CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR: A division bench of Justices Vibha Kankanwadi and Hiten Venegavkar of the Bombay high court directed the Nanded district collector on Dec 12 to initiate action within one month in a case of alleged encroachment on 23 acres of govt land attached to the Nanded Sikh Gurdwara. The court warned that failure to comply would require the collector to appear personally before the high court.The writ petition was filed by Sardar Manjeet Singh Jagan Singh, a trustee of the Diwan, against the State of Maharashtra and other authorities.Representing the petitioner, advocate Ganesh Gadhe said, “The dispute pertains to a piece of prime land sizing 23 acres that was granted to the Nanded Sikh Gurdwara as pattedar land for cultivation in 1954. Both the gurdwara board and the petitioner have accepted that ownership of the land vests with the govt. We have submitted in the petition that portions of the land have been encroached upon by private parties and that revenue authorities have failed to take statutory action despite repeated representations.“The HC was informed that after an earlier writ petition was disposed of in July 2023 with liberty to pursue an appropriate remedy, the petitioner moved an application on July 17, 2023, seeking removal of encroachment. On July 25, 2023, the then administrator of the gurdwara clarified before authorities that the petitioner was authorised to represent the gurdwara board, and the administrator of the gurdwara board urged serious consideration of the complaint.Subsequently, on Oct 25, 2023, revenue authorities directed initiation of action under section 53 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code. Further directions were issued on Nov 23, 2023 to the circle officer and talathi to proceed under the same provision. Despite this, the matter did not progress.In a communication dated May 25, 2024, the Nanded circle officer informed the petitioner that the relevant survey numbers had been converted into property cards. A spot inspection revealed boards indicating ownership by both the gurdwara board and a private developer on different portions of the land. The officer said due to conversion into property cards and lack of records, it was not possible to determine the nature of ownership and that powers under section 53 rested with the district collector.On May 27, 2024, the present superintendent of the gurdwara wrote to the Nanded district collector seeking eviction under sections 53 and 242 of the Code, contending that failure to act had caused loss to govt property and, consequently, to the gurdwara. The petition pointed out that the collector did not respond to this communication.The high court noted the nearly two-year delay and observed that the case appeared to be one where superior authorities merely passed instructions without ensuring actual action. The bench stressed that revenue officers are duty-bound to protect govt land.The court directed the Nanded collector to initiate and complete action within one month from the date of the order. It warned that in the event of non-compliance, the Nanded district collector would have to remain personally present before the court to explain the steps taken. The matter was posted for further consideration high on board on Jan 17, 2026.

The first Sydney Smash of BBL|15 takes center stage as Sydney Thunder hosts Sydney Sixers at the Sydney Showground Stadium. Both teams are searching for their first win of the season, adding high stakes to an already fierce crosstown rivalry.

The Thunder started their campaign with a heartbreaking last-ball loss to the Hobart Hurricanes. Despite posting a strong 180, their bowlers couldn’t defend it in the final over. Captain David Warner returns to the squad for this massive derby, providing a huge psychological and tactical boost at the top of the order. Cameron Bancroft looked in sublime touch with a half-century in the opener, while Shadab Khan proved his value as a genuine all-rounder, taking 2 wickets and contributing with the bat.

The three-time champions have had a rare horror start, losing their first two matches against the Scorchers and Strikers. Marquee signing Babar Azam has struggled so far, recording two single-digit scores. He will be desperate to silence critics in the derby. Josh Philippe and Jack Edwards have been the lone warriors with the bat, while the veteran Kane Richardson is expected to make his Sixers debut to bolster a bowling unit that has lacked “bite” in the death overs.

ST vs SS, BBL|15: Match details

• Date and Time: December 20; 1:45 pm IST / 8:15 am GMT / 7:15 pm Local
• Venue: Sydney Showground Stadium, Sydney
• Head-to-Head Record in BBL: Matches played: 27 | Sydney Thunder won: 8 | Sydney Sixers won: 18 | No result/Tied: 2

Sydney Showground Stadium Pitch Report

The Sydney Showground Stadium is expected to offer a balanced, slightly slower surface that typically rewards tactical bowling over brute force. Historically, the pitch features a spongy bounce that can make it difficult for batters to time the ball freely, resulting in an average first-innings score of around 145–155.

