Congress’ Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge during 140th foundation day celebrations of Indian National Congress at Indira Bhawan in New Delhi

NEW DELHI: Party president Mallikarjun Kharge asserted that “Congress is an ideology and ideologies never die”, as Indian National Congress marked its 140th foundation day on Sunday.The event at Indira Bhawan headquarters of Congress in New Delhi to mark the occasion was attended by Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, K C Venugopal, Ajay Maken and other party functionaries and members.On X, Rahul said that Congress is not just a political party, but the voice of India’s soul that has stood with every weak, deprived and hardworking person. “The resolve is to fight even more strongly the battle for truth, courage, and to protect the Constitution against hatred, injustice and dictatorship,” he said.Addressing the gathering, Kharge said that “to those who say ‘Congress is finished’, I want to tell them that our power may be less, but our spine is still straight”. “We have not compromised – not with the Constitution, not with secularism, and not with the rights of the poor. We may not be in office, but we will not bargain,” he said.He took the opportunity to urge Congress workers across country to unite and reach out to people at grassroots level to build a mass movement for restoration of MGNREGA, calling it a “vital lifeline for the poor and vulnerable”.Calling for a united fight to ‘save the democracy’, Kharge said the Constitution and democracy are under grave threat. “This fight is not merely electoral. It is a battle for the soul of India. If Congress does not fight, who will protect the Constitution and democracy?” he asked.Kharge alleged that in past 11 years, BJP-led govt has systematically weakened institutions built by Congress.

After being left out of Team India’s squad for the T20 World Cup, Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill has decided to return to domestic cricket to improve his game. The right-hander has been spending time training at the PCA Stadium in Mohali and is set to play two matches for Punjab in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Gill will have a massive white-ball phase ahead, including an ODI series against New Zealand, the Indian Premier League 2026, and a subsequent limited-overs tour of England. Gill will lead the Men in Blue in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, which is set to begin on Sunday, January 11, in Vadodara.

Shubman Gill’s Poor T20I Form Led to His Exclusion From India’s T20 World Cup Squad

Shubman Gill’s exclusion from India’s T20 World Cup squad came after a prolonged struggle for form in the shortest format. The selectors and team management took a tough call and decided to leave Gill out of the World Cup squad.

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Gill returned to the T20I setup during the Asia Cup 2025, where he scored 127 runs in seven matches at an average of 21.16 and a strike rate of 151.19. The opening batter’s inconsistency raised concerns over his place in the playing XI. India then toured Australia for a five-match T20I series.

Gill made 132 runs from five games at an average of 44.00 and a strike rate of 136.08. He also failed to make a strong impact in the subsequent series against South Africa. Since his return to the T20I side, Gill has managed 291 runs from 15 innings at an average of 24.25, without scoring a single half-century.

Shubman Gill Turns to Domestic Cricket After T20 World Cup Snub

Shubman Gill’s exclusion from India’s T20 World Cup plans came as a surprise to many, given his role in the leadership group across formats. The decision was influenced by his lack of form in T20 cricket, with three selectors and the captain opting to move away from him ahead of the tournament.

Following the omission, Gill is set to return to domestic cricket as part of his comeback plan. The Test and ODI captain will represent Punjab in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Officials from the Punjab Cricket Association have confirmed that Gill will feature in Punjab’s group matches against Sikkim (January 3) and Goa (January 6). Both fixtures are scheduled to be played at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

Shubman Gill Focuses on Preparation After T20 World Cup Omission

According to RevSportz, Shubman Gill was informed just minutes before the squad announcement, while he was still with the T20I group in Ahmedabad. This lack of clarity proved disappointing for Gill, who has consistently spoken about the importance of transparent communication.

Despite sharing a good working relationship with Gautam Gambhir, there is a sense of disappointment over how the situation was handled. Gill has since shifted his focus fully to preparation, putting in long batting sessions at the PCA Stadium to work on his basics and discipline.

The opening batter has also increased his focus on fitness, an area that has troubled him at key moments in recent times. He will look to regain momentum in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, having finished 2025 as the leading scorer across formats with 1,764 runs.

Also read: Virat Kohli Vijay Hazare Trophy participation: Return date and opposition revealed

Four-time major champion Aryna Sabalenka reacts during the Battle of the Sexes match against Nick Kyrgios. (AP)

When Billie Jean King played – and beat – Bobby Riggs in the iconic Battle of the Sexes in 1973, women’s tennis was struggling for relevance. The complexion of the sport is much different now. There is equal pay at all four majors, with that win for BJK playing a crucial role in the formation of the WTA, the governing body for women’s tennis. Unfortunately, the modern rendition of the Battle of the Sexes, between World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and World No. 671 Nick Kyrgios, was an own goal that hurt women’s tennis and veered towards a circus act.Kyrgios, who has won just one competitive match since the end of 2022, triumphed 6-3, 6-3 against four-time major champion Sabalenka with the likes of Ronaldo, Kaka, Peter Crouch and more celebrities watching on. Without getting into the men vs women biological debate, Kyrgios — despite looking absolutely exhausted from the middle of the first set onward — cantered to victory on the back of some nifty kick serves, lots of spin and more consistent groundstrokes.

