MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad on Wednesday came down strongly on the Mumbai civic administration—BMC—for failing to implement its own air pollution mitigating guidelines. They kept the matter back at 4 PM, asking Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani to remain present again.The Chief Justice asked the civic counsel, “What steps have you taken? What instructions have you received from the civic chief last evening? What are the orders you passed last evening? How many sites visited since 2 PM yesterday?”

The High Court summoned Gagrani and a member secretary of the MPCB on Tuesday to explain personally the failure to ensure compliance with its guidelines across 36 sites that a four-member team surveyed. Both were present on Tuesday when the High Court, which is hearing a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the hazards of air pollution in the city and nearby areas, posted the matter to Wednesday, giving time for BMC to apply its mind and come back with practical solutions to ease the non-compliance concerns. On Wednesday, Gagrani was not present, and when asked, senior counsel SU Kamdar said an additional municipal commissioner was present as he thought the High Court meant the municipal commissioner be present only on Tuesday.The High Court grilled the BMC on what steps were taken, sites visited, the work of its squads, and action to ensure compliance. Kamdar said the pollution levels dropped since last year in Mumbai, and the readings of AQI reflected a “satisfactory” level.When Kamdar said of the 94 squads, 39 visited sites, the High Court quizzed him on the reason. He said many were on election duty. The bench remarked, “If out of 94 squads only 39 visited and if others were on election duty, you should have made an application to the election commission to say they are doing important work and sought an exemption. The squads should do multiple visits every day.”Darius Khambata, senior counsel and amicus curiae, informed the High Court that seven of the 30 AQI monitors were not working. Janak Dwarkadas, senior counsel for an intervenor NGO, said, “It appears the right to life of citizens is subservient to election duty.” The High Court repeated, “You (the BMC) could have made an application to SEC to see that they be exempted from election duty. Come back with a concrete proposal to ensure compliance with guidelines. We are adjourning it for that only. On the ground, no attempt to enforce guidelines.”“You don’t have anything in place. You have not applied your mind at all. You have no mechanism in place. If two-thirds of your staff were not working, give us data on how many visits were done by your squads. Instead of us putting questions to you, you should be giving us the information voluntarily. This is not a happy situation. You are not working. This is really a problem of implementation. You just put some camera. No implementation. Simply saying pollution has gone down doesn’t mean you are working,” the Chief Justice-led bench said orally. To Kamdar, the High Court said, “You don’t have sufficient instructions. Come at 4 PM and call the municipal commissioner.”Kamdar said, “We held a meeting yesterday (Tuesday),” to which the Chief Justice said, “Bring minutes of the meeting.”Tejesh Dande, counsel for NMMC, said the Navi Mumbai civic body has in fact come out with proposals of adding 52 more AQI monitors every 2 sq km as against the legally mandated 10 km, and when asked, said installation would take up to 6 months as it would be on a “war footing.” Khambata asked how it was “war footing” then.Dande said NMMC has also made it compulsory for every building site to have AQI monitors and added water fountains were installed at 100 squares. The four-member panel appointed by the High Court to do a ground-reality check on enforcement of civic guidelines at construction sites said the Mahape sensor was not working.The High Court returned its attention to BMC, saying, “We are telling you are doing nothing. You have such wide powers. You are not exercising them. You can easily implement your guidelines well. We don’t find anything coming from you.”Kamdar, after speaking to the additional municipal commissioner, said under the rules, BMC can and does issue show cause notices for non-compliances and later issues stop work orders. The High Court again said it wanted solutions that are implementable immediately, at 5 PM, to ensure compliance.Dwarkadas suggested that if the BMC is unable to ensure compliance, it should stop granting more building permissions. Kamdar retorted how could the builders who were not violating any norms be punished. Dwarkadas said, “There is rampant construction, so stop giving permission for new constructions to put a break.” The Chief Justice orally said it was a “good suggestion” and again told the civic counsel to come back with concrete solutions, adding, “If we pass orders, there will be strictures against the commissioner. Come at 4 PM with a concrete proposal that you can implement immediately. Do not give us a five-year plan.”

