Mumbai: Summoning BMC chief Bhushan Gagrani for the second consecutive day, the Bombay high court came down heavily on the civic administration for failing to implement its own air pollution mitigating guidelines. It accused BMC of “doing nothing” to curb pollution and of poor oversight that failed to ensure dust-mitigation at construction sites.Stopping construction work was not the solution, constant and surprise monitoring with coordinated reporting from ground was, said the HC, which was hearing a suo motu PIL on unchecked air pollution in Mumbai.A bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad let the dust settle only after “concrete suggestions” to rein in non-compliant sites. They directed that civic squads begin “random, but periodic surprise visits daily” from December 29 and asked BMC to publicise its 28-point guidelines to improve the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) in various media.The HC suggested that the squads be given button cameras and GPS trackers and members do not carry their cellphones during site visits. One phone can be with the driver for any emergency. “No one should know of the visit,” the CJ stressed.Questioning why the compliance was so slack, the HC pointed out that there were at least 125 big construction projects worth minimum Rs 1,000 crore each which could easily afford the cost to implement the mitigating measures to curb pollution.The squads could start at least with the 36 sites that were visited by the HC-appointed inspection committee, senior counsel Darius Khambata, assisting as amicus curiae (friend of court) said. The HC said there should be fear in the mind of project proponents and BMC must publish consequences of non-compliance of pollution norms.The HC, in the first half of the hearing, grilled the BMC on the widespread non-compliance of its mitigating guidelines and posted the matter at 4pm summoning Gagrani again, observing that its senior counsel S U Kamdar “didn’t have instructions” to provide proper suggestions. “How many sites visited since 2pm yesterday?” the CJ asked. When Kamdar said of the 94 squads, 39 visited sites, the HC expressed dissatisfaction. Kamdar, and later Gagrani, said many staffers were on poll duty. The HC was unimpressed. “You should have applied for exemption from the election commission.” Janak Dwarkadas, senior counsel for the intervenor NGO Vanshakti, said, “It appears the right to life of citizens is subservient to election duty.” He suggested that BMC must stop new construction permissions if compliance at existing ones is a problem. The HC orally agreed.Tejesh Dande, counsel for NMMC, said the Navi Mumbai civic body will in 6 months add 52 more AQI monitors every 2 sq km and wants CCTV cameras at every construction site.The CJ asked about steps for construction workers. MPCB senior counsel Ashutosh Kumbhakoni said it has set up a panel to meet with the labour board for action to ensure safety of workers and of 22 RMC sites visited said seven were found non-compliant.The HC will now hear the PIL on Jan 20, 2026 for compliance.

BHOPAL: “My son survived, but he returned to me without his sight,” said Tikku Yaduvanshi (36), his voice breaking as he recalled the 116 days his five-year-old son had battled for life after consuming the toxic cough syrup Coldrif in Parasia town, in MP’s Chhindwara district. “He cannot see, he cannot walk properly, and I cannot leave him even for a moment. How do I go back to work now?” Tikku said.The boy is among the few children to survive the killer cough syrup tragedy that claimed the lives of 26 children across Chhindwara and Betul districts. After more than four months of hospitalisation across multiple cities, he was finally discharged from AIIMS Nagpur on Monday night – alive, but with severe, and possibly irreversible, damage.For Tikku, a former employee of a private finance company, survival has come at an unbearable cost. He has not received a salary for the past four months, defaulted on housing loan EMIs, sold his cattle, and mortgaged his wife’s jewellery to fund treatment and sustain his family during the prolonged hospital stay in Nagpur. “We were four people staying there – my wife, two other family members and I – paying for food, rooms, everything, while our child was fighting for life. Govts and officials might come and go, what we have lived through in these four months cannot be put into words,” Tikku said.His son’s ordeal began on August 24, when Tikku first took him to paediatrician Dr Praveen Soni in Parasia. Two days later, as complications developed, he returned to the doctor. On September 1, Kunal was rushed to Nagpur and admitted to a private hospital. As his condition worsened, he was shifted to AIIMS Nagpur on September 11, where treatment continued for over three months. While the state govt has assured financial assistance towards medical expenses, Tikku said it barely scratches the surface. “Whatever money we receive will go into repaying the loans we took for his treatment. It does not cover our stay, food, or the debts we piled up just to keep him alive,” he said.Complete recovery remains uncertain. Doctors have not been able to say whether his son’s vision will return. “I want the govt to tell me – will it bear the cost of his future treatment,” he asked. “I have heard there are better facilities for eyesight treatment in Chennai. My child did nothing wrong. At least give him a chance,” he added. The Coldrif syrup tragedy has led to arrests, suspensions, and an SIT probe. Paediatrician Dr Praveen Soni, his wife Jyoti Soni, and the manufacturers of the syrup – Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharmaceuticals – have been named as accused. Yet, for families like these, accountability offers little comfort. “My son survived death. Now we are just praying he can see the world one day, and that we are not left alone to fight this battle,” Tikku said.