Squads

Sydney Sixers: Daniel Hughes, Babar Azam, Josh Philippe (wk), Moises Henriques (c), Jordan Silk, Jack Edwards, Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Hayden Kerr, Mitchell Perry, Jafer Chohan, Todd Murphy, Kane Richardson, Lachlan Shaw

Sydney Thunder: Sam Konstas, David Warner(c), Matthew Gilkes, Cameron Bancroft, Sam Billings(w), Shadab Khan, Daniel Sams, Chris Green, Nathan McAndrew, Tom Andrews, Reece Topley, Tanveer Sangha, Blake Nikitaras, Ryan Hadley

Also READ: Sarfaraz Khan shares emotional note after getting picked by CSK in IPL 2026 auction

ST vs SS, BBL|15: Today’s Match Prediction

Case 1:

• Sydney Thunder wins the toss and bowls first
• Sydney Sixers’ powerplay score: 40-50 (6 overs)
• Sydney Sixers’ total score: 150-160

Case 2:

• Sydney Sixers wins the toss and bowls first
• Sydney Thunder’s powerplay score: 45-55 (6 overs)
• Sydney Thunder’s total score: 150-165

Match result: Team bowling first to win the contest

Also WATCH: Finn Allen launches a colossal 105-metre six off Jack Wildermuth in BBL|15

MUMBAI: Billionaire Gautam Adani is checking into hospitality in a big way, with plans to build “one of the country’s largest hotel portfolios”, anchored around his group’s airports and real estate assets. The move positions the group in direct competition with Tata Group’s Taj, ITC Hotels, and the Oberoi chain (in which Reliance Industries and ITC hold about 19% and 16% stakes, respectively). “We will have upwards of 60 hotels across our airports and real estate businesses. It’s like one of the largest hotel portfolios in the country,” Jeet Adani, director of Adani Group told TOI. “All the hotels will be developed by the group, with the exception of Sahara Star hotel (near Mumbai airport’s Terminal 1),” Jeet said.The group has expressed interest in acquiring Sahara Group’s 88 assets, including the landmark Sahara Star, and has already secured creditors’ approval to buy Jaypee Group assets, which include five hotels in northern India. Navi Mumbai will be a major focus. “We are building about 15 hotels in Navi Mumbai,” Jeet said, underscoring the scale of the group’s hospitality ambitions. The group will “tie up with international hotel operators” to manage these properties. The hospitality push is part of Adani Group’s broader city-side development plan, which includes retail, convention centres, and F&B outlets built alongside its airport terminals. The move is to shift away from dependence on aeronautical revenues, which are expected to fall to just 10% from nearly half today, as city-side development and airport lounges take centre stage.A large convention centre is planned for Mumbai, while Navi Mumbai will feature a smaller 25,000-seat arena, Jeet said. RIL’s Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai’s BKC, opened in 2022, is among the country’s largest such facilities. When asked if the group plans to hive off the hotel portfolio into a distinct entity, Jeet responded negatively. “Real estate will stay with Adani Realty and Adani Properties. Whatever is related to the airport will remain within the airport business. However, we have created a common management team to extract maximum value across both,” Jeet said.

MUMBAI: Adani Group, India’s fifth-largest conglomerate by market value, intends to bid for nearly a dozen airports slated for privatisation as part of its Rs 1-lakh-crore investment plan for aviation infrastructure over the next five years. Earlier this year, govt announced plans to lease out 11 airports, including those in Amritsar and Varanasi.“Out of the Rs 1-lakh-crore, some part is earmarked and provisioned for the next round of airport bidding,” Jeet Adani, director at Adani Group, who oversees the country’s largest private airport network, told TOI. The investment, which will be funded through a mix of debt and equity, will also be deployed to build new terminals and upgrade aircraft-handling facilities and passenger amenities across its airports.