A nip in the winter air, twinkling stars overhead, and the sound of carols echoing through narrow gullies, Mumbai’s Christmas spirit came alive on two wheels during a recent Christmas Night Ride through Bandra. The ride, led by creative consultant and digital strategist Vipin Arumugham, brought together 51 cyclists who journeyed from Worli Sea Face into Bandra’s historic heart. As the traffic thinned, the city opened up into quiet lanes adorned with handmade decorations, glowing lamps and traditional Christmas stars, especially around Ranwar Village and Agna Square.

“Our Christmassy night ride was about soaking in the festive spirit while exploring Bandra’s beautifully lit bylanes,” said Vipin. “Agna Square became a favourite stop, buzzing with photo sessions, selfies and warm local interactions. Rum and plum cakes, arranged for the cyclists, vanished quickly amid laughter and group pictures,” he added.

Media consultant Amrit Rajkhowa highlighted why Bandra was the natural choice. “Bandra’s Christian history dates back to the Portuguese arrival in 1534. On Christmas Eve, its lanes tell stories of culture, pride and community,” he said. Cyclists found themselves welcomed by open doors, music-filled streets and residents keen to preserve and share their traditions.

For Edward Pinheiro, a cyclist from Mira Road, the night felt cinematic. As cyclists rolled through the glowing streets, locals didn’t just wave, they broke into carols. “The barrier between cyclists and residents vanished,” he said. “We got off our bikes, sang, danced, and the street turned into one big celebration.” Fitness enthusiast Durgesh Kumar from Marol described the ride beautifully. “It felt like entering a living fairy tale, where every corner sparkled with festive magic. The highlight was the heartwarming welcome in the Bandra village, where residents serenaded us with carols and shared cakes, reminding us that the true spirit of Christmas lies in community and joy.” Retired teacher and passionate cyclist Mangala Pai, enjoyed riding through misty lanes with fellow cyclists dressed in Christmas colours, spreading cheer along the way. “It was amazing! Christmas night ride in Bandra’s bylanes with glimmering soft lights and distant carols; and we cyclists weaving through the misty lanes lined with festive decorations… It was great to ride with so many cyclist friends dressed up in Christmas colours spreading cheer on the way,” she said. Akshay Singh, a senior data engineer from Malad West, summed up the experience best: “Christmas in Mumbai, feels different when pedalled slowly, through glowing gullies, shared songs and moments that turn strangers into family.”

NEW DELHI: The Unnao rape case survivor on Wednesday said that Kuldeep Singh Sengar’s bail and the Delhi high court decision is like “kaal (death)” for her family and said she will challenge the order in the Supreme Court.“HC decision like ‘kaal (death)’ for us, will challenge order in SC,” the survivor told PTI after the Delhi high court on Tuesday granted bail to expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar and suspended his life sentence in the 2017 Unnao rape case.

