Palesh Muchhal, Smriti Mandhana (left), and Palak Muchhal

Singer Palak Muchhal has spoken for the first time about the postponement of her brother Palash Muchhal and India women’s cricket team vice-captain Smriti Mandhana’s wedding, saying both families are trying to stay positive after unexpected health emergencies forced a delay in the ceremony. The wedding, scheduled for November 23, was put on hold after Mandhana’s father and Palash were hospitalised on consecutive days.Smriti Mandhana and music composer Palash Muchhal’s wedding, scheduled for November 23, was postponed after health-related issues in the family.

The developments began when Mandhana’s father, Shriniwas, became unwell on the day of the ceremony and was taken to a hospital. A day later, groom-to-be Palash Muchhal was also admitted to a hospital in Sangli, Mandhana’s hometown. He was later shifted to Mumbai for treatment and rest.Singer Palak Muchhal has now commented publicly for the first time on the postponement of her brother Palash Muchhal and Smriti Mandhana’s wedding. In a conversation with Filmfare, Palak spoke about how both families are dealing with the situation.What did Palak say?When asked how the family is managing the circumstances, Palak said, “I think the families have been through a very tough time. Like you just said, I would just want to repeat that we would like to believe in positivity at this time. We would like to spread positivity as much as we can. We are also trying to stay strong.”How the events unfoldedSmriti Mandhana and Palash Muchhal were set to get married on November 23. The couple and their families had taken part in pre-wedding functions and were seen dancing together during the celebrations. On the wedding day, however, Smriti’s father fell ill and was moved to the hospital.Mandhana’s manager later confirmed that the wedding had been postponed and said the families decided to delay the event due to these health issues. After the announcement, Mandhana deleted all wedding-related posts from her Instagram account. Some photos of the two are still visible on Palash’s social media pages.Both Shriniwas and Palash have since been discharged from hospital care and are recovering. The families have not yet announced a new date for the wedding.

Ten hours on plastic chairs, midnight boarding, pre-match heebie-jeebies. Mumbai City FC’s journey to a Super Cup semi-final became the face of a nationwide air travel meltdown as IndiGo cancellations and delays left thousands stranded across India.The former ISL champions reached Goa Thursday morning after their Wednesday afternoon flight was cancelled amid widespread disruption. “After nearly 10 hou-rs at the airport, endless que-ues, and enough chaos to test anyone’s match-day patience, the boys stuck together,” the club posted on social media.They were far from alone. At least 14 IndiGo flights to Goa were cancelled and over 25 delayed. Across Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Lucknow and Bhubaneswar, terminals overflowed with stranded passengers, rescheduled departures collapsed without warning and airfares spiked to international levels.“My mother-in-law passed away this morning. We paid Rs 40,000 for two one-way tickets to Trivandrum,” said Gopan Nair, stuck at Mumbai airport’s boarding gate after a four-hour delay. “The funeral was postponed so we could attend, but we’re stuck here.”As cancellations mounted, fares turned punishing. One-way economy tickets from Kolkata to Bengaluru surged to between Rs 21,000 and Rs 1 lakh. Same-day fares from Mumbai to Delhi touched Rs 23,000. Kolkata-Delhi fares rose to Rs 25,000–Rs 84,000. “A UK round trip costs around Rs 80,000. People paid nearly that for a one-way domestic ticket,” said Anjani Dhanuka of Travel Agents Association of India.In Kolkata, MBA student Nishita Chowdhury learned her Mumbai flight was cancelled only after reaching the airport, a day before an exam. Avik Sarkar, flying from Bengaluru to Kolkata for travel to Arunachal Pradesh, had his flight cancelled mid-evening. “The rebooking link didn’t work. I had to pay Rs 24,000 for a new ticket. Now I may miss my next connection,” he said.Others arrived — without luggage. Rakesh Rastogi landed in Kolkata after a 14-hour delay only to find his bags still in Delhi. “We came for a wedding. We arrived without our clothes,” he said. CISF reinforcements were called in as tensions rose at the terminal.At Pune airport, 19 delayed and 11 grounded aircraft occupied most parking bays. Some passengers were trapped inside planes for up to five hours after landing. “The captain said even ATC had no clue when we would deboard,” said Megh Gandhi.In Lucknow, passengers shouted slogans against IndiGo. “No updates, no communication, no responsibility,” posted Dhruv Choudhary. Travel agent Sarvesh Pandey discovered his rescheduled flight had departed without notification, costing him two days and a family function.At Chennai airport, there was similar chaos. “People are sitting on the floor. There’s no proper communication,” said advocate Brahma Puthran, whose Kochi-bound flight was pushed back by hours after being cancelled the previous night.In Guwahati, passengers bound for Aizawl said they were told no flights were available for two days. “They promised refunds but no food or hotels,” one traveller said. Some tried humour to cope. “Getting a flight to Mumbai this weekend is like finding a last-minute Coldplay ticket,” one passenger posted.

