A temporary power outage in San Francisco left hundreds of Google’s self-driving vehicles – Waymo stranded on roads. Many users shared videos and photos of the cars stalled in traffic in different parts of the city. Amid the disruption, Elon Musk posted on X (formerly Twitter), writing “Tesla Robotaxis were unaffected by the SF power outage”. The Tesla CEO quoted a post by X user Mario Nawfal which said that Teslas kept rolling as the vehicles’ AI is trained on “billions of real-world miles”. “Waymo bet on maps and order. Tesla bet on mess – and won,” Nawfal added.For those unaware, a massive blackout affected over 130,000 homes and businesses in San Francisco including the Richmond, Sunset, Presidio and Golden Gate Park. Officials traced that a portion of Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) substation caught fire, knocking out critical grid components, leading to “significant transit disruptions.”

Mario Nawfal shared two different videos in his post – one showing Waymo stranded on the road and the other a dashcam footage from a Tesla vehicle using Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode. “Waymo’s robotaxis got a little too real last night – by completely shutting down when San Francisco’s power outage knocked out traffic lights,” he writes in the post. “Meanwhile, Teslas on FSD? Kept rolling. No drama, no headlines – just handling chaos like it’s a walk in the park. This is what happens when you train your AI on billions of real-world miles instead of coddling it in a simulation padded with perfect data and wishful thinking. Waymo bet on maps and order. Tesla bet on mess – and won. When the lights go out, the difference isn’t theoretical. It’s traffic.” Nawfal tagged TeslaAI and Elon Musk as the source in his post. The Tesla dashcam video was shared by Tesla AI with the caption – “FSD is trained on billions of real-world miles, including power outages”.

Waymo resumes services in San Francisco Bay Area

Waymo said it has resumed its driverless ride-hail service in the San Francisco Bay Area. Waymo spokesperson, Suzanne Philion, told CNBC in an e-mailed statement “Yesterday’s power outage was a widespread event that caused gridlock across San Francisco, with non-functioning traffic signals and transit disruptions”. “While the failure of the utility infrastructure was significant, we are committed to ensuring our technology adjusts to traffic flow during such events,” she added.

Panaji: FC Goa are the only side with something to play for this season.While many clubs started and ended their season so far with three games in the Super Cup, Goa have been fortunate enough to compete in continental championships. Manolo Marquez’s side featured in the AFC Champions League Two, after winning the playoff at home, but as the concluding group-stage clash draws near, there’s fear all around.You can sense it before, during, and after training sessions at the Athletic Stadium in Bambolim. Just days before the clash against FC Istiklol (Tajikistan), the question on everyone’s mind remains: will this be the last this season?Manolo doesn’t have an answer to that. He’s tried asking senior club officials but there are no guarantees. Without a commercial partner on board, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has been unable to kickstart the top-tier Indian Super League (ISL), and even though there are claims that the “league will happen”, nobody can tell when, and how.“All these things are giving Indian football a bad name (globally),” Manolo told TOI, referring to recent reports in Spain which has six coaches and maximum foreign players in the ISL. “I spoke about this after the Super Cup final; this is one situation that Indian football could have avoided because everyone knew that this situation would happen, in March-April (towards the end of last season), but nobody did anything. When you have the wrong people in wrong positions, these things can happen.”The “situation” needs no reminding. AIFF’s 15-year agreement with its marketing partners, Reliance-subsidiary FSDL, was to end in December 2025 and everyone knew the parties were nowhere close to an agreement. The federation tried to onboard a new partner by floating a tender for the top league’s commercial rights in November but found no takers, largely due to clauses in the new constitution.Now, things have come to a standstill.Manolo returns home immediately after the clash against Istiklol on Wednesday. With the match concluding closer to midnight and a flight to catch early morning, the former national team coach isn’t sure if he would be able to say goodbye to the team.“It’s bad with other teams. At least we know that we have one game on December 24, but the other teams, most of them, are at home; some clubs are training, others have stopped. We don’t have an option but to wait. We check (about the situation) everyday. I fear that foreign players will now start leaving India,” said Manolo.Manolo will leave India to be at home for Christmas. Will he return?“I don’t know,” said the coach who has won two Super Cups for Goa and took the team to Asia for two seasons in a row. “My intention is to be here, I’m very happy here. I’m very proud to be the coach of this club. This club gave me a lot, but one day, like my former club, Hyderabad FC, and previously in Spain, you need to leave and start another chapter in your professional life. But I would really like to be with FC Goa.”

