NEW DELHI: Student activist Umar Khalid, who has been in jail for nearly five years in connection with the Feb 2020 Delhi riots, has received a show of solidarity from New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, who wrote to him, saying, “we are all thinking of you”.The note, undated, was shared on X by Khalid’s partner Banojyotsna Lahiri on Thursday, after Mamdani was sworn in as mayor in a midnight ceremony.

In the handwritten note, Mamdani said: “Dear Umar, I think of your words on bitterness often, and the importance of not letting it consume oneself. It was a pleasure to meet your parents. We are all thinking of you.” TOI reached out to Mamdani’s office about the note; there was no response at the time of going to press.

Mamdani’s letter to Umar Khalid

Khalid, a former JNU student, was arrested in Sept 2020 and charged under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for allegedly conspiring to incite riots in Delhi, charges he has consistently denied. Khalid was granted temporary bail in Dec to attend his sister’s wedding.Khalid’s father, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, told TOI that the family met Mamdani early Dec last year during a visit to the United States to meet Khalid’s sister. Ilyas said he had sought time from Mamdani to congratulate him on his appointment and ended up meeting him and his wife for around half an hour. “He gave us time exclusively and we discussed many things, including Umar’s incarceration. We hoped he would fulfil the promises he has made for the people of New York,” he said.“We also spoke about what has been happening to my son and the developments around his case. Mamdani said he follows it and has read Umar’s letters from jail,” he added.“This prolonged incarceration itself is unjust, and that is why it has attracted international attention,” Lahiri said.Ilyas said he also met Democrat Jamie Raskin of the US Congress separately. “He raised concerns over Umar’s arrest and extended support,” he said. “I told him the matter is currently before Supreme Court and the family is positive about a favourable outcome.” Raskin shared a photograph online with Ilyas and his wife.Raskin, along with three other US Congress members, wrote to India’s ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, on Dec 30, expressing concern over Khalid’s continued pre-trial detention. The lawmakers said Khalid has been denied bail for five years under UAPA, arguing that the “pre-trial treatment to which he has been subjected is punitive in and of itself”.

Australian cricket will witness an emotional farewell this week as Usman Khawaja confirmed that the fifth Ashes Test against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground will be the final appearance of his international career. The 39-year-old left-hander will bring the curtains down on a remarkable 15-year Test journey at the venue that launched his professional dream, closing a chapter defined by resilience, reinvention, and historic milestones.

From local dreams to the biggest stage for Usman Khawaja

Khawaja informed his teammates of the decision on Friday morning, choosing to step away after his 88th Test. His career began at the same ground in 2011, when an injury to Ricky Ponting opened the door for his debut. What followed was a path marked by patience and perseverance, as Khawaja accumulated over 6,000 Test runs and established himself as one of Australia’s most dependable top-order batters of the modern era.

Reflecting on his journey, Khawaja spoke emotionally about growing up near the SCG and dreaming of becoming a Test cricketer while watching his heroes from afar. That childhood ambition, forged in modest circumstances, eventually turned into a reality few could have imagined.

Breaking barriers and redefining identity

Born in Pakistan and raised in Australia, Khawaja made history as the country’s first Pakistan-born and first Muslim Test cricketer. Identified early for his sound technique and calm temperament, he progressed through the Australia Under-19 ranks before entering the senior side. Throughout his career, Khawaja embraced his identity, often speaking about representation and pride, and became an inspirational figure beyond the boundary ropes.

Khawaja’s international career was not without its challenges. After periods in and out of the Test side, he made a decisive move from New South Wales to Queensland in 2012. That shift proved transformative. He rebuilt his game in domestic cricket, captained Queensland to the Sheffield Shield title in the 2020–21 season, and surpassed 15,000 first-class runs overall—achievements that paved the way for a powerful international comeback.

Also READ: Michael Clarke makes bold retirement prediction for Australian great ahead of Sydney Ashes 2025-26 Test

Ashes redemption and career peak

The turning point arrived during the 2021–22 Ashes series, when Khawaja returned to the Test side and marked the moment with twin centuries at the SCG. He followed that up with prolific tours of Pakistan and England, culminating in a standout performance during the 2023 Ashes, where he finished as the leading run-scorer as Australia retained the urn. That same year, he was honoured as ICC Test Cricketer of the Year and Shane Warne Test Cricketer of the Year, and played a vital role in Australia’s World Test Championship triumph.

