to sources, Vishnu Sasi Shankar, who directed the religious movie “Malikappuram,” which became a great hit, will also direct “Tat Twam Assi” (That Thou Art).

“Tat Twam Assi” is positioned as a modern spiritual action drama that will examine the life-changing experience of a Swami Ayyappa devotee—a man who is directed by inner awakening, tested by adversity, and anchored by faith.

The film attempts to integrate religious filmmaking into a contemporary, pan-Indian framework without sacrificing spiritual authenticity by fusing emotional depth with dynamic storytelling and strong action scenes.

The second movie, “Arya Kerala Varman,” is a grand historical epic set in the 16th century. The goal of “Arya Kerala Varman” is to offer a compelling cinematic representation of the lesser-known aspects of Swami Ayyappa’s biography and history.

The film, a visually stunning epic historical drama co-directed by JK Saravana and Adithya Tangirala, will blend bravery, philosophy, divine purpose, and cultural heritage.

A Symbolic Beginning: The Raja Annamalai Puram Temple’s title reveal was deeply symbolic. The location, which has traditionally been linked to Chennai 600028’s inception, serves as the spiritual commencement point for these two devotional movies.

The government of India has released a Casebook on AI and Gender Empowerment, marking a major turning point in the country’s dedication to ethical and inclusive AI development, the IT Ministry announced on Friday.

The casebook was created by the government through the IndiaAI Mission under MeitY, in collaboration with UN Women, and with assistance from the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD). It was formally unveiled at the “India AI Impact Summit 2026.”

It combines 23 practical AI solutions from the Global South that show quantifiable effects on women’s empowerment and gender equality.

The ministry claims that the casebook has 23 AI solutions that were chosen after a rigorous multi-stage examination process from 233 applications from more than 50 nations.

According to the announcement, “an impartial review committee comprising senior officials from MeitY, MoWCD, and UN Women assessed proposals based on real-world deployment, verifiable gender impact, and evidence-based outcomes.”

The highlighted solutions cover a wide range of important areas, such as access to justice and legal services, education and skill development, digital safety and the prevention of gender-based violence facilitated by technology, healthcare, including menstrual health, economic empowerment and financial inclusion, climate resilience and sustainable agriculture, and knowledge resources for policymakers and practitioners.

When UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stopped by the UN Women booth at the JanAI Expo, the casebook gained international recognition.

Under the WeSTEM project, which was carried out by UN Women in partnership with the governments of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, as well as the European Union, Micron, Nokia, and the Head Held High Foundation, the Secretary-General spoke with young women from rural communities who were interested in pursuing STEM jobs.

The statement claims that the young women discussed how they are use AI to broaden learning possibilities, develop new talents, and investigate new career paths, all of which are realistic steps toward becoming future leaders in technology.

It added that the casebook highlights workable solutions to guarantee AI systems are moral, inclusive, and sensitive to the various realities of women and girls in India and throughout the Global South. It is a comprehensive knowledge resource for policymakers, technology developers, researchers, and practitioners.

India easily defeated Zimbabwe by 72 runs in their Super Eights match of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday, with Arshdeep Singh scoring 3-24. The outcome confirmed South Africa’s spot in the semifinals while eliminating Zimbabwe from the competition.

After an earlier setback against South Africa, the outcome puts India’s campaign squarely back on track. However, it virtually eliminates them from the match against fellow two-time winners West Indies on March 1 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Zimbabwe was never really in the chase despite pursuing an impressive 257. However, Brian Bennett made sure the match maintained some dignity by hitting an outstanding 97 not out off 59 balls, which included four sixes and eight fours. Zimbabwe reached a respectable 184/6 thanks to his one act of defiance, but Bennett missed a historic century by three runs.

Zimbabwe had a wicket-less power-play, but their chase never had the traction it required. Tadiwanashe Marumani, the opener, had early difficulties and was even dropped by Ishan Kishan on number 17. However, when Marumani sliced to cover-point off Axar Patel’s second ball of the match, he was unable to capitalize and fell for 20.

India maintained their tight grip despite Bennett’s sustained impressive boundaries via loft, inside-out shot, and slog-sweep. Bennett reached his fifty with a flat six over long-on. Local boy Varun Chakaravarthy had Dion Myers holing out to deep mid-wicket.