MUMBAI: The BJP-led Mahayuti’s dominant win in the municipal council and nagar panchayat elections, in a repeat of its sweeping mandate in 2024 state assembly elections, has demonstrated the alliance’s strength in the face of the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s (MVA) accusation of “vote chori” and multiplied the challenge for opposition parties ahead of the high-stakes contest for 29 municipal corporations, especially Mumbai’s BMC, on Jan 15.According to political observers, the BMC polls will be the final acid test for the Thackeray cousins — Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav and MNS president Raj — and the “almost defunct” MVA.Political analyst Birju Mundra predicted that the Mahayuti alliance will be more aggressive for the upcoming municipal corporation polls. “However, BJP and the Ekanth Shinde-led Shiv Sena will face a tough time in seats sharing as both will refuse to cede seats now.”He added: “Most Mahayuti ministers have fared well in their respective constituencies, so this will boost their morale and also their cadre. They will work overtime in the next 45 days…After Sunday’s polls results, there could be another outflow of netas and grassroots functionaries from Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS to the Mahayuti. Also, with Congress going solo, BMC polls will be the final test for the Thackerays.” In Sept, Uddhav himself had admitted that the BMC polls will be an acid test for the MVA.A political observer pointed out: “Sena (UBT) hardly campaigned for the municipal council and nagar panchayat elections. It is true that the Uddhav-Raj alliance will make an impact on the BMC polls, but just harping on the Thackeray brand may not be enough…BJP will definitely carry forward the momentum of Sunday’s victory into the BMC polls.”Concurring that seat-sharing talks would be a challenge, poll data analyst Hitesh Jain said: “At the moment, Mahayuti holds an edge, but the MVA, especially Sena (UBT), still holds sway in the island city and central Mumbai. There has been a lot of delay in the BMC polls, so there will be many rebels who don’t get party tickets. What will eventually decide the winner is thin margins and votes of smaller parties like MNS, which has some influence in 25-30 wards.”“Also, this is the first BMC election after the split in Sena and NCP, so the situation could be complicated. The Mahayuti has shown that it can have tactical alliances and even break them, when required, so the same pattern could be repeated for corporation polls too,” he added.

In the midst of his intense preparations for the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 , India’s superstar batter Virat Kohli continues to prove why he is as much a hero off the field as he is on it.

Virat Kohli’s heartwarming gesture at Alibaug nets for a net bowler

Following a rigorous net session at the Reliance Jio Stadium in Alibaug on Sunday, December 21, the 37-year-old batting icon took time out to interact with the local net bowlers who had been assisting his training. In a video that quickly went viral across social media, one star-struck bowler, Ritwik Pathak, handed his iPhone to Kohli, who graciously signed the back of the device with a permanent marker.

Here’s the video:

Beyond just the autograph, Kohli spent several minutes posing for selfies and sharing words of encouragement with the young athletes, a gesture that turned an ordinary practice day into a lifelong memory for the budding cricketers. This moment of warmth came just days before Kohli returns to the domestic circuit for Delhi, reminding fans that despite his global superstardom and the high-pressure environment of professional sports, he remains deeply connected to the grassroots of the game.

Also WATCH: Virat Kohli elevates training intensity ahead of his historic Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 return

Kohli’s intense preparation and technical focus ahead of Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025

Kohli’s decision to train in Alibaug rather than the team’s primary base in Delhi is a calculated move to maintain peak physical and mental conditioning in a private, high-performance environment. During these sessions, the world’s No. 2-ranked ODI batter has been focusing on match-specific drills, particularly his footwork against both high-pace throwdowns and local spinners on turning tracks. He recently gave “Player of the Series” performance against South Africa, where he averaged a staggering 151. The goal is to sustain the rhythm that saw him smash two consecutive centuries in Ranchi and Raipur, ensuring he enters the domestic season with zero rust.

Under the leadership of Rishabh Pant, Kohli is set to feature in Delhi’s opening Group D fixtures at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, a ground where he has achieved legendary status with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He will lead the batting lineup against Andhra Pradesh on December 24 and Gujarat on December 26, using these high-stakes domestic games as a final rehearsal for India’s international ODI series against New Zealand starting January 11.

By testing his technique against the domestic ‘red-ball’ pacers like Delhi teammates Navdeep Saini and Ishant Sharma in practice, Kohli is ensuring that his transition back to the 50-over format remains seamless. This stint in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, his first in 15 years, is more than a regulatory requirement; it is a strategic step for a man who has already set his sights on being the linchpin of India’s ODI World Cup 2027 campaign.