A look at Khawaja’s international career

Also READ: Matthew Hayden slams Australia coach after batting failures in Melbourne Test

NEW DELHI: Food delivery giants Zomato, Swiggy and magicpin reported a massive surge in orders on New Year’s Eve, saying operations remained largely unaffected despite a nationwide strike call by a section of gig workers demanding better pay and working conditions.Sharing a post on X, Eternal founder Deepinder Goyal said, “Zomato and Blinkit delivered at a record pace yesterday, unaffected by calls for strikes that many of us heard over the past few days.”

“Support from local law enforcement helped keep the small number of miscreants in check, enabling over 4.5 lakh delivery partners across both platforms to deliver more than 75 lakh orders (all-time high) to over 63 lakh customers during the day,” he added.Magicpin founder and CEO Anshoo Sharma also said the platform saw “no impact” from the strike, adding that New Year’s Eve once again showed how central food delivery has become to celebrations in India. He noted that lakhs of orders poured in every hour across metro cities.

Biryani, pizzas, butter chicken dominate orders

Magicpin said pizza emerged as the early favourite, while desserts such as gajar ka halwa and ice cream saw a three-fold jump in orders compared with last year, PTI reported.Dinner orders peaked around 9.30 pm, with butter chicken topping the charts in Delhi-NCR, followed by biryani and dal makhni.Swiggy and magicpin data showed Indians feasting on biryani, pizzas, butter chicken and traditional desserts. On Swiggy alone, biryani crossed 2.19 lakh orders before 7.30 pm.“Meanwhile, the age-old battle between pizzas and burgers continued. By 8.30 pm, over 2.18 lakh pizzas had been dispatched, while burgers put up a fight with over 2.16 lakh orders, proving that India’s palate is as diverse as its celebrations,” Swiggy said.Dining out also saw strong traction. Swiggy Dineout bookings were led by Bengaluru and Hyderabad, while Ahmedabad recorded the fastest growth with a 1.6x jump, followed by Lucknow (1.3x) and Jaipur (1.2x), PT reported.Goyal thanked delivery partners who worked through the day, saying, “delivery partners who showed up despite intimidation, stood their ground, and chose honest work and progress”.He cautioned people against being influenced by “narratives pushed by vested interests,” saying that a system would not continue to attract and retain large numbers of workers if it were fundamentally unfair.“The gig economy is one of India’s largest organised job creation engines, and its real impact will compound over time, when delivery partners’ children, supported by stable incomes and education, enter the workforce and help transform our country at scale,” he added.

Goyal explains 10-minute delivery model

In a separate post, Goyal sought to clarify concerns around quick-commerce deliveries, especially the 10-minute promise.“One more thing. Our 10-minute delivery promise is enabled by the density of stores around your homes. It’s not enabled by asking delivery partners to drive fast,” he said, adding that delivery partners do not even see a countdown timer on their apps showing the promised delivery time.He explained that after an order is placed on Blinkit, it is typically picked and packed within 2.5 minutes, after which the rider travels an average distance of under 2 km in about eight minutes, translating to an average speed of around 15 kmph.“I understand why everybody thinks why 10 minutes must be risking lives, because it is indeed hard to imagine the sheer complexity of the system design which enables quick deliveries,” Goyal said.“If you’ve ever wanted to know why millions of Indians voluntarily take up platform work and sometimes even prefer it to regular jobs, JUST ASK any rider partner when you get your next food or grocery order. You will be humbled by how rational and honest they will be with you,” he said.Goyal acknowledged that “no system is perfect, and we are all for making it better than today. However, it is far from what it is being portrayed on social media by people who don’t understand how our system works and why,” he said. “If I were outside the system, I would also believe that gig workers are being exploited, but that’s not true,” he added.