The asking rate had long since risen to unachievable heights by the time Sikandar Raza joined Bennett in the middle to add some energy. Despite this, the two kept hitting boundaries, particularly Shivam Dube’s careless bowling, which cost him 26 runs in his opening over.

After that, Arshdeep came back and had Raza hole out to long-on. He then cast Tony Monyonga with a brilliant yorker and trapped Ryan Burl lbw for a two-ball duck. Bennett hurt his numbers by smashing a six and a four on the final two balls to carry his bat throughout the innings, even though Dube had Tashinga Musekiwa out in the penultimate over.

The think tank will be concerned about Dube’s bowling returns even though India won, greatly increasing their net run rate. While Chakaravarthy went for 35 in his four overs, he let up 46 runs in only two overs, the most costly two-over stint by any bowler in T20 World Cup history.

Before they play the West Indies, India would want much sharper returns from these two bowling routes. Since India’s batting power, which was based on Abhishek Sharma’s 55 and Hardik Pandya’s late fifty, was simply too much for Zimbabwe, the victory margin for the time being spoke for itself.

“I believe we wanted to move on from everything. We did not give our performance in the league stage or the final game in Ahmedabad much thought. For every batter and bowler, our video analyst had developed a PowerPoint that showcased our successful performance over the previous 12 months. We considered that, drew a lot of positive conclusions from it, and arrived here with clarity,” Suryakumar stated at the post-match presentation ceremony.

“I think there was virtually anything missing in our performance, with contributions from the top order all the way down to number seven,” Suryakumar added.

Of course, I believe we could have performed our defensive play a little bit better. They ended up scoring a lot of those runs because, regrettably, there was a lot of inconsistent execution from all of the bowlers while we were bowling. I believe we ended up going at them with a hammer and tongs. It is difficult to stop the train once it starts moving in that direction. If I had to sum it up, I would say that we should have done a better job of carrying out our defensive strategies. That would have given us a better opportunity to limit them to perhaps 210 or 220, but you never know,” Raza stated during the presentation ceremony after the game.

“You need all three departments to be working hard at the World Cup against the greatest teams, Unfortunately, the game will abandon you if you do not have it. Therefore, we should aim to organize all three of our departments and leave everything on the park in the final game, which should offer us the best chance to win.” Raza added.

Brief scores:
India 256/4 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 55, Hardik Pandya 50 not out; Sikandar Raza 1-29, Tinotenda Maposa 1-40)
Zimbabwe 184/6 in 20 overs (Brian Bennett 97 not out, Sikandar Raza 31; Arshdeep Singh 3-24)

Samsung said on Thursday that pre-orders for its flagship Galaxy S26 series are now open in India. The base model costs Rs 87,999, while the top-tier Galaxy S26 Ultra variant costs Rs 1,89,999.

The Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra are all part of the Galaxy S26 series. According to the business, the new series offers its most sophisticated “Agentic AI” mobile experience to date, with the goal of simplifying and improving everyday chores.

The phones are designed to make it easier to manage schedules, find information, take and edit pictures, and record material.

The 12GB+256GB and 12GB+512GB models of the Galaxy S26 Ultra are priced at Rs 1,39,999 and Rs 1,59,999, respectively, while the 16GB+1TB model costs Rs 1,89,999.

The 12GB+256GB model of the Galaxy S26+ costs Rs 1,19,999, while the 12GB+512GB model costs Rs 1,39,999.

The 12GB+256GB model of the Galaxy S26 costs Rs 87,999, while the 12GB+512GB model costs Rs 1,07,999.

On February 25, top online and physical retailers started taking pre-orders for the Galaxy S26 series.

Additionally, Samsung Live on the company’s official website allows customers to pre-order the smartphones.

The smartphones are available in Cobalt Violet, White, Black, and Sky Blue, as well as Pink Gold and Silver Shadow, which are only available on Samsung.com.

Samsung says that the Galaxy S26 Ultra is the first mobile phone with an integrated Privacy Display, which limits side-angle visibility to protect user data.