The US Justice Department released nearly 30,000 additional pages of documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein, marking the largest disclosure yet in the long-running investigation into the late financier and convicted sex offender. The files also contained many of mentions of US President Donald Trump, although it includes an email from a prosecutor pointing out the flights that Trump took on Epstein’s private jet during the 1990s.The Department of Justice said that some material includes “untrue and sensationalist claims” about Trump that were submitted to the FBI shortly before the 2020 election. The department said those allegations were unfounded and false, but the records were being made public in the interests of legal transparency, with protections in place for Epstein’s victims.

Among nearly 30,000 pages of material is now available on the official Justice Department website.An FBI intake report dated October 27, 2020, records a tip from a former limousine driver. According to that report, the driver described a disturbing phone conversation he claimed he overheard in 1995 involving Trump and Epstein. The driver’s account says the woman later told him she had contacted police about what had occurred, and was then found dead in January 2000 by suicide. The details in the file are heavily redacted, and the authorities have made little to no determination about the allegations’ credibility.In an accompanying statement on X on Tuesday, DOJ addressed the claims. It said some documents contain “untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election.”The authotrity described the allegations as lacking any credible basis. “To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponised against President Trump already,” the department said. The DOJ reitarated its commitment to transparency and the legal requirement to release the records, but also said that the inclusion of such claims in the files does not make them factual.Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. In public statements this week, the MAGA chief called the focus on the Epstein case as a distraction by Democrats, asserting that he “cut ties” with Epstein long before the pedophile’s arrest in 2019.The release covers a range of material, not just the unverified rape allegation. Internal emails in the files show Trump was recorded as having travelled on Epstein’s private jet in the 1990s more times than previously known — at least eight flights between 1993 and 1996. Trump’s association with Epstein in the 1990s is well documented, but inclusion in flight logs or social records is not itself an accusation of illegal behaviour.DOJ is constantly being pressured by Democrats for not releasing the full bulk of files. Supporters of the Transparency Act say the public has a right to see government records, even if they contain unverified claims.The latest release follows criticism of an earlier batch of Epstein records, some of which were temporarily removed from the DOJ’s online portal amid concerns about protecting victims’ identities. Authorities later restored those files after determining no victims were shown in the disputed photos.

South Africa National Cricket Team captain Temba Bavuma has finally addressed the controversial Eden Gardens episode that overshadowed an otherwise historic Test match last month. The opening Test between India and South Africa ended dramatically inside three days, with the Proteas sealing their first Test victory in India after 14 years.

However, the first Test between India and South Africa will be remembered for the controversial episode involving Temba Bavuma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rishabh Pant. During the game, stump mic audio picked up comments from Bumrah and Pant that were widely criticized for mocking Bavuma’s height.

What Did Temba Bavuma Say About the Eden Gardens Row?

They called the Proteas captain “Bauna (dwarf),” and that remark sparked massive backlash, and later the head coach, Shukri Conrad, justified his “grovel” remark on India while citing Pant and Bumrah’s remark on Bavuma following their historic 2-0 whitewash in Guwahati.