The Delhi high court granted bail to Sengar while suspending his life sentence, holding that he cannot be kept in jail only on the basis of the threat perception of the victim in the Unnao rape case.While allowing Sengar’s application under Section 389 of the CrPC, the court said, “Kuldeep Singh Sengar can’t be kept in jail only because of the threat perception of the victim in Unnao Rape case,” and added that courts cannot deny bail merely out of apprehension that security agencies may fail in their duty.“At the same time, however, the argument of keeping the appellant (Sengar) in custody because of threat perception to the victim/ survivor, in the opinion of this court, is not a tenable argument to deny the benefit of section 389 CrPC to the appellant,” the bench said in its 53-page verdict.The bench of Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar observed that such an approach would undermine the work of security forces. “Such an observation or such a thought process would undermine the laudable work of our police/paramilitary forces,” the court said.Suspending Sengar’s sentence till the pendency of his appeal against the December 2019 trial court verdict, the high court noted that he has already spent about seven years and five months in prison and that continued incarceration would violate Article 21 of the Constitution. The appeal has been listed before the roster bench on January 16, 2026, subject to orders of the chief justice.The court imposed several conditions while granting bail, directing Sengar to furnish a personal bond of Rs 15 lakh with three sureties of the same amount. It ordered that all three sureties must be residents of Delhi and directed Sengar to stay in the national capital during the pendency of his appeal. He was also asked to deposit his passport with the trial court and to report to the local police station every Monday at 10 am.Sengar has been barred from entering within a five-kilometre radius of the survivor’s residence and from threatening or contacting her or her mother. “Violation of any of the conditions would lead to cancellation of bail,” the high court said. The court also said he should remain available to complete the remaining part of the sentence if found guilty.On the safety of the survivor, the court said it expects that she will continue to get CRPF cover and directed the deputy commissioner of police of the area where she is residing to personally ensure and supervise her protection during the pendency of the appeal.“The state is also providing for the accommodation of the victim. The Delhi Commission for Women is responsible for ensuring that the victim is provided sufficient accommodation and such arrangement is directed to be continued till further orders,” the bench said, adding that the survivor is free to approach the court if required.The high court noted that the Supreme Court had earlier transferred the trial from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi keeping in mind the survivor’s vulnerability and the custodial death of her father, for which Sengar has been convicted.Despite the suspension of sentence in the rape case, Sengar will continue to remain in jail as he is also serving a 10-year sentence in the custodial death case of the survivor’s father and has not been granted bail in that matter. His appeal in the custodial death case, in which he has sought suspension of sentence, is also pending.Reacting to the order, the survivor told PTI that she was not satisfied with the verdict.“I have small children. There is an elderly, differently-abled mother-in-law and my husband at home. The safety of my children is the biggest concern,” she said.She alleged lapses during the trial and withdrawal of security cover. “Usually, a verdict is pronounced within two or three days after the conclusion of arguments. But in this case, the decision came after three months. Even before the verdict, security for the family and witnesses was withdrawn,” she alleged.The survivor further said, “In the serious crime where my father was murdered and I was subjected to rape, the accused is granted bail after serving a few years in prison. This raises the question of what kind of justice this is.”Sengar was convicted for kidnapping and raping a minor in 2017. The rape case and other connected matters were transferred from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi on the directions of the Supreme Court on August 1, 2019.

US President Donald Trump was listed as a passenger on at least eight flights aboard Jeffrey Epstein’s private jet, according to the latest documents released on the department of justice website Tuesday.The information appeared in an internal email dated 7 January 2020 that stated, “Donald Trump traveled on Epstein’s private jet many more times than previously has been reported (or that we were aware).” The email is part of a chain with the subject line “RE: Epstein flight records,” as reported by BBC.

The sender and recipient of the email were redacted, but it was signed by an assistant US attorney from the Southern District of New York, with the name also redacted.Also read | ‘Sensationalist’: US DOJ dismisses ‘credibility’ of Trump mentions in Epstein files; nearly 30k pages releasedAccording to the email, Trump “is listed as a passenger on at least eight flights between 1993 and 1996, including at least four flights on which Maxwell was also present.” It added that he traveled “with, among others and at various times, Marla Maples, his daughter Tiffany, and his son Eric.”The email described specific flights, stating: “On one flight in 1993, he and Epstein are the only two listed passengers; on another, the only three passengers are Epstein, Trump, and then-20-year-old” with the person’s name redacted.“On two other flights, two of the passengers, respectively, were women who would be possible witnesses in a Maxwell case,” it added. Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced in 2022 to 20 years in prison for crimes including conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts and sex trafficking of a minor.In a response to the latest files released, the DOJ said that some of the latest documents released from the Epstein files contained “untrue and sensationalist claims” against Donald Trump, which were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 US election.“To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already,” the DOJ said in an X post.Trump and Epstein were friends for several years, but Trump has said they fell out around 2004, years before Epstein was first arrested. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, and his presence on the flight records does not indicate wrongdoing.The email is among at least 8,000 documents released this week by the US Department of Justice. The release followed criticism over delays and redactions and was required under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed Congress with near-unanimous support.The newly released material includes hundreds of video and audio files, as well as surveillance footage from August 2019, the month Epstein was found dead in his jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

England captain Ben Stokes has struck a defiant tone in the face of mounting off-field scrutiny, choosing to shield his squad rather than fuel the growing drinking culture narrative. Following a controversial mid-series break in Noosa that sparked debate over professionalism, Stokes made his priorities clear ahead of the high-stakes Boxing Day Test.