“It was a really tough match,” Kyrgios said in the on-court interview after. “She is a hell of a competitor. It could have gone either way.”From the very onset, the rules for the contest in Dubai were comical. In an attempt to level the playing field between Kyrgios, a former Wimbledon finalist, and Sabalenka, the Belarusian’s side of the court was 9% smaller, and both players were limited to one serve per point.In practice, these rules looked bizarre. Sabalenka’s shortened court, by 3.5 feet, meant she was standing well behind the baseline while serving, to make it resemble a regular court. Additionally, the court’s proportions would have been challenging even for professional athletes, as was clear by Sabalenka’s rising unforced error count.

Aryna Sabalenka walks to the court for her Battle of the Sexes match against Nick Kyrgios in Dubai. (AP)

Sabalenka walked onto the court between the fans, with “Eye of the Tiger” playing in the background, wearing a silver sparkly jacket as if a WWE superstar entering the ring. Throughout the exhibition, she did entertain as one would expect of a WWE wrestler. She smiled, she laughed, and she did the Macarena during a time-out in the second set. On the tennis front, she looked uncomfortable against Kyrgios’ choppy forehands, unconventional shotmaking and failed to capitalise on any momentum.This was suitable for those who have a passing interest in tennis and a couple of hours to waste. It won’t be the ‘Drive to Survive’ moment for tennis. Even for an exhibition, this was a laughably poor idea from the beginning. Any attempts at converting the naysayers failed, despite what Kyrgios, Sabalenka and their management agency (both represented by Evolve) would like the rest of the world to believe.“This is a great stepping stone for the sport of tennis. Of course I was nervous. This was all the world was talking about for six months. Aryna was up for the challenge. I was under the pump there.”Sabalenka, despite the criticism that has come her way for weeks, insisted that she would like a rematch. “I felt great,” she said. “I feel I put on a great fight. He was struggling, he was getting really tired. I hit a lot of great shots. I really enjoyed the show. I feel like next time I play him, I know the tactics and his strengths and weaknesses.”

Former Brazil striker Ronaldo (centre) was in attendance for the Battle of the Sexes tennis match between Nick Kyrgios and Aryna Sabalenka. (AP)

Billie Jean King’s high-stakes win against Riggs did more to help tennis than a regular match would have. It brought about equality, fairness and social justice for women’s tennis. Fifty-two years later, Sabalenka’s agreement to play this charade did more damage than good.“I was intrigued to see the battle of the sexes. It is a just an exhibition and pointless. Not sure this helps tennis. Kyrgios underarm serve, drop shot ,etc,” posted former British No. 1 Greg Rusedski.Either way this contest went, it was destined to be a bad look for women’s tennis. By manner of design, Sabalenka, and women’s tennis by extension, were bound to be attacked by sexists and misogynists.“Women’s tennis got EXPOSED in Dubai. Kyrgios (not even top 500 men) straight-sets Sabalenka 6-3 6-3, toyed with the “World No.1” like a child. Court rigged: his side smaller, one serve only, still demolished her.“Battle of the Sexes? More like a massacre. Reality doesn’t lie,” wrote one user on X.

Nick Kyrgios (R) beat Aryna Sabalenka (L) 6-3, 6-3 in the Battle of the Sexes match in Dubai. (AP)

Another opined: “What a crock. Kyrgios toying with Sabalenka on a heavily disadvantaged court to hit into, whilst he feeds her half-speed shots was an embarassment [sic]. What a horrible watch that was.”2025 was a stellar year for women’s tennis. Sabalenka reached three of four major finals, winning one. Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Elena Rybakina and Madison Keys all had great career arcs and women’s tennis had many fascinating stories to tell. This attention-seeking, money-grabbing act shouldn’t take away the sheen from that.

Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur(DLJ), DRDO handed over Camouflage Pattern Generation Software Sigma 4.0 (CPGSS4.0) and a full-scale Multispectral Signature Tank Mock-up to CME, Pune (Picture credit: DRDO)

NEW DELHI: According to Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of War’, “all warfare is based on deception.”In the wake of the Pakistan conflict in May when the enemy forces attempted to target Indian military assets like air defence systems, including Russia-imported S400 Triumf missile system, with their missiles and drones, India’s elite R&D wing Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has transferred two key indigenous technologies to the Army that will help its soldiers and their military equipment evade enemy detection.Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur (DLJ), DRDO, handed over Camouflage Pattern Generation Software Sigma 4.0 (CPGSS4.0) and a full-scale Multispectral Signature Tank Mock-up to the Indian Army’s Corps of Military Engineering (CME) in Pune in the first week of December. “CPGSS4.0 was launched today (Dec 3) by Lt Gen A K Ramesh, SM, Comdt CME in the presence of V S Shenoi, Director, DLJ and will be available for use by tri-services,” DRDO recently posted on X. “A full scale multispectral signature tank mock-up will be use (sic) for training the service personnel in camouflaging and deception technology,” it stated.CPGS 4.0 is an advanced software developed to create highly effective, multi-spectral camouflage patterns for military equipment, helping soldiers blend into diverse terrains by countering detection across visible light, infrared (IR), and radar sensors, thereby significantly boosting battlefield deception and survival training for the Indian Army. Whereas a multispectral signature tank mock-up is a full-scale, realistic decoy of a battle tank, designed not just to look like a tank in visible light, but to mimic its physical and electromagnetic properties (heat, radar reflection) across various sensor spectrums, allowing soldiers to test and train with advanced camouflage materials to hide tanks from modern threats like thermal, infrared and radar detection.Developing multispectral deception capabilities is the need of the hour as traditional camouflage measures have become less effective in modern warfare. These advanced systems are designed to enhance the Army’s capabilities in camouflage and deception, which are key for survival on modern battlefields where surveillance and sensor technologies are fast advancing.The integration of sophisticated software with a realistic mock-up helps tackle challenges posed by modern detection systems, including thermal imaging, UAV reconnaissance and radar technologies. With the introduction of these technologies, the Army now has the capacity to indulge in concealment methods more effectively, thereby enhancing operational survivability.

Mumbai: The Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi will contest 62 of the 227 seats in BMC polls as part of the Congress-led alliance, the two parties announced on Sunday. Congress, meanwhile, continued discussing seat-sharing with NCP (SP) until late Sunday.Congress is reportedly keen to contest 150 seats, leaving only 15 for NCP (SP) and other smaller alliance partners. Congress sources said they might reduce their demand for a few seats to accommodate NCP (SP).With Tuesday being the last day for filing nominations, Congress tried to conclude discussions by Sunday to enable its shortlisted candidates to file their papers. But the party and NCP (SP) continued to disagree on seat-sharing numbers.Through the selection of its candidates and the alliance, Congress aims to consolidate Muslim and Dalit voters. It believes the VBA alliance will be more helpful than other partners in Mumbai, hence the allocation of substantial seats to Ambedkar’s party.In the past two decades, Congress has attempted to forge alliances with VBA in parliamentary and state assembly elections, but these efforts did not materialise due to what the party described as Ambedkar’s “unrealistic” demands. VBA contested the recent assembly election independently, and although it did not win a single seat, it demonstrated its presence in many areas. In Mumbai too, in a few assembly segments, its candidates secured substantial votes, mainly in Chembur, Mankhurd, Mulund, and Anushakti Nagar.After finalising the Mumbai alliance with VBA, Congress said it expected local leaders to work out similar seat-sharing arrangements with the party for civic elections in the remaining 28 cities in the state.The announcement was made by Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal and VBA state vice-president Dhairyavardhan Pundkar. Sapkal recalled that the two parties had allied in the 1998-99 elections and are coming together now “to start a new chapter, which is not a numbers game but a meeting of ideas.”Pundkar said that both parties had come together to stop the divisive and destructive politics of BJP. He noted that Sapkal took the first step towards the alliance and maintained a positive approach from the beginning.

HYDERABAD: A journey that now tests the patience of train travellers between Hyderabad and Vijayawada could soon become a swift, near-flight time dash. South Central Railway (SCR) is planning a major upgrade of tracks along the Golden Diagonal (GD) corridor to support speeds of up to 160 kmph, potentially cutting travel time to under three hours.If cleared, the semi high-speed corridor — currently operational only on select routes such as Delhi-Agra and Delhi-Meerut — will be the first-of-its-kind in South India. Railway officials expect the upgraded infrastructure to be ready within two years of the proposal receiving approval.