The group entered the airport sector in 2019 after winning six airports in govt’s privatisation drive. Two years later, it acquired the Mumbai airport from GVK Group, expanding its footprint. It is set to operationalise the Navi Mumbai airport next week, its first greenfield airport project.Jeet (28), the younger son of group chairman Gautam Adani, is also preparing the airport business for a potential listing by 2030 through a demerger. The group has previously listed businesses such as power transmission and renewable energy through similar demergers, bypassing the traditional IPO route.Before a listing, however, the airport unit must meet key milestones, including turning cash positive. Housed under flagship Adani Enterprises, the unit is ebitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) positive. In FY25, it made an operating profit of Rs 3,480 crore. “Once the capex cycle slows and revenues start flowing from the Navi Mumbai airport, city side development such as retail, food and beverage, hotels, and from ongoing expansion, the business will become cash positive and will not need support from the parent,” said Jeet.For now, the group’s airport ambitions remain firmly domestic. Jeet said the group will focus on India for five years, following the cancellation of an airport contract in Kenya last year amid criticism over transparency. This story had continued from a page 35 story in the newspaper. For your reading convenience we have added it below.Adani Grp eyes 12 airports in 1L cr infra planThe Adani Group intends to bid for nearly a dozen airports slated for privatisation as part of its Rs 1 lakh-crore investment plan for aviation infrastructure over the next five years, group director Jeet Adani said. Govt announced plans to lease out 11 airports, including those in Amritsar and Varanasi, earlier this year.

US President Donald Trump speaks during an event on prescription drug prices in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington (Picture credit: AP)

US President Donald Trump on Friday announced agreements with nine major pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices in the United States, marking a significant push to align domestic costs with those paid in other rich countries. The companies include Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, GSK, Merck, Novartis and Sanofi.Under the deals, the drugmakers will rein in prices for medicines sold through Medicaid, charging rates comparable to what they levy in other wealthy nations. New drugs launched by these companies will also follow “most-favored-nation” pricing across all markets, including commercial insurance, cash-pay customers, Medicare and Medicaid, according to news agency AP.Trump said the agreements would end a system in which US patients paid far more than the rest of the world. “We were subsidising the entire world. We’re not doing it anymore,” he said at a White House press conference, according to Reuters. US prescription drug prices are often nearly three times higher than those in other developed countries.The companies also agreed to list pharmacy-ready medicines on a new direct-to-consumer platform, TrumpRx, set to launch in January, allowing patients to buy drugs directly from manufacturers. As per Reuters, some firms will offer discounts of up to 70% on select medicines, although analysts noted that Medicaid already receives steep rebates.Bristol Myers Squibb said it would provide its blockbuster blood thinner Eliquis free to Medicaid, a move described by health economist William Padula as “a thoughtful health equity move,” as per AP. Several companies also pledged to donate active pharmaceutical ingredients to a national reserve for use during emergencies.Markets reacted positively, with shares of most participating drugmakers rising, Reuters said, as the agreements also grant a three-year exemption from threatened pharmaceutical tariffs in return for commitments to invest in US manufacturing. Trump said he had warned companies of possible tariffs to push them to “do the right thing,” AP reported.According to CNBC, the administration has now secured pricing agreements with 14 of the 17 drugmakers it approached earlier this year, with negotiations continuing with the remaining firms.

BENGALURU: Parents in Thyagarajanagar claimed that 35-year-old former gym trainer Ranjan M, also known as Ranjith, had recently targeted several children in the locality. According to them, he tried to hit a girl with his bike, pulled the hair of a boy riding a bicycle, and even followed another girl the next day, striking her with his elbow. “We have collected footage and handed it over to the police,” said one parent.The most serious incident occurred on December 14, when a five-year-old boy visiting his maternal uncle’s house in Doddamavalli near Lalbagh was kicked by Ranjan while playing badminton with other children on Old Post Office Road. The boy sustained an injury above his eyebrow along with scratches on his hands and feet and was taken to a hospital for treatment.The child’s mother filed a police complaint the same day, alleging that the assault was intentional. CCTV footage, she said, corroborated the incident.A senior police officer confirmed that Ranjan appears to be mentally unstable and is undergoing psychiatric treatment. “During interrogation, he confessed to having assaulted several children, claiming that he felt distracted and agitated by the children shouting and playing on the road,” the officer said. Ranjan, who is unmarried and resides locally, has no previous criminal record. He was arrested but later released on station bail. His parents have reportedly taken him to Madurai for further treatment. Police said they are continuing to collect his medical records and assessing the situation to prevent further incidents, urging parents to remain vigilant.