Also READ: Rishabh Pant to captain Delhi as Virat Kohli makes historic Vijay Hazare Trophy return; squad announced for first two games

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan (ANI image)

NEW DELHI: Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday assured strict action and justice for the family of Ram Narayan Bakel, who was killed in a mob assault in Walayar in Palakkad district, calling the incident unacceptable in a progressive society like Kerala.In a statement issued by the CMO, Vijayan said a special investigation team led by the Palakkad Superintendent of Police has been formed to probe the case. “Justice will be ensured for the family of Ram Narayan Bakel, who was killed following a mob assault in Walayar, Palakkad. Strict action will be taken against those responsible,” the statement read.The CMO added that instructions have been given to thoroughly examine the case, initiate necessary legal action and review compensation for the victim’s family. “Such acts, which tarnish the reputation of a progressive society like Kerala, are completely unacceptable. Everyone must remain vigilant to ensure that such incidents do not recur,” it added.The chief minister’s assurance comes after a chilling case of mob violence was reported in Palakkad. Ramnarayan Baghel (31), a Dalit migrant labourer from Chhattisgarh, was allegedly beaten to death by a group of people in Walayar. According to initial reports, he was mistakenly suspected of being a Bangladeshi national or a thief following a local theft incident.Baghel, a resident of Karhi village in Sakti district of Chhattisgarh, had arrived in Palakkad on December 13 in search of work and was employed as a daily-wage labourer at a construction site. Family members said he was extremely poor and is survived by his wife Lalita and two young sons, aged around eight and nine.Police said the incident occurred at Attappallam East in Walayar, where a group of residents allegedly assaulted Baghel with sticks, causing severe injuries. He was taken to Palakkad District Hospital in critical condition, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Before his death, Baghel reportedly told hospital staff that he had been attacked by a mob accusing him of theft.Preliminary postmortem findings revealed that Baghel died due to excessive bleeding caused by severe blunt-force injuries to the head and other parts of the body. The autopsy was conducted at the Government Medical College Hospital in Thrissur.Kerala police have arrested five people in connection with the alleged lynching. Those arrested were identified as Attappallam residents Anu (38), Prasad (34), Murali (38), Anandan (55) and Bipin (30). They were produced before a local court and remanded to judicial custody. Police said further arrests are likely as the investigation progresses.A case has been registered at the Walayar police station under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Investigators are examining CCTV footage, videos circulated on social media and witness statements to identify others involved in the attack.Following the incident, tension prevailed in the area, prompting police to step up security to prevent any escalation. Police confirmed Baghel’s identity through his Aadhaar card and informed authorities in Chhattisgarh.

Hardik Pandya (PTI Photo)

MUMBAI: The recently concluded T20I series against South Africa, which India won 3–1, once again underlined why Hardik Pandya is India’s Most Valuable Player in the T20 format. The series also marked the premier allrounder’s rousing comeback from a quadriceps injury that had kept him out of the Indian team for nearly two-and-a-half months.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Using his bat like an axe, Pandya bludgeoned 142 runs in four matches at an average of 71.00 and a strike rate of 186.84, with two fifties. He also chipped in with three wickets at 38.00, conceding runs at an economy rate of 10.36. In the first T20I at Cuttack, the Baroda man smashed an unbeaten 59 off 28 balls and returned figures of 1 for 16 in two overs to play a key role in India’s 101-run win. On Friday night, he cracked a 16-ball fifty — the second-fastest by an Indian in T20Is.

While India produced several fine individual performances in their 30-run win over South Africa in the fifth and final T20I at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Pandya was the standout performer.His power-packed 63 off 25 balls, featuring five sixes and five fours, left the Proteas completely flattened. Later, he also dismissed the dangerous Dewald Brevis, conceding 41 runs in three overs, and was rightly adjudged Player of the Match.South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad, unaware that the Player of the Series award had gone to Varun Chakravarthy, remarked during the postmatch press conference that he would be “surprised” if Pandya did not win the honour.

“If I were brutally honest, in taking nothing away from Bumrah, I think Hardik’s been the difference between the two teams. His knock tonight was the difference between us winning and losing. He played a knock in the first one as well, where he just walked in and we had him in a little bit of trouble,” Conrad said.“There’s a reason why he’s one of the best in the world in this format. His performances have been right up there. I don’t know who the Player of the Series is, but I’d be very surprised if it’s not him,” he added.