SCR sources said the speed enhancement would bring down journey time from the present four to five hours taken by most superfast express trains. Key stretches identified for the upgrade include Secunderabad-Kazipet, Kazipet-Vijayawada, Duvvada-Vijayawada and Vijayawada-Gudur — corridors that already host premium services such as Vande Bharat trains.Officials confirmed that a detailed proposal has been sent to the Centre seeking permission to upgrade high density routes from the current 130 kmph to 160 kmph. “Works are being taken up on the Golden Quadrilateral (GQ), GD and other high density routes to enhance speeds from the existing 130 kmph to 160 kmph, particularly on corridors that already operate premium services such as Vande Bharat and Duronto express trains,” said a senior SCR official.Frequent flyers point out that air travel between Hyderabad and Vijayawada already takes nearly three hours door-to-door — about an hour to reach Hyderabad airport, one hour in the air, and another 40 minutes to an hour to reach Vijayawada city.“In comparison, Vande Bharat and Duronto trains take around four hours from Secunderabad, while other express services take close to five hours,” said K Vishwanath Rao, a regular traveller on the route.With the proposed speed upgrade, rail travel time between the two cities is expected to drop to around three hours, making trains a faster and more convenient option for journeys within a 350-km radius. The move is also expected to reduce at least an hour off existing rail travel times across key corridors.“Upgrading tracks to higher speeds would not only reduce journey times but also help operate more trains efficiently. Our zone has several GD and GQ sections. Earlier, it took nearly two years to upgrade tracks from 110 kmph to 130 kmph. It could take around two years for upgrading the tracks to 160 kmph, once the works are grounded,” the senior official said.SCR had earlier upgraded several high density routes during 2022-23 to permit speeds of up to 130 kmph, enabling faster operations of Vande Bharat, Rajdhani and Duronto services. At present, 1,834 km — about 28% of SCR’s 6,560 route km — is cleared for 130 kmph operations.The new plan aims to push the envelope further by upgrading around 2,500 km of crucial stretches to handle speeds of up to 160 kmph, sources said.

Pakistani cricketer Imad Wasim has yet again hit the headlines because of his personal life. On Sunday, December 28, the former Pakistan all-rounder confirmed on social media that he has filed for divorce from his wife Sannia Ashfaq after years of “unresolved conflicts.”

Imad Wasim Officially Files for Divorce, Requests Privacy

Imad asked everyone to respect his privacy during this difficult time. He also requested people not to use old photos or create false stories. Even the Pakistani cricketer made it clear that his ex-wife should no longer be referred to as his spouse while warning against spreading false news.

Read Also: Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi ditch national duty for BBL as Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka tour officially announced

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Taking to his social media handle, Wasim released an official statement that reads, “After much thought, and due to repeated conflicts that could not be resolved over the past few years, I have filed for divorce. I sincerely request everyone to respect our privacy and avoid using or sharing any old couple photos. Please also refrain from referring to her as my spouse going forward.”

The former Pakistani star further noted. “I request everyone not to engage in or believe any misleading narratives. Any attempt to defame or involve others in this personal matter will be addressed through the proper legal channels if necessary.”

“I Remain Their Father”: Imad Wasim

Even after the separation, Imad said that he will always remain their father. The all-rounder has assured that he will continue to take full and responsible care of his children. Notably, Imad and Sannia have three children together, including a daughter and two sons.

He concluded the message by saying, “Regarding the children, I remain their father and will continue to care for them fully and responsibly. Thank you for your understanding and respect.”

Imad Wasim’s Instagram post. pic.twitter.com/Zvro5D7qK9

— Sheri. (@CallMeSheri1_) December 28, 2025

Marriage Timeline and Rumors Preceding the Split

Imad Wasim was born in Wales and moved to Pakistan as a child with his parent, and he later built his cricket career. On the other hand, Sannia Ashfaq is of British-Pakistani origin. The two met in London and got married in August 2019 in a private ceremony in Islamabad.

The problems reportedly started surfacing in their marriage last year. The situation became more intense after Sannia shared a cryptic post on Instagram, hinting at Imad’s alleged relationship with social media influencer Naila Raja, making things worse.

Read Also: Imad Wasim’s wife breaks silence on husband’s love affair

These rumors spread quickly online, making it even worse for the couple to make it work. However, Naila Raja later denied all such claims and called them false and baseless. And now they head for the divorce, citing the “repeated unresolved conflicts” between them.

BPL Performance Amid Personal Issues

Wasim is currently playing in the Bangladesh Premier League 2025-26 (BPL 2026-27) for the Dhaka Capitals. He is in great form, as his tight spell of 3/16 led Dhaka Capitals to the five-wicket victory over Rajshahi Warriors in the third match of the Bangladesh Premier League at Sylhet.

Imad represented Pakistan in 55 ODIs and 75 T20Is, scoring over 980 runs and over 500 runs, respectively. The left-arm spinner also has 44 ODI and 73 T20I wickets to his name in the international arena. He last played for the Men in Green in 2024.