Additionally, the device has a specially designed Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform for Galaxy processor, which improves CPU, GPU, and NPU performance for better on-device AI capabilities and more seamless multitasking.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra has better thermal materials and a modified vapor chamber to control heat during prolonged use.

Additionally, it supports Super-Fast Charging 3.0, which the manufacturer claims can charge a battery up to 75% in just 30 minutes.

The Galaxy S26 series places a strong emphasis on AI-powered photography and video.

Wider camera apertures for better low-light photography, improved Nightography Video, and increased Super Steady capabilities for stable recording are all aspects of the Ultra version.

In order to provide investors with greater clarity and transparency, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) announced a significant reform of mutual fund categorization guidelines on Thursday and abolished the solution-oriented mutual fund category, which includes retirement and children’s funds.

According to the markets regulator, the solution-oriented category has been eliminated as of the circular’s date.

Current plans within this category will cease taking new members right away.

Subject to SEBI’s previous clearance, these schemes will now be combined with other schemes that share comparable asset allocation and risk characteristics.

There were 29 schemes in the retirement fund category and 15 schemes in the children’s fund category as of January 31, 2026.

As part of a more comprehensive assessment of mutual fund classification, SEBI first suggested modifications in July 2025.

Enhancing clarity, introducing new schemes, and addressing the problem of portfolio overlap amongst schemes were the objectives.

As long as the asset allocation was appropriate for the scheme’s declared goal, the regulator at the time had ruled that mutual funds should be permitted to provide a variety of schemes in the solution-oriented category with differing mixes of debt and equity.

The regulator also suggested that, within regulatory bounds, mutual funds be permitted to invest the remaining percentage of their solution-oriented schemes in REITs and InvITs, with the exception of Retirement Fund—Hybrid and Children’s Fund—Hybrid schemes.

SEBI added new categories such sectoral debt funds and contra funds in its most recent circular, which was published on February 26.

Additionally, it mandated that asset management companies (AMCs) link their current schemes with the new framework within six months and introduced goal-based life cycle funds.

To guarantee greater discipline in product offers, the regulator has also set limits for the creation of Fund of Funds (FoFs).

Sebi’s new mutual fund classification guidelines are a significant step toward streamlining an industry that has grown more complicated for individual investors, according to Nikunj Saraf, CEO of Choice Wealth.

According to a recent article, “AI-driven development across Africa, with a strong emphasis on local empowerment, sustainability, and inclusive innovation,” would be promoted by the trilateral cooperation agreement on AI reached at the AI Impact Summit between Italy, India, and Kenya.

In order to ensure that AI tools reflect the social, economic, and cultural settings of African communities, the program places a strong emphasis on co-creation and African-led development, according to the AIBase.ng report.

In contrast to “typical AI partnerships, which often include knowledge transfer from wealthy countries,” the new project is more cooperative, according to the study.

Additionally, the new agreement guarantees that African countries have authority over their own data and AI systems by promoting data sovereignty.

The article also stated that AI solutions created under this agreement will address issues in financial inclusion, healthcare, education, and agriculture.

The agreement’s short-term objectives include implementing 15 pilot AI applications by the end of 2026, while its long-term goals are to spread to over 100 projects throughout the continent.

Research networks, computer resources, and digital platforms are included to assist AI innovation, and the agreement places a strong emphasis on ethical and inclusive AI, lowering the danger of technologies that might not be appropriate for local contexts.

According to the Nigerian media outlet, the collaboration strengthens Kenya’s standing as a regional center for technology and a gateway for innovation throughout Africa. India will benefit from strong South-South cooperation and demonstrating scalable, human-centric digital solutions.

“Italy serves as a link between Europe, Asia, and Africa, utilizing programs like the AI Hub for Sustainable Development under the Mattei Plan to promote cooperation,” it continued.

The New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact, which was adopted at the “AI Impact Summit 2026” in New Delhi last week, represents a major turning point in international collaboration on artificial intelligence.

88 nations and international organizations had approved this proclamation as of February 21, 2026. Bangladesh, Costa Rica, and Guatemala have now joined the declaration, bringing the total number of signatories to 91 nations and organizations, according to a statement from the Ministry of Electronics and IT.