Mumbai: Three monkeys enter Powai Cosmopolitan Housing Society almost every other day, spending hours inside environmental activist Anamika Sharma’s flat, exploring her home, nibbling on offerings, and then departing without disturbance. The gentle pair, named Nandini and Nandgram, and their playful baby, Nandu, prompted a fresh alarm over Mumbai’s vanishing forests.Sharma viewed the family’s repeated visits as a warning of collapsing ecological buffers around the city. “These animals aren’t invading our spaces out of malice. Their forests are shrinking. Their habitats are being encroached upon. They’re simply coming to us because they have nowhere left to go,” said Sharma. She added, “Nandu’s frustration when hungry is a universal cry for survival. If we want safety for our families, we must also protect the families of the wild.” Conservation platform NatConnect Foundation warned that such sightings were part of a wider human–animal conflict spiral. NatConnect director B N Kumar, a Mumbai–Navi Mumbai resident for over 48 years, recalled a vastly different Powai. “This was once a lush, wooded valley with thousands of trees. Now it’s concrete end-to-end. When you erase forests, wildlife will spill into homes, roads, and campuses,” said Kumar and cited recent leopard attacks in the northern suburbs, the panic killing of a leopard in Pune, and the ongoing uncertainty over Konkan elephant Omkar’s fate as evidence of a system in distress. Both Sharma and Kumar have tried to contact the forest department to ensure the monkeys are safely rescued and relocated to their natural habitat rather than forced to survive in human homes and residential flats. NatConnect’s petition to the PM, under process with wildlife division of the union environment ministry, urged reforms in forest-edge regulation, corridor protection, garbage management, and scientific conflict response. The petition noted that Omkar’s case exposed structural gaps, including shrinking forests, broken corridors, and knee-jerk wildlife captures, according to the PMO grievance record. “The monkey issue may look trivial. But it’s part of a national ecological crisis. PM Modi, being an animal lover, must take a serious view,” said Kumar. Their departures leave a question over who will protect wildlife as urban spaces expand into natural habitats.

BENGALURU: The relentless pressure of a neighbourhood dispute, a looming civic notice, and a Rs 20-lakh demand he said he could not meet — a combination that pushed a 45-year-old techie to end his life inside the very house he was trying to build. Hours before his scheduled appearance before Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) officials, Murali Govindaraju was found hanging on the second floor of his under-construction home in Nallurahalli on Wednesday morning, leaving behind a 10-page death note accusing a neighbouring family and civic officials of driving him to suicide.

Murali, a software employee at ITPL and father of two minor girls, lived in Brookbong Layout, Whitefield. Police have arrested his neighbours Shashi Nambiar (64) and Usha (57) on charges of abetment and are searching for their son, Varun. The couple has been sent to 14-day judicial custody.Neighbourhood feud, civic notice, and a crushing Rs 20L demand