A source close to Pandya offered an insight into the 32-year-old’s mindset. “Post his injury, Pandya spent almost 40 days recovering at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. His mindset is sort of ‘lethal’ right now. He’s totally focused on the World Cup,” the source said.Pandya could have played the ODI series against South Africa, but it was decided at the CoE to ease him back through the T20 format, considering his injury history. He also featured in two Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches for Baroda in Hyderabad. In his first competitive game since late Sept, he smashed 77 off 42 balls to help Baroda chase down 223 against Punjab.With skipper Suryakumar Yadav out of form, and modern greats Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja having retired from T20Is, India will bank heavily on Pandya, Abhishek Sharma, Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy as they seek to defend their title at the 2026 T20 World Cup in February–March.The low of 2024, and the highPandya was among the key architects of India’s triumph in the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA. He produced a superb all-round performance, scoring 144 runs in eight matches at 48.00 and taking 11 wickets at 17.36, shrugging off a difficult IPL season earlier that year where he was booed by MI fans. “Though he didn’t have a great IPL, I was confident as a selector that he and Axar Patel would deliver for us in the World Cup,” former India pacer and selector Salil Ankola told TOI.“He’s a tough cookie and a world-class player,” he added.

Lucknow has witnessed many histories. Whispers of nawabs and poets, of rebellion and resilience, have seeped into its very essence. The Ganges, not far away, flowing steadily southward, is bearing witness to the birth of something unstoppable—a supersonic force that is redefining the skies, seas, and soils of a nation on the cusp of global reckoning. This is not a factory; it is a crucible. Sprawling over 200-acre canvas on the city’s outskirts, the state-of-the-art BrahMos Aerospace Integration and Testing Facility , India’s most formidable conventional deterrent—the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile—is being born, assembled, and given its wings.

The making of a supersonic citadel

The journey began in 2018 when the Uttar Pradesh government offered 200 acres of prime land along the Lucknow-Kanpur highway as part of the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC). BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL), the Indo-Russian joint venture between DRDO and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya, had outgrown its Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Pilani and Nagpur’s production and system integration units. Orders were pouring in: the Indian navy wanted more ship- and submarine-launched missiles, the air force was integrating the air-launched version on forty Su-30MKIs, the army needed extended-range land variants, and — most importantly — export enquiries were turning into hard contracts.

The Philippines had already taken delivery of its first battery in 2024 under a 375 million USD deal. Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Argentina, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were in various stages of negotiation. By 2025 BrahMos Aerospace had firm orders for over 800 missiles in the next five years. Existing facilities simply could not cope.So, Lucknow happened.Built at a cost of around Rs 380 crore, the new campus is a city within a city: massive integration halls, a booster production block, a warhead mating facility, long high-speed sled track for subsystem validation, and an environmentally controlled pre-dispatch inspection bay that looks more like a spacecraft cleanroom than a weapons factory.

Every variant of the BrahMos family — from the original 290 km land and ship versions to the 600 km extended-range and the lighter BrahMos-NG under development — will roll out from here.

Inauguration and production

This year on May 11, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh virtually inaugurated the facility, the crown jewel of the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC), was conceived with a singular, powerful objective: to become the epicentre for meeting the soaring domestic and international demand for the BrahMos weapon system.

“The state-of-the-art BrahMos Integration and Testing facility in Lucknow has been set up to cater to the growing demand for BrahMos weapon systems in the domestic and international markets. Its strategic location, a logistical advantage with seamless access to national freight corridors, ensures that the fury assembled here can be dispatched with efficiency to any frontier,” said an official source.

On October 18, the Defence Minister in presence of Chief Minister Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Samir V Kamat, and DG BrahMos Jaytirth R Joshi, flagged off the first batch of missiles to the Indian Armed Forces, sleek and lethal in their transporter canisters, it marked a paradigm shift. For decades, defence manufacturing was perceived as the preserve of coastal or traditional industrial hubs. Lucknow’s roar announced a new geography of power.

Built at an estimated cost of Rs 380 crore, the campus is described as a “city within a city,” designed for end-to-end integration and quality validation. Key components mentioned include:

The aim: produce and support multiple BrahMos variants—from legacy 290 km versions to extended-range and the under-development BrahMos-NG.