‘1 lakh workers participated in strike’

The Gig & Platform Services Workers Union (GIPSWU), which called the December 31 strike, claimed over one lakh workers across 22 cities participated, including around 14,000 members from major metros. The union reiterated demands such as minimum per-kilometre pay, workplace safety for women, maternity and emergency leave, and legal recognition of platform workers under labour laws.However, estimates suggest India has over 12.7 million gig workers, a number that government think tank NITI Aayog expects to grow to 23.5 million by 2029–30. Meanwhile, India’s third-largest food delivery platform, magicpin, said lakhs of orders were received every hour across metro cities on New Year’s Eve.

Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden has strongly criticized Australia’s batting structure and coaching following the team’s defeat in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on December 29, 2025.

Speaking after Australia’s loss to England, Hayden singled out batting coach Michael Di Venuto, questioning his long-term influence on the side’s technical development.

Despite already holding an unassailable 3-1 lead in the Ashes series, Australia suffered a stunning defeat by four wickets inside just two days. The hosts were dismissed for 152 and 132 on a seam-friendly surface.

Hayden calls Australia’s scorecard “Unacceptable”

Speaking on the All Over Bar The Cricket podcast, Hayden did not hold back as he dissected Australia’s batting failures. He argued that pitch conditions were no excuse for the technical shortcomings displayed by the top and middle order.

“That’s an unacceptable scorecard. I don’t care if it was 50 millimetres of grass. You need to be better than that,” Hayden said. He specifically named Travis Head, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey and Cameron Green as players who appeared “at sea” against pace bowling.

According to Hayden, Australia’s bowlers looked more technically sound than their batters, a situation he found deeply concerning at Test level.

While stressing it was not a personal attack, the former opener questioned whether Di Venuto’s influence had truly benefited Australia’s Test batting group.

“I’m not a fan of him. It’s not a personal thing. I just think that for too long there has been an influence in this group around batting, and I don’t feel it’s served the development of the team or the technical element of Test cricket,” Hayden said.

He further argued that Australia’s struggles are not limited to green wickets at home but also extend to overseas conditions, particularly in the subcontinent, where adaptability and refined technique are crucial.

Also READ: ICC pitch rating explained: MCG labelled ‘unsatisfactory’ | Ashes 2025-26

“You didn’t see Ricky Ponting batting at three”: Hayden

Hayden emphasized accountability as the missing ingredient in Australia’s batting approach. He contrasted the current setup with previous generations led by figures such as Ricky Ponting, suggesting senior players in the past would not tolerate repeated technical mistakes.

“You didn’t see Ricky Ponting batting at three, like Marnus Labuschagne is, throwing his wicket away. There is no chance,” Hayden remarked, adding that former teammates and senior players would have intervened.

He also criticized what he sees as a rigid mindset based on conditions, arguing that players must adapt rather than default to pre-set methods.

Also READ: PHOTOS – Grace Hayden parties with father Matthew Hayden after returning from ILT20

Putin, Trump (File photos)

Days after Russia claimed that Ukraine tried to target President Vladimir Putin’s official residence in a drone attack, Russian authorities on Thursday said they had shared what they described as evidence linked to the incident with the United States.The Russian defence ministry released a video on Telegram showing a meeting between Igor Kostyukov, chief of Russia’s main intelligence directorate, and a representative from the US military attache’s office in Moscow. Russian officials said the meeting was held to present materials connected to the alleged drone strike.

“I am Igor Kostyukov, chief of the main intelligence directorate of the general staff of the armed forces of Russia. I have invited you for an important matter. I would like to inform you that we have found the debris of unmanned aerial vehicles involved in this attack,” Kostyukov said at the start of the meeting, as seen in the video.During the meeting, Kostyukov showed a device that he said was recovered from one of the drones. He claimed that several drones shot down during the incident had navigation systems that were still intact.“In several of these drones, the navigation systems are well-preserved and technically functional. The decoding of the content of the memory of the navigation controllers of these drones, carried out by specialists of the Russian special services, unequivocally and accurately confirmed that the target of the attack was the complex of buildings of the residence of the President of the Russian Federation in the Novgorod region,” he said, as quoted by Anadolu Agency.Kostyukov then handed the device to the US military representative. “We want to hand over this controller and the description of this controller made by our specialists to you. We believe that this step will help to remove all questions and contribute to the establishment of the truth,” he said.