With England already 3-0 down and the Ashes series effectively lost, the captain is focusing on the human element of leadership, emphasizing player welfare over the external noise. His stance comes as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) acknowledges viral footage involving opener Ben Duckett. For Stokes, the role of a leader in these turbulent moments is to serve as a protective barrier for his players against harmful public scrutiny.

Don’t know what happens to Ben Duckett in Australia. Generally he is One of The Nicest Cricketers but in Australia he is completely opposite. During 2017/18 Ashes he poured a drink over James Anderson’s Head and now this video.He has put his career on riskpic.twitter.com/KVsCbv73jX

— Aryan Goel (@Aryan42832Goel) December 23, 2025

England captain Ben Stokes addresses drinking controversy ahead of Boxing Day Test against Australia

Addressing the media at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Stokes sidestepped specific allegations of misconduct to focus on the psychological toll such public scrutiny takes on his teammates. Amid allegations that several players engaged in heavy drinking during a four-day break on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, the captain refused to join the chorus of critics. He insisted that his primary objective is to safeguard the mental well-being of his squad as they look to rebuild momentum and avoid a 5–0 whitewash in the final two Tests. By framing his role as one of protection, Stokes is attempting to maintain a supportive environment within a team that has struggled to gain traction throughout a challenging tour.

“How I handle this moment right now is the most important thing to me. The welfare of everyone in there and probably some certain individuals as well is the most important thing to me right now as England captain. I know how this kind of stuff can affect people, and my role as England captain is to protect my players as much as I possibly can. This kind of stuff is very—I don’t know if ‘close to me’ is the right wording—but something that I have first-hand experience of how it can affect people. And as I said, my role as England captain is to protect my players as much as I possibly can. Right here, right now, that is my main job as England captain is to ensure that they know that they have my backing.”

Also READ: Geoffrey Boycott proposes ‘two strong candidates’ to replace Brendon McCullum as England’s Test coach after Ashes 2025-26 defeat

Scrutiny in the wake of Ashes 2025-26 defeat vs Australia

While wanting to be protective, Stokes acknowledged that the only way for his team to escape the current level of criticism is by performing on the field. He was brutally honest about the team’s standing, admitting that losing the first three Tests in just 11 days of play has left them with zero leverage to argue against their detractors. Despite the devastation within the camp, the captain is urging his players to view the remaining matches at the MCG and SCG as a privilege. He reminded the group that representing England remains a lifelong dream that should not be overshadowed by a few days of negative headlines, even as the ECB establishes facts regarding the Noosa trip.

“When you’re 3–0 down and you’ve lost the series, everything you say, everything you do gets scrutinised, and rightly so. You don’t really have a leg to stand on when you’ve lost three games in a huge series like this. When you win, everything’s great; when you’re losing, it’s not. We have a goal still to try and achieve out here on this trip. It’s not gone anywhere near to plan whatsoever, but we’ve still got two games of cricket to play.” Stokes concluded.

Also READ: Australian Cricket Awards 2026: Will the event be scrapped? Here’s everything we know