Harassed, Tortured And Repeatedly ThreatenedAccording to police, the contents of Murali’s lengthy death note mirror the allegations in a criminal complaint filed by his mother, Lakshmi Govindaraju (61). She stated that her son had been “harassed, tortured and repeatedly threatened” by the Nambiars, who allegedly demanded Rs 20 lakh to stop accusing him of plan violations. She said Murali told her that Wednesday was the deadline the couple had set.Murali had bought the 40×60 sqft plot in 2018 from a close relative of the Nambiars. The relationship soured soon after construction began, with Usha and Shashi repeatedly accusing him of deviation from the approved plan. Lakshmi alleged that when Murali refused to pay, Usha lodged complaints with BBMP officials, prompting them to visit the site frequently and harass him.On Wednesday morning, Murali left home around 6am, telling his family he was under pressure and that Usha and Shashi were “torturing” him. He went to the under-construction house and killed himself.Police have booked the couple under Sections 108 (abetment of suicide) and 308 (extortion) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). A senior officer said preliminary inquiries show the Nambiars had filed multiple complaints since 2018, making Murali “run around BBMP offices, the police station, and local courts.”GBA officials confirmed they had issued Murali a notice asking him to appear before them on Wednesday. “Usha approached BBMP alleging violations. After a spot inspection, BBMP issued a notice,” the officer said. “The couple allegedly demanded Rs 20 lakh to stop harassing him.”Police said several locals have now come forward alleging that the Nambiars regularly filed complaints to extort money under the pretext of activism. “People in the area say many homes have faced similar harassment,” the officer said. “We request all affected residents to file complaints.”The friction between Murali and the Nambiars began soon after he purchased the land in 2018 — a conflict that, according to investigators, escalated over the years and ended with a devastating outcome.

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan HC has held that two consenting adults have the right to be in a live-in relationship even if they have not attained legal age for marriage. The legal marriageable age for women in India is 18 years, and for men, 21. At 18, men and women are considered adults.. Justice Anoop Dhand delivered the judgment on Monday while hearing a protection petition filed by an 18-year-old woman and a 19-year-old youth from Kota. A copy of the order was uploaded Thursday. Both had approached the HC seeking police protection, stating they had entered a live-in relationship by mutual consent.‘Not of right age doesn’t mean one can be deprived of rights’Both had approached the high court seeking police protection, stating they had entered a live-in relationship by mutual consent. The couple executed a live-in agreement on Oct 27, 2025. However, the girl’s family opposed it and allegedly threatened to kill them. The petitioners told the court that despite submitting a written request to the police in Kota, no action was taken.Appearing for the state, Vivek Choudhary, the public prosecutor argued that since the boy had not completed 21 years of age, he could not legally marry, and, therefore, should not be allowed to be in a live-in partnership.However, the HC rejected this reasoning, observing that the “right to life and personal liberty” is guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution, and any threat to it amounts to a constitutional violation.Justice Dhand emphasised that the constitutional duty of the State is to protect the life and liberty of every citizen. “Only because the petitioners are not marriageable by law, they cannot be deprived of their fundamental rights,” the court observed.The court also said live-in relationships are neither illegal, nor an offence under Indian law, directing Bhilwara and Jodhpur (Rural) SPs to verify the facts mentioned in the petition, particularly the threat perception, and provide protection to the couple, if needed.

The 36th match of the Women’s Big Bash League 2025 features an exciting clash between Melbourne Renegades Women and Sydney Sixers Women at the Junction Oval, Melbourne. Both teams will look to gain crucial points as the league progresses.

Melbourne Renegades Women are currently positioned fifth in the points table with four wins from nine matches. They are coming off a 30-run loss to the Perth Scorchers Women and will be eager to break their three-match losing streak. Led by captain Sophie Molineux, the team boasts strong players like Deandra Dottin, Georgia Wareham, and Alice Capsey who can influence the game with both bat and ball.

Sydney Sixers Women, captained by Ashleigh Gardner, have shown consistent form with recent wins and hold a psychological edge having won three of their last four encounters against the Renegades. The Sixers’ squad includes experienced international stars such as Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy along with key players like Sophia Dunkley and Amelia Kerr.

MR-W vs SS-W, WBBL|11: Match details

• Date and Time: December 05; 05:10 am IST/ 11:40 pm GMT (Dec 4)/ 10:40 am Local
• Venue: Junction Oval, Melbourne

MR-W vs SS-W, Head-to-Head Record in WBBL

Matches played: 19 | Melbourne Renegades won: 6 | Sydney Sixers won: 13 | No result: 0

Junction Oval Pitch Report

Junction Oval in Melbourne presents a bowler-friendly surface, historically favoring low-scoring encounters in women’s T20 cricket. Recent WBBL matches here, like Melbourne Stars Women’s 160/5 defended against Renegades’ 115 all out, underscore its assistance to pacers and spinners early on, with seam movement under lights adding challenges for batters chasing. Average first-innings scores hover around 140-160, with teams batting second winning 6 of 9 WBBL games due to dew aiding strokeplay later. Expect captains to bowl first if winning the toss, as totals beyond 170 prove rare and defenses dominate proceedings.