How the events unfolded

A drone strike in Russia’s Novgorod region earlier this week was allegedly aimed at the presidential residence. Moscow blamed Ukraine for the attack, an allegation Kyiv denied.Ukraine said Russia had provided no evidence to support its allegation, following which Russia released a video showing a damaged unmanned aerial vehicle lying in snow in a wooded area.US President Donald Trump said he was angry after learning about the reported incident. Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago club, Trump said, “I don’t like it. It’s not good. I learned about it from President Putin today. I was very angry about it.”By Wednesday, however, Trump appeared more sceptical, sharing on social media a New York Post editorial accusing Russia of obstructing peace efforts in Ukraine.Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that Russia would respond to the attack and said the timing and targets of Moscow’s response had already been decided.

Stock market today (AI image)

Stock market today: Nifty50 and BSE Sensex, the Indian equity benchmark indices, opened in green on Friday. While Nifty50 was above 261,50, BSE Sensex was up around 100 points. At 9:16 AM, Nifty50 was trading at 26,172.90, up 26 points or 0.10%. BSE Sensex was at 85,282.91, up 94 points or 0.11%.Indian markets are set to take cues from a combination of corporate earnings for the third quarter and global developments in the coming sessions, with analysts pointing to December-quarter results, Union Budget expectations and overseas factors such as progress on an India-US trade deal and possible US Federal Reserve actions as key influences. Earnings growth is expected to remain the primary driver of market direction through 2026.Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited says, “The impressive 25.8 % YoY increase in passenger vehicles sales in December bodes well for the auto industry. More importantly, this data confirms the growth momentum in the economy. It has to be watched whether this growth sustains, albeit at a slower pace, going forward. It is hugely important that the growth momentum in the economy sustains, because that alone can ensure the much needed earnings growth that the market needs to remain resilient and gradually move up.” “The positive news about the auto industry is largely in the price. A sector that lagged last year was the consumer durables industry, which has the potential to catch up, going forward. The beneficial impact of the interest rate cuts and GST cuts are yet to reflect in the demand for consumer durables. In the short-term, this is one segment that has good prospects.”Global risk sentiment was upbeat at the start of the New Year, with US equity index futures trading higher, signalling a positive opening for equities. Gains were also seen across precious metals, with gold and silver advancing in early trade.Gold edged up on Friday after touching a two-week low in the previous session, while silver and other precious metals recovered part of the losses recorded over the past week. Despite the recent pullback, the metals had logged historic gains over the course of 2025.On the institutional front, foreign portfolio investors continued to pare their exposure to Indian equities, selling shares worth Rs 3,268 crore on Wednesday. Domestic institutional investors, however, provided support to the market, purchasing equities worth Rs 1,526 crore during the session.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)

At least 40 people were charred to death and over 100 others were injured after a deadly fire ripped a crowded bar in the ski resort town of Crans-Montana in Switzerland during a New Year’s party.According to the Swiss police, the blaze broke out in the early morning hours at Le Constellation where young partygoers who gathered at the bar to celebrate the new year.