NEW DELHI: Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari flagged Delhi’s worsening air pollution, saying the capital’s toxic air was so severe that he fell ill after spending just two days in the city, while stressing that the transport sector was a major contributor to the problem.“I stay in Delhi for 2 days and get an infection, it is so polluted,” Gadkari on Tuesday said while speaking at the book launch of My Idea of Nation First – Redefining Unalloyed Nationalism.Linking the capital’s smog to India’s dependence on petrol and diesel, Gadkari said the transport sector alone was responsible for around 40 per cent of Delhi’s pollution. He argued that moving away from fossil fuels towards electric and hydrogen-based mobility was not just an environmental necessity but also a matter of nationalism.“Today, the biggest form of nationalism, Uday ji, is to reduce the country’s imports and increase exports. What situation have we created for ourselves? I can barely stay for two days; I get sick. I got an infection. Why is there pollution everywhere in Delhi? I am the transport minister, and 40 per cent of it is because of us, because of fossil fuels like petrol and diesel,” Gadkari said.The minister questioned India’s continued reliance on imported fossil fuels, saying it imposed a heavy economic and environmental cost. According to Gadkari, the country spends nearly Rs 20 lakh crore every year on fossil fuel imports.“Even today, we are spending Rs 20 lakh crore. What kind of nationalism is this? In this country, we are spending Rs 20 lakh crore on fossil fuels and importing pollution. Can we not create an alternative India?” he said.Gadkari said India already had the capacity to produce cleaner fuel alternatives domestically and pointed to the growing role of farmers in energy production. Recalling earlier discussions on the subject, he said farmers were no longer limited to food production alone.“Sudarshan ji used to tell me many times that the farmer of this country, the annadata, will also become an energy provider, a fuel provider, even an aviation fuel provider. Now all of that has happened. Even vitamins are being made. But no one is ready to trust it,” Gadkari said.Citing advances in clean mobility, the minister said electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles were now economically viable. He claimed that newer technologies were helping reduce both running costs and emissions.“I came here in a car. The world’s first car that runs 100 per cent does not generate 60 per cent electricity. If you compare the cost, on average, this car runs at the equivalent of Rs 25 per litre of petrol. Pollution is zero. Hydrogen is there, we can make it,” he said.Gadkari also pointed to the sharp decline in battery costs over the years as a key factor driving the adoption of electric vehicles. “Electric vehicles have become so popular. When I first spoke about electric vehicles and launched the first one, the lithium battery cost was $150 per kilowatt hour. Now it has come down to $55,” he said.Referring to emerging innovations, he added, “Now sodium technology has arrived. Just yesterday, it came to my house. A boy with a BTech degree developed this technology in five years. Aluminium sheets, which are usually used, are fuel. This is lemon technology.”Gadkari’s remarks came as air quality across Delhi remained in the severe category, with monitoring stations at Anand Vihar recording an AQI of 466, Ashok Vihar 444 and Chandni Chowk 425. Areas around India Gate, Kartavya Path and Rashtrapati Bhavan continued to record very poor air quality.In response to the deteriorating situation, the Commission for Air Quality Management invoked Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan across Delhi NCR, including measures such as the deployment of truck-mounted water sprinklers to control dust and particulate pollution.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Sakibul Gani

NEW DELHI: Bihar rewrote the history books in emphatic fashion on Wednesday, piling up the highest team total ever recorded in List A cricket during their Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025–26 Plate Group match against Arunachal Pradesh in Ranchi. Powered by breathtaking centuries and a relentless assault that lasted the full 50 overs, Bihar amassed a staggering 574/6, eclipsing the previous world record of 506/2 set by Tamil Nadu — also against Arunachal Pradesh — in the same tournament in 2022.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!At the heart of the carnage was Bihar captain Sakibul Gani (128 not out off 40 balls), who etched his name into the record books by smashing the fastest List A century by an Indian. Gani raced to his hundred in just 32 balls, surpassing Anmolpreet Singh’s 35-ball effort from last season, and provided the final, brutal flourish to an innings that had already spiralled beyond control for the opposition.

While Gani supplied the exclamation point, the foundation — and much of the spectacle — was laid by 14-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Already one of the most talked-about names in Indian age-group cricket, Suryavanshi produced a knock that bordered on the unreal, hammering 190 off just 84 balls. His innings featured a jaw-dropping 15 sixes and 16 fours, as he brought up his century in only 36 deliveries, now the third-fastest by an Indian in List A cricket.In the process, Suryavanshi became the youngest centurion in List A history at 14 years and 272 days, eclipsing the long-standing record held by Pakistan’s Zahoor Elahi. Only Jake Fraser-McGurk (29 balls) and AB de Villiers (31 balls) have reached a List A hundred quicker worldwide than Gani.The run-fest did not end there. Ayush Loharuka (116 off 56) also registered a century, ensuring Bihar never lost momentum after choosing to bat first. Arunachal Pradesh’s bowlers, struggling for penetration and consistency, were unable to stem the flow as boundaries rained in all directions through the innings.The sheer scale of the achievement — 574 runs in a 50-over match — underlines the extraordinary nature of the performance.