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 The report says the primary driver of the slowdown was the capital goods sector, with the fall in growth rates in this area contrasting with accelerations at consumer and intermediate goods makers. (Representational image) | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto Manufacturing activity slowed to 54.2 in June 2026, its second-lowest level in four years, according to a private sector survey. This was driven by a broad-based slowdown, including in new orders and output. The only time the HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) was lower during the last four years was in March 2026, the first month of the West Asia…

England’s Harry Brooks during the test match against New Zealand. File | Photo Credit: Reuters Harry Brook said it would be an honour to captain England’s ​test team if asked and believes he can ‌handle the demands of leading his country ​across all three formats.Brook, England’s ⁠current white-ball skipper, served as vice-captain under Ben Stokes for the 2-1 test series defeat by ‌New Zealand on home soil.Stokes, who has announced his retirement from international ‌cricket, is among those to have ‌tipped ⁠the 27-year-old to lead the test ⁠side.”I don’t think you can turn down being an England test captain,” Brook…

Kerala and Tamil Nadu are among the most socially and economically advanced States in India. Yet, the finances of both governments, like those of most other States, are under stress. The White Papers recently released by the two governments described their outstanding debt as alarming. State government debt is often vilified as the result of fiscal mismanagement. But it may, in fact, reflect a mismatch between development aspirations and the limited fiscal capacity of State governments.White Paper puts Kerala’s liabilities at ₹5.07-lakh crore, CM says fiscal structure under ‘serious’ strainThe fiscal dilemmaDebts build up over the years with deficits, which…

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s eagerly-awaited debut and the thoroughly exposed batting frailties on challenging wickets dominate the discourse on India as they take on England in a five-match T20 International series starting on Wednesday (July 1, 2026).India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has said that Sooryavanshi will have to “go through the process and bide his time” like any other cricketer to get a place in the eleven. At the same time, he had no hesitation in declaring that the 15-year-old swashbuckler seems ready for the grind.But it remains to be seen whether the management will hold firm on its resolve that…

Two images summed up India’s attitude towards Ireland. One, their captain Shreyas Iyer’s disdain at the end of the first loss by 34 runs. Swaying his hips casually when being interviewed at the presentation ceremony, he seemed more focused on the poor start to his captaincy career than on giving the opponents any credit. There was no mention of Ireland’s effort at all. No “They played well and deserved the win”, not even a simple “well done”.By the second loss, someone seems to have spoken to him. This time there was acknowledgment that actually two teams had played the match…

India’s latest industrial growth figures show that, contrary to global trends and overall perception, the country’s industrial output is getting stronger. Notably, the data show a quick bounce-back in industrial performance after the initial hit from the West Asia crisis. However, the new data also raise some important concerns about the composition of the growth, the systems behind the recent data upgrades, and the need for further improvements. Growth in the Index of Industrial Production hit a five-month high of 5.1% in May 2026, up from the 4.9% growth seen in April, which itself was a substantial improvement over the…

The surname Tillakaratne carries considerable weight in Sri Lankan cricket. It evokes memories of Hashan Tillakaratne’s dependability, Tillakaratne Dilshan’s innovation, World Cup triumphs, and decades of service to the national side.Now, another Tillakaratne is trying to earn that name on merit. Seventeen-year-old Limansa Tillakaratne, Dilshan’s daughter, is touring India with Sri Lanka’s Under-19 women’s side for three T20s and three One-Day fixtures, in preparation for the U-19 Women’s World Cup, which Bangladesh and Nepal will jointly host in early 2027.ALSO READ: Limansa, daughter of Sri Lanka icon Tillakaratne Dilshan, carries his name and legacy with prideShe hopes to become the latest member of a cricketing lineage while carving out an identity that is distinctly…

Acquisition of IPL franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore, has been approved by CCI. File photo: X/@RCBTweets Fair trade regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Tuesday (June 30, 2026) cleared the acquisition of IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore by a consortium of Aditya Birla Group, The Times of India Group, Bolt Ventures and Blackstone in a ₹16,660-crore all-cash deal.Also read | Vijay Mallya takes swipe at critics who laughed at his investment in RCB as ‘vanity project’In March this year, United Spirits Ltd (USL) announced the sale of IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in a ₹16,660-crore all-cash deal to the…

Opener Beth Mooney made it a stroll in the park for the Aussies. | Photo Credit: AFP The West Indies was blown away by the perfect storm that is also known as the Australian women’s cricket team.The Aussies moved into the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup, winning the first semifinal at the Oval by eight wickets with seven overs to spare on Tuesday. They will take on the winner of Thursday’s second semifinal between England and South Africa at Lord’s in Sunday’s summit clash. That will be their eighth final in what is only the 10th edition of…

Image used for representational purposes only. | Photo Credit: PTI Prompting a potential boost to India’s export of hydrocarbons, the Union Finance Ministry late Tuesday (June 30, 2026) lowered the export levy on diesel to ₹8.5 per litre and aviation turbine fuel (ATF) to ₹7.5 per litre whilst increasing the export levy on petrol ₹4 per litre.The rates are applicable for the fortnight commencing on July 1. In addition to this, the government expanded the number of countries exempted from the levy to induct Mauritius and Maldives into the fold.Previously, the exemption – extended by State-owned oil-marketing companies – was…