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Now, Temba Bavuma explained that series against India are always intense, and emotions can spill over when the competition heats up. The skipper has stressed that aggression and passion are part of the contest, as long as basic respect between players remains.

Temba Bavuma wrote in his column for ESPNCricinfo: “A series against India is always going to be intense, and when it’s heated, it makes it even more of a spectacle and motivates the players further. As long as the respect is still intact between players, it’s all good with whatever happens on the field.”

Temba Bavuma opens up about the apology from Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah

The South African captain revealed that both Bumrah and Pant later approached him and apologized. Bavuma made it clear that while words spoken on the field are not forgotten, they are not carried as grudges either, and there is no bad blood between them.

Bavuma further recalled, “I know from my side there was an incident where they said something in their language about me. At the end of the day two senior players, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah, came and apologized. When the apology was made, I was in the dark about what it was about; I hadn’t heard it at the time, and I needed to check in with our media manager about it.”

The Proteas captain signed off by saying, “What happens on the field stays on the field, but you don’t forget what is said. You use it as fuel and motivation, but there are no grudges per se.”

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Why Test Series 2-0 Win is a “Massive Moment” for South Africa?

On the other hand, Bavuma described South Africa’s 2-0 Test series win in India as a massive moment for the South Africa team. He highlighted how rare the achievement was, pointing out that their last series victory in India came way back in 2000.

South Africa’s 2-0 victory in the recent Test series after more than two decades showed how far the team has come and underlined their growth as a strong Test side, said Bavuma.

Looking back, Bavuma recalled tough memories from his earlier tours of India. In 2015, South Africa lost the series 3-0, and he featured only in the final Test in Delhi. The 2019 tour was even harder, with India winning all three tests against the Proteas side.

File photo (Picture credit: ANI)

KOLKATA: Foreign courts can hear divorce and maintenance proceedings of a marriage solemnised in India if one of the spouses resides in that country, the Calcutta high court has said while setting aside a lower court order putting an injunction on a UK district court order in favour of the wife.In its December 15 ruling, a division bench of justices Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya and Supratim Bhattacharya held that under the Hindu Marriage Act, it is specified a petition can be heard by “district court with the local limits” of the residence where a couple last resided. The bench clarified that though under a different section of the same law, “district court” means Indian courts and not foreign courts, “taken in its true spirit and in a liberal perspective”, the UK family court can have jurisdiction if prima facie the wife resides there and at least “the parties last resided together as spouses in the UK.”“It cannot be said outright that the judgment which might ultimately be passed in the divorce suit of the wife in the UK would be inconclusive in India,” the judges said.The couple got married in Kolkata on December 15, 2018. The husband first filed for divorce on Sept 4, 2024, at Alipore court. On October 10, 2024, the wife moved the UK court for divorce and the next day for maintenance. She said she had been residing in the UK since 2015 on student and work visas with occasional visits to India and they last stayed as a married couple in the UK.On May 16, 2025, the UK family court directed the husband to pay maintenance. However, on Nov 1, Alipore district court put an injunction on that order saying the wife cannot proceed with her case in the UK.The Alipore court reasoned that the husband had moved the divorce suit first and held that the UK court had no jurisdiction in the case as the wife was not a permanent resident of the country. It said the maintenance amount granted by the UK court was “onerous and oppressive” as it exceeded the earnings of the husband.The woman challenged the order in the high court which heldeven if the pleas were filed by the wife later, the husband filed a response and adduced evidence in the UK court. “Prima facie, it is not credible that the husband is not in a position to contest the wife’s divorce proceedings and alimony application in UK”, the high court said.

Kane Williamson (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: New Zealand Cricket have announced their squads for the upcoming limited-overs series against India as they keep a close eye on preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which will commence soon after the India tour. The series will feature three One-Day Internationals followed by a five-match T20I series, starting January 11.