BrahMos Aerospace employs around 300-500 people directly at the Lucknow unit today, but the ripple effect is staggering.A senior BrahMos official explained: “A missile is an extremely complex system that draws on diverse industries, advanced materials, chemicals, rubber, electronics, mechanical subsystems, precision machining, welding, and more. Today, BrahMos works with over 200 private and public-sector industry partners across India who supply components, sub-assemblies, off-the-shelf items, and specialised fixtures to build the complete weapon system.“

“With demand rising sharply, both from the Indian armed forces and export orders, we need to significantly diversify and expand our supply chain. The new Lucknow facility, located at the heart of the Uttar Pradesh Defence Corridor, offers the ideal platform to onboard many more MSMEs and manufacturers in the region. Proximity will enable tighter project monitoring, faster iteration, and even higher quality standards,” added the officialThe official added that the company is actively scouting new vendors in and around Lucknow to support production targetsFurther, the human capital powering this enterprise is as meticulously curated as the technology. BrahMos Aerospace, as a world-class defence entity, adheres to a creed of pure meritocracy.

“We recruit highly skilled professionals involved in designing a very high-end weapon system. We adhere to the same standards for Lucknow,” stated the official source. There is no quota for locality; excellence is the only passport.For a young engineer dreaming of contributing to missile technology, the path is clear and demanding.A stellar academic foundation in aerospace, mechanical, electronics, or computer science is the entry ticket. The recruitment funnel—through national vacancies and elite campus placements—involves rigorous technical assessments, multiple interview rounds, and stringent security clearances. The promise of “huge employment opportunities” is real, but they are opportunities earned in the most competitive arena.

The numbers that matter

At present, the Lucknow facility will roll out the existing BrahMos missile to meet increased demand, but its specific purpose is to manufacture the BrahMos NG missile—NG stands for next generation. The BrahMos NG will have a 300 km range, equal to the current missile, but will be significantly lighter, at 1.2 tonnes (1,200 kilograms) compared to the existing model’s 2,900 kilograms.The new BrahMos NG would be integrated on Sukhoi 30. Currently, the Su 30 can integrate only one missile, but with the NG version, five missiles can be integrated: four on Light Combat Aircraft. On land and ship versions, instead of three missiles, six or eight can be packed, thanks to the reduced size. This approach aims to maintain effectiveness while increasing numbers and reducing costs, ensuring steady supply to the armed forces. The Lucknow facility will be its birthplace.An official source summed it up: “The BrahMos Integration and Testing Facility is an ultra-modern manufacturing unit designed for the production, assembly, and integration of all BrahMos variants, including the advanced air-launched version. It will also serve as the hub for the next-generation BrahMos in the foreseeable future.”

Sunday Times ‘honours’ the newsmakers who spiced up 2025. We hope the awards are taken in the spirit in which they’re givenChance pe Dance AwardTo Shafali Verma who unexpectedly waltzed into the Women’s T20 World Cup squad as an injury replacement, scored a match-winning 87 runs off 78 balls and took two crucial wickets in the finalPortfolio Diversification AwardTo Smriti Irani for effortlessly slipping in and out of her roles in the saffron parivar and the Virani parivarKaam Sutra AwardTo the L&T Chairman for his suggestion that people should work 90 hours a week, preferably also on Sundays. His rhetorical “how long can you stare at your wife?” was the icing on the workaholic cakeHawa Hawaii AwardTo IndiGo, which seems to think taking people for a ride is the same as flying, and that additional pilots will appear from thin air to ensure new rest time rules can be metOppn-heimer AwardTo Rahul Gandhi for promising bombs, hydrogen bombs, and then some, on electoral roll ‘fraud’, only to be dismissively defused by the electorate of BiharGPS AwardTo the vandals who threatened comedian Kunal Kamra but couldn’t figure out how to find him.“Abhi Tamil Nadu kaise pahunchega bhai,” asked the befuddled goonsMission Impawsible AwardTo the courts for ordering that all of Delhi’s stray dogs should be inside animal shelters within eight weeks. Thankfully, the order was toned down on appealSeeta-Geeta AwardTo diabetes drugs that are pulling off a splendid double role as weight-loss stars. Why sweat it out when some pills can do the heavy lifting?Stung Parivar AwardTo the Lalu clan which took the Bihar election rout all too personally and drove sibling rivalry up several notchesHum App Ke AwardTo the communications ministry for being so concerned about our cyber security that it insisted on preloading the Sanchar Saathi app on all new phones. Knowing how careless we can be, it even ordered that the app couldn’t be deleted till carping critics forced it to withdraw the orderOmkara AwardTo Saif Ali Khan who proved he’s ‘sabse bade ladaiya’ by fighting off the thief who broke into his house in Mumbai. And then hailing an auto to the hospital. Who said nawabs can’t be down to earth?Light Year AwardTo Bengaluru traffic , which astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla discovered on his way to a tech summit in Silicon City. “You can reach space faster,” he said, and all of the city nodded in agreementBungee Jump AwardTo Jagdeep Dhankhar’s health which apparently nosedived so dramatically that he had no option but to hang up his boots as Vice PresidentDeja Woe AwardTo the Congress in Karnataka , where the game of musical chairs threatens to become a franchise reboot of the MP, Punjab and Chhattisgarh sagasComeback Nitish Kumar: Tossing aside a familiar opponent and a new challenger, Kumar became Bihar CM for a record 10th termHimesh Reshammiya: Packed stadiums and the return of his trademark cap marked the comeback of ‘Lord HR’, as both millennials and GenZs gave in to ‘Capmania’Akshaye Khanna: His career as a main lead might have never taken off, but 2025 cemented his status as Bollywood’s new favourite baddie. Not only did he star in two of the year’s most successful releases, but also dominated social media with memesKiran Desai: After nearly 20 years, her much-awaited novel ‘The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny’ arrived —and immediately shot into the Booker shortlistKyunki Saas Bhi Reboot: The sanskaar-laden soap, which broke TRPs and made Smriti Irani a household name, returned to TV screens with nearly an unchanged castShein: Five years after its ban, the Chinese fast-fashion giant made a quiet re-entry in partnership with Reliance RetailGoodbyes Ro-Ko: A year after withdrawing from T20s, India’s star cricketers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket too in a move that surprised both fans and foesRohan Bopanna: The 45-year-old tennis player, one of only four Indians to win a Grand Slam, hung up his boots in Nov, bringing an end to a career spanning over 20 yearsBluSmart: The EV cab-hailing app promised cleaner mobility. But it found itself caught in murky waters after allegations of fund diversion forced it to suspend operationsReal money gaming: A new law proved to be a blow for apps like Dream11 and MPL, which relied on monetary stakes in games such as poker and rummySkype: The app, which once connected friends and relatives across continents, was shut down, as Microsoft shifts attention to its cooler cousin, TeamsMIG-21: The country’s once iconic and controversial Soviet fighter jet took its last flight after six decades in the sky