Officials added that they are still investigating the cause of the fire and the explosion that followed. However, they ruled out the possibility of the terrorist attack.Emergency services sent 10 helicopters and 40 ambulances to transport the injured to hospitals, officials said at a news briefing Thursday morning. The emergency ward and operating rooms at the nearest major medical center ran out of space to treat the victims.Three specialized jets took burn victims to Zurich, the country’s largest city, about 90 miles away. In an interview with the Swiss news site 24 heures, Claire Charmet, the head of a hospital in Lausanne, where 22 severely burned patients were taken, said most of the survivors were between 16 and 26.How it happened?According to police commander Frederic Gisler, the smoke was spotted around 1.30am. Few seconds later a witness contacted the police.“Immediately, the red alarm, which mobilises the fire department, was triggered,” Gisler said, adding that firefighters “quickly contained the blaze” while the injured were being treated.Authorities, however, declined to speculate on what caused the tragedy.Meanwhile, several news channels seemed to point to sparklers that were apparently mounted on top of champagne bottles and held aloft by restaurant staff as part of a regular “show” put on for patrons who made special orders to their tables.“I think there were some ladies, waitresses, with champagne bottles and little sparklers. They got too close to the ceiling, and suddenly it all caught fire,” Axel, who was present at the time of the incident, told the Italian media outlet Local Team.A tourist from New York, who filmed bright orange flames pouring from the bar, told AFP he saw people running and screaming.Alexis Lagger, an 18-year-old, had been walking with a group of friends past Le Constellation bar, a spot popular with young people and tourists, when they noticed smoke and flames emerging from the venue and called the police. “People were running through the flames. People were using chairs to try to break the windows,” he told Swiss public broadcaster RTS.Were safety standards met?According to Crans-Montana website, Le Constellation has a capacity of 300 people, plus another 40 people on its terrace.However, several witnesses said that the event space in the basement of the establishment, where the fire began, was connected with the ground floor by only a staircase, which some described as “narrow”.Meanwhile, Wallis’s chief prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud contested the allegations and stressed that the cause of the tragedy was still being investigated.Responding to questions from reporters, she said she had seen the site herself.“What exactly constitutes a narrow staircase?” she asked, stressing that the probe would “determine whether all safety standards were met”.Pilloud also said it was “too early” to comment on whether emergency exits met the required standards, or whether the necessary procedures had been followed before organising the New Year’s event.Multiple sources told news agency AFP that the bar owners are French nationals: a couple originally from Corsica who, according to a relative, are safe and sound, but who have been unreachable since the tragedy.Given the bar’s usually youthful clientele, questions were also being raised about the possible presence of minors at the time of the tragedy.Who are the victims?The bar was a popular spot among the tourists and drew a young crowd. Authorities are yet to release any information on the victims, but said that foreign nationals are also expected among the victims.“Given the international nature of the Crans resort, we can expect foreign nationals to be among the victims,” Gisler said.He said Swiss authorities were “in close contact with the victims’ families, whom we are informing in real time, as well as with the various embassies involved”.Stephane Ganzer, head of Wallis’s security department, did not confirm that.But, he told reporters, “you can imagine that on New Year’s Eve, in a ski resort, the population is undoubtedly quite young”.We have someone close to us who is still missingMeanwhile, hundreds gathered in silence in the freezing night, laying flowers and lighting candles to remember the victims.“There are dead and injured, and we have someone close to us who is still missing. We have no news of them,” said one woman who did not want to be identified.After laying flowers with her friend, they walked away, arm in arm.

India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill signed off a momentous 2025 with a reflective note, sharing a video montage on social media that captured a year of sharp contrasts, hard lessons and historic highs.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“2025, you were truly special to me. So many lessons, experiences, and memories to be grateful for. Carrying it all forward into 2026,” Gill wrote while posting a reel on his official Instagram handle, offering fans a glimpse into a season that tested and transformed him.

At 26, Gill experienced the full spectrum of elite sport. The year brought a significant setback in the shortest format, as he was dropped from India’s T20I set-up despite having earlier served as vice-captain. A string of modest returns led to his omission from the home T20 World Cup squad. T20Is proved to be his only stumbling block, with Gill managing 291 runs in 15 innings at an average just above 24, without a single fifty.Yet, if T20I struggles defined one side of 2025, Gill’s red-ball dominance told an entirely different story. His tour of England was nothing short of extraordinary, producing one of the most commanding batting performances by an Indian batter overseas. Gill piled up 754 runs in five Tests at a staggering average of 75.40, including four centuries and a career-best 269 that rewrote record books. Overall, Gill finished the year with 983 runs in nine Tests at an average of 70.21, which included five hundreds. In ODIs, he continued his consistency, scoring 490 runs in 11 matches at 49.00, with two centuries and two fifties. He also played a key role in India’s Champions Trophy triumph, scoring 188 runs, highlighted by a century against Bangladesh.The year gained further significance with Gill’s elevation to Test and ODI captaincy. Under his leadership, India fought back to secure a memorable 2-2 draw in England.