With the T20 World Cup set to be played in India and Sri Lanka from February 7, the selectors have used this tour as a key planning step.The five-match T20I series is seen as especially important for the Black Caps before the World Cup. Playing in Indian conditions will help players adjust to slower pitches and quality spin, something they do not face regularly at home. The team management believes this experience will be crucial ahead of the global event.Mitchell Santner will lead the T20I side as he continues his comeback from injury. For the ODI series, Michael Bracewell has been named captain.Several senior players have been recalled for the tour, while a few young faces have also been rewarded for strong recent performances. Jayden Lennox, Kristian Clarke, Bevon Jacobs and Tim Robinson have all been included after impressing in domestic and A-team cricket. Michael Rae, who recently made his Test debut against the West Indies, also finds a place in the squads.Kyle Jamieson returns in both ODI and T20I squads after recovering from injury. Mark Chapman and Matt Henry are also back in the T20I setup, strengthening the bowling and batting units.At the same time, some key players have been rested or ruled out to manage workloads. Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Jacob Duffy, Will O’Rourke and Blair Tickner will miss the tour due to injury concerns or workload management. New Zealand are balancing their schedule carefully as they also prepare for the World Test Championship cycle.NZ T20I Squad v India: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Ish SodhiNZ ODI Squad v India: Michael Bracewell (c), Adi Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway, Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay, Kyle Jamieson, Nick Kelly, Jayden Lennox, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Michael Rae, Will Young

NEW DELHI: India tested an intermediate-range ballistic missile called K-4, which is designed to hit targets 3,500-km away, from the nuclear-powered submarine INS Arighaat in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday.There was no official word from the defence ministry on the missile test conducted off the coast of Visakhapatnam from the 6,000-tonne INS Arighaat, which is operated by the tri-service strategic forces command.Sources, however, confirmed the missile was the solid-fuelled K-4, which can carry a two-tonne nuclear payload and is critical for India to strengthen the sea leg of its nuclear weapons triad.“A comprehensive analysis will determine whether Tuesday’s test actually met all laid down technical parameters and mission objectives or revealed some shortcomings. It usually takes several tests for ballistic missiles, especially those launched from submarines, to achieve full operational status,” a source said.After multiple trials from undersea platforms in the shape of submersible pontoons over the last several years, the two-stage K-4 missile was tested for the first time from INS Arighaat in Nov last year.INS Arighaat, the country’s second nuclear-powered submarine with nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles (called SSBN in naval parlance), was commissioned on Aug 29 last year. Her forerunner INS Arihant, which became fully operational in 2018, can carry only the 750-km range K-15 missiles.India will commission its third SSBN as INS Aridhaman in the first quarter of 2026 and the fourth in 2027-28 under the secretive over Rs 90,000 crore ATV (advanced technology vessel) programme launched decades ago. These two SSBNs are slightly larger, with a displacement of 7,000 tonnes each, than the first two 6,000-tonne ones.There is also the plan to eventually build 13,500-tonne SSBNs, with much more powerful 190 MW pressurised light-water reactors instead of the existing 83 MW ones on the first four submarines.India’s existing SSBNs, of course, are less than half the size of the ones with the US, China and Russia. The operational deployment of K-4 missiles, which will be followed by the K-5 and K-6 missiles in the 5,000 to 6,000-km range class, will somewhat help India narrow the huge gap with countries like the US, Russia and China, which have a range of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).The first two legs of India’s nuclear triad are much more robust, with the land-based ballistic missiles led by the Agni-5 with a strike range of over 5,000 km and fighters like Rafales, Sukhoi-30MKIs and Mirage-2000s capable of delivering nuclear gravity bombs.The SSBNs, however, impart India’s deterrence posture with much more credibility because they are considered the most secure, survivable and potent platforms for retaliatory strikes in line with the country’s “no first-use” policy.