PUNE: Even as BJP emerged as the single largest party in the municipal council and nagar panchayat elections across the state, Congress managed to halt BJP’s juggernaut in several municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Vidarbha. In Maharashtra’s sugar bowl of western Maharashtra, BJP battled its own Mahayuti alliance partners as Congress and NCP (SP) struggled to retain hold.

BJP made inroads in many places in Mumbai and Konkan regions that had traditionally been with Shiv Sena, Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) and the NCP. Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde expanded Shiv Sena’s hold beyond Mumbai Metropolitan Region and emerged as the number two party in these polls.

Fadnavis told reporters on Sunday, “We have won 117 presidents’ posts, and more than 75% posts are with our Mahayuti partners. This is a repeat of the assembly election. Compared to 2017, our elected representatives’ numbers have doubled. At that time, we had 1,602 councillors and this time, we have 3,125 councillors. This is the biggest win in local elections in the last 25 years for any party.” With the landslide win, he has underscored that his party’s presence is no longer limited to urban centres alone and that it has managed to penetrate rural Maharashtra too.Shinde said, “I am proud of my party workers…The results also show that our party has reached every household even at the micro level and we will continue our performance even in the municipal corporation polls.”North Maharashtra once again backed BJP with maximum seats in Jalgaon district, where minister Girish Mahajan has the last word. BJP’s hope of riding on the clout of senior politicians like former CM Ashok Chavan and the Munde cousins didn’t materialise in Marathwada.In Pune district, deputy CM Ajit Pawar-led NCP retained its dominance by securing the president’s posts in 10 of the 17 local bodies, followed by Shinde-led Shiv Sena with four and the BJP with three.The Mahayuti’s victory, seen as a precursor to the municipal corporation elections slated for Jan 15, is especially important for two reasons. The polls were held against the backdrop of devastating floods in Maharashtra which ruined kharif crops in most districts and govt was blamed for doing very little to help the farmers. Secondly, the opposition had time and again alleged that several public works were languishing due to paucity of funds which they said was a fallout of taxpayers’ money being squandered on populist schemes including the Laadki Bahin Yojna.Also, it was the first time polls to all councils and panchayats in Maharashtra were held simultaneously after the Shiv Sena and NCP spilt.Congress state chief Harshwardhan Sapkal accused the state election commission of mismanagement, but state poll commissioner Dinesh Waghmare said the counting process was carried out smoothly across all the 288 councils.