Australia Test captain Pat Cummins has confirmed premier batter Steve Smith will bat at number four in the upcoming World Test Championship final against South Africa, set to happen at Lord’s from June 11-15.

Smith, who has 23 centuries and 26 fifties while batting at number four in Tests, had slammed a first-innings century which set the stage for Australia to clinch the 2023 World Test Championship Final win over India at The Oval in London.

There were initial murmurs of Smith being asked to open the batting alongside Usman Khawaja, but Cummins has now shut it down. “I can confirm that Smudge will be batting at four. Everyone else, I’m not willing to, but I can confirm Steve Smith will be number four,” said Cummins to The Grade Cricketer on Prime Video Australia.

here. The incident occurred while fans were attending the celebration event for the RCB team lifting the IPL 2025 trophy.

According to the police, three individuals were declared dead at the hospital, and the condition of two others is critical, with both receiving treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

The stampede took place when thousands of fans attempted to enter the stadium in a hurry from various gates. Police at the scene transported the injured to ambulances and shifted them to the nearby Bowring Hospital.

Police stated that the ambulances were unable to move quickly to the hospital due to the overcrowding on the roads.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University, under the aegis of the Directorate of Education, SGPC, continued its seven-day Quality Enhancement Program for newly recruited SGPC teachers with an enriching series of sessions focused on holistic professional development. The first session of the day was led by Dr. Ankdeep Kaur Attwal, Head, Department of English, SGGWSU, who spoke on Personality Development of Teachers. Dr. Attwal emphasized the significance of self-awareness, communication skills, and emotional intelligence in shaping an effective teaching personality. She guided participants on cultivating a reflective and confident teaching persona to better engage learners and foster positive classroom environments. In the second session, Dr. Kiran Sachdeva, psychologist and rehabilitation counselor, delivered an impactful talk on Understanding the Role of Child Psychology in Addressing Behavioural Conflict. Dr. Sachdeva provided practical insights into child development, behavioural cues, and intervention strategies. Her session equipped teachers with tools to identify psychological concerns and manage classroom conflicts empathetically and effectively. The day concluded with an insightful presentation by Prof. Kulwinder Singh on Action Research in Education. Prof. Singh highlighted the importance of reflective practice and continuous improvement through action research

With Haryana nominating 621 gram panchayats for the Suposhit Gram Panchayat Abhiyan, Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi on Wednesday chaired a meeting to review the progress of the program launched by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development.

This initiative aims to improve nutrition and community development in rural areas as well as to promote a healthy competition among village panchayats to eliminate malnutrition and form the basis of a developed India.

The Suposhit Gram Panchayat Abhiyan is aligned with Sustainable Development Goals II and III and promotes improved nutritional outcomes through better infrastructure and third-party assessments.

Haryana has nominated 621 gram panchayats under the program, out of which 531 have met the eligibility criteria to be designated as Suposhit Gram Panchayats, an official statement said.

In a crackdown on unauthorised automated bookings, the Indian Railways on Wednesday said its AI-powered system has deactivated 2.5 crore suspicious user IDs for booking tickets.

Moreover, a landmark achievement was recorded on May 22, with the highest-ever per-minute booking of 31,814 tickets, showcasing the robustness and scalability of the upgraded platform.

The Ministry of Railways said in a statement that to further enhance fairness and efficiency, new user protocols have been introduced.

"Users not authenticated via Aadhaar can book Opening ARP, Tatkal or Premium Tatkal tickets only after 3 days of registration, while Aadhaar-verified users can book tickets without delay," it noted.

Reaffirming its commitments towards sustainability, Adani Electricity on Wednesday said that it has channelised over 3.8 metric tonnes (MT) of non-biodegradable plastic waste for recycling in the last three financial years.

Ahead of World Environment Day, observed every year on June 5, Adani Electricity stated a remarkable progress in its commitment to environmental stewardship.

It particularly emphasised a drastic reduction and elimination of single-use plastics (SUP) across its operations.

"As the world observes World Environment Day -- this year's theme of #BeatPlasticPollution, we at Adani Electricity reaffirm our unwavering dedication to environmental responsibility," said an Adani Electricity spokesperson.

The Punjab Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has approved a major amendment to the Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1958, aimed at reducing compliance burdens on 95% small businesses and enhancing the ease of doing business in the state.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Council of Ministers held today at the Chief Minister’s official residence.

A spokesperson from the Chief Minister’s Office disclosed that, under this progressive amendment, all establishments employing up to 20 workers will be exempted from all provisions of the Act. This move is expected to directly benefit lakhs of shopkeepers across Punjab. However, such establishments will still be required to submit relevant information to the Labour Department within six months of the Act coming into force or the commencement of their business.

The cast of the much-anticipated laughter ride "Dhamaal 4" has received a new addition. Actress Esha Gupta has been paired opposite Ajay Devgn in Indra Kumar's directorial.

Refreshing your memory, Esha was also a part of the previous installment of the "Dhamaal" franchise, "Dhamaal 3", where she successfully made her presence felt in a special appearance as Prachi.

Director Indra Kumar was all praises for Esha as he called her a great actress and a fantastic person during an exclusive conversation with IANS.

Spilling his excitement about reuniting with the diva, Indra told IANS, “We are really happy that Esha Gupta is back in 'Dhamaal 4', as she was also a part of our franchise 'Dhamaal 3'. She is a great actor and a fantastic person. Working with her is a pleasure.

Domestic benchmark indices closed in the green on Wednesday due to favourable global cues such as strong US job data, as the ongoing RBI Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting added a layer of speculation about a potential rate cut.

Sensex ended 260.74 points or 0.32 per cent up at 80,998.25 while Nifty closed 77.70 points or 0.32 per cent high at 24,620.20.

Midcap and smallcap performed better than largecap. Nifty Midcap 100 index was up 407.55 points or 0.71 per cent at 57,924.65 and Nifty Smallcap 100 index rose 142.95 points or 0.79 per cent at 18,257.10.

On a sectoral basis, auto, IT, PSU bank, financial services, pharma, FMCG, metal, media, energy and private indices closed in the green, and only the realty index closed in the red.

Amid relentless rainfall and landslides wreaking havoc across Sikkim, the Indian armed forces have intensified their Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations to aid the affected population in the northeastern state.

On Wednesday, the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully rescued 33 people, including two US nationals, from the remote Chaten region of North Sikkim.

In addition to the evacuation efforts, the IAF also air-dropped vital relief supplies and inserted National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams to assist those affected in the region.

"In response to the devastating landslides in Sikkim, Indian Air Force Mi-17 helicopters rapidly launched HADR Ops -- air-dropping relief supplies, inserting NDRF teams, and evacuating 33 stranded individuals, including two US nationals, from the remote Chaten region. IAF remains committed to saving lives," the IAF stated in a post on X.