Isro delivers its heaviest punch as Bahubali puts BlueBird into orbit

SRIHARIKOTA: Baahubali sent BlueBird to the heavens. India’s space ambitions gained new heights and heft. Isro capped 2025 with a flawless heavy-lift statement Wednesday, as its LVM3 rocket — nicknamed Baahubali — hurled the US communications satellite BlueBird Block-2 into low Earth orbit, the heaviest spacecraft ever launched from Indian soil.The lift-off came from the second launch pad at Sriharikota at 8.55 am, delayed by a minute to sidestep space debris. Fifteen minutes later, precision prevailed. The 6,100kg satellite was injected into a near-perfect circular orbit, marking another clean chapter for India’s human-rated launcher.The mission extended LVM3’s unbroken streak to nine consecutive successes — a milestone that sharpens confidence for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme and signals India’s arrival as a serious player in the global LEO communications market.Isro chairman V Narayanan called it a standout flight on multiple fronts. The launcher achieved orbital accuracy of less than 1.5km, placing BlueBird at 518.9km against a target of 520km — the best performance by an Indian rocket to date. “With nine consecutive successful LVM3 launches, our confidence in the Gaganyaan mission has significantly increased,” Narayanan said.Beyond mass and accuracy, the launch carried historical weight. It marked Isro’s 434th satellite deployment for 34 countries across 45 years, and the first back-to-back LVM3 mission, executed with a turnaround of just 52 days.Technological upgrades pushed the rocket further. Payload capability rose by more than 150kg after electro-hydraulic actuators were replaced with electro-mechanical systems to control the massive S200 booster motors. “With additional technologies, we have demonstrated that Isro is in a much better position for future missions, including Gaganyaan,” said mission director T Victor Joseph.The flight underscored rising commercial momentum. P Mohan, acting chairman and MD of Isro’s commercial arm NewSpace India Ltd, said interest in the launcher is accelerating. “There is interest for six to 10 LVM3 missions annually, with several global companies seeking up to six launches per year from 2026–27 onwards,” he said.Wednesday’s mission, designated LVM3-M6, was flown under a commercial agreement between NSIL and US-based AST & Science LLC. BlueBird Block-2 forms part of a global LEO constellation designed to deliver direct-to-mobile 4G and 5G connectivity.Shanti Gupta, chief operating officer of AST SpaceMobile, said the company aims to deploy 45 to 60 satellites by the end of 2026 for worldwide coverage and is in talks with space agencies across the globe, including Isro.Industry voices framed the launch as a strategic inflection point. Space Industry Association of India president Subba Rao said India now stands among a select group capable of reliably deploying heavy-class LEO payloads for next-generation telecom networks. “Its significance lies not just in launch success, but in what it signals about India’s industrial readiness, reliability, and ability to support constellations at scale over time,” he said.Indian Space Association director general Lt Gen (retd) AK Bhatt described the mission as a quantum leap. “It exemplifies Isro’s engineering excellence and operational maturity, enabling heavier payloads for global satellite constellations,” he said. “The mission strengthens India’s self-reliance in launch services and positions Isro as a preferred provider for international missions, while accelerating growth across the domestic space ecosystem.”As Baahubali faded into the morning sky, the message lingered on Earth: India is no longer testing the limits of heavy lift — it is defining them.

PALAKKAD: Even as the attack on the children’s Christmas carol group triggered political protests, parents of the children protested against the statement of BJP leader C Krishnakumar, who appeared to justify the attack.Krishnakumar claimed the group members were drinking and described the group as a criminal team that took a band set from the CPM area committee office. Talking to the media on Wednesday, the parents said the children were out caroling, as they do every year, when the incident occurred, and that the group comprised only children aged 10-15, with no adults present. They said both students and their families were affected by the incident, adding that Krishnakumar’s statement was even more distressing. They expressed their willingness to file a complaint over the mental anguish the children faced in the aftermath of the incident.In protest, DYFI announced that carols in protest would be held across 2,500 units in the district. Congress alleged that the attack was retaliation by BJP as it failed to gain support from the Christian community and described it as a deliberate attempt to disturb communal harmony. Police arrested an RSS worker, Ashwin Raj, in connection with the incident on Tuesday. The incident took place when the carol group, comprising children, was visiting the houses in the area on Sunday night. Police said the crime occurred in an area where the RSS is considered to have a strong presence. As per the complaint, the accused confronted the carol group and destroyed their band set and other articles. The official report stated he was intoxicated when he attacked the children.