Squads:

Melbourne Renegades Women: Emma de Broughe, Courtney Webb, Sophie Molineux (c), Alice Capsey, Georgia Wareham, Deandra Dottin, Nicole Faltum (wk), Issy Wong, Sarah Coyte, Charis Bekker, Milly Illingworth, Naomi Stalenberg, Tess Flintoff, Davina Perrin, Sara Kennedy

Sydney Sixers Women: Ellyse Perry, Sophia Dunkley, Alyssa Healy (wk), Ashleigh Gardner (c), Maitlan Brown, Amelia Kerr, Mady Villiers, Erin Burns, Emma Manix-Geeves, Caoimhe Bray, Lauren Cheatle, Mathilda Carmichael, Courtney Sippel, Elsa Hunter, Lauren Kua

Also READ: WBBL|11: Phoebe Litchfield sizzles in Sydney Thunder’s emphatic win over Brisbane Heat

MR-W vs SS-W, WBBL|11: Today’s Match Prediction

Case 1:

• Melbourne Renegades wins the toss and bowl first
• Sydney Sixers powerplay score: 40-50
• Sydney Sixers total score: 130-140

Case 2:

• Sydney Sixers wins the toss and bowl first
• Melbourne Renegades powerplay score: 45-55
• Melbourne Renegades total score: 140-150

Match result: Team bowling first to win the game.

Also READ: WBBL 2025: Ashleigh Gardner’s all-round display leads Sydney Sixers to an 16-run victory over Melbourne Stars

This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.

BJP state chief Nainar Nagenthran (right), party veteran H Raja (centre) and other partymen being arrested in Thiruparankundram on Thursday

MADURAI: The Karthigai Deepam issue has snowballed into a major controversy in Tamil Nadu, with the state govt Thursday defying for the second time a Madras HC order allowing lighting of the lamp at Deepathoon (a stone lamp pillar) atop Thiruparankundram hills, even as a division bench of the HC rejected its appeal against a contempt order. Meanwhile, BJP state chief Nainar Nagendran and dozens of others were detained by police during protests.State govt filed an SLP in the Supreme Court challenging the division bench order, which dismissed its appeal against a single bench order on a contempt plea.Earlier in the day, the bench of Justices G Jayachandran and K K Ramakrishnan dismissed the state’s appeal, saying it was meant to preempt contempt action. The bench upheld Justice G R Swaminathan’s orders permitting lighting of the lamp at Deepathoon with CISF protection. The single bench had also initiated contempt proceedings Wednesday after the Deepam was lit at Uchi Pillaiyar Temple, not at Deepathoon atop the hill, as directed by it on Dec 1.Despite the single-bench order on Wednesday, police had prevented the petitioner and 10 others, who had been allowed to light the lamp at Deepathoon, from proceeding to the hills citing prohibitory orders.Following the rejection of the state’s appeal Thursday, Justice Swaminathan resumed the contempt proceedings, quashed the prohibitory orders imposed by Madurai district administration, and once again permitted lighting of the lamp atop the hill, this time under protection of Madurai city police. If officials defied the order, “harsh consequences will ensue”, the judge said.However, police once again stopped the individuals from proceeding, saying it would be detrimental to public order. It was a re-enactment of the scene from Wednesday at the Thiruparankundram foothills, with hundreds of BJP workers and Hindu group activists protesting against state govt, and over 1,000 police personnel deployed. BJP’s Nagendran had an argument with police before he was detained along with several others, including H Raja and Amarprasad Reddy, and about 50 cadres to prevent them from proceeding to the hills.Meanwhile, the HC division bench will on Dec 5 take up the appeals filed by Madurai district collector and executive officer of the Subramaniya Swamy temple authorities, challenging the order passed by the single bench allowing the lamp to be lit at Deepathoon.Justice Swaminathan had Monday allowed Rama Ravikumar and other petitioners to light the lamp at Deepathoon, brushing aside objections on proximity of the site to a dargah and the fact that the lamp has been lit at Uchi Pillaiyar Temple for decades.

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