Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is understood to have prepared a contingency plan to flee the country should nationwide protests overwhelm the regime’s security forces, according to an intelligence assessment shared with The Times. Khamenei, 86, would leave Tehran with a tightly controlled group of fewer than 20 people, including close aides and family members, as per the report. Among them would be his son Mojtaba, widely viewed as his preferred successor. Intelligence sources say preparations include securing overseas assets, properties and liquid cash to enable a rapid exit should the regime lose control.Khamenei controls a vast financial empire through opaque charitable foundations, including Setad, estimated in the past to be worth tens of billions of dollars. Many senior figures close to the leadership already have relatives living abroad, including in the United States, Canada and the Gulf.Meanwhile, protests have continued for an eighth consecutive day, spreading to at least 222 locations across 78 cities in 26 provinces, according to Human Rights Activists News Agency. At least 20 people have been killed, including one member of the security forces, while dozens have been injured. Demonstrations began with labour strikes and economic grievances but have evolved into open calls for regime change.Videos circulating online show protesters burning images of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Khamenei, chanting nationalist slogans and lighting fires in streets from Isfahan province to Karaj. Despite heightened security deployments, authorities have failed to contain the unrest.The protests are driven by deep economic strain. Iran’s currency has collapsed amid renewed sanctions, inflation is running at around 40 per cent, and the cost of basic goods has surged. A recent rise in subsidised fuel prices further inflamed anger.US President Donald Trump warned Iran that they will be “hit very hard if they start killing people.” “If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they are going to get hit very hard by the United States,” Trump warned.

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah (ANI)

NEW DELHI: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said he is set to surpass the late D. Devaraj Urs as the state’s longest-serving chief minister on January 6, but stressed that the two leaders should not be compared due to their different social backgrounds.“With the blessings of the people, tomorrow late D Devaraj Urs’ record of being the longest serving Chief Minister of Karnataka will be broken. The matter of pride is that I and Urs belong to Mysuru,” he told reporters.

Reflecting on his political journey, Siddaramaiah said, “I had only thought that I will be an MLA after becoming the Taluk Board member. I have so far won eight elections. I lost two Parliament elections and two assembly elections. In my life, I have contested in 13 elections, including Taluk elections.”Claiming there is no direct comparison between himself and Urs, he said, “Devaraj Urs was not socially backward. In fact, he was from a forward class, the ruling class. He was from a community which is less in population, but he was a popular leader,” as quoted by PTI.Highlighting how politics has evolved over time, the Chief Minister added, “People gave him money and votes in 1962. Time has now changed.”On whether his record could be broken in the future, Siddaramaiah said, “Records are meant for breaking. I never said that no one will break my record. Someone may emerge to break my record of the longest serving Chief Minister or the one who presented the maximum budgets.” He has presented 16 budgets so far.Speaking about celebrations for his milestone, he said, “State Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda is planning something, but I don’t have any details as such. I will speak to him.”On a potential cabinet reshuffle, he said, “It has to be done. I will speak to Rahul Gandhi whenever he calls me. I have told him that I will speak to him in January.”

Representative Photo: Melbourne Cricket Ground. Getty Images)

On This Day, 55 years ago, the game of cricket gave birth to a new form of international match when Australia hosted England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in what turned out to be the first official One-Day International (ODI). It was a stop-gap solution to salvage a rain-washed Test at the MCG and, much to the surprise of the Australian cricket board, 46,000 fans turned up to watch the contest. With that, a new format of the game was born — by a happy accident.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The year was 1971, and the third Test between Australia and England was washed out due to rain. The teams decided to play a 40-over-a-side match instead. The grand reception to the game led to the birth of an exciting new format, which gained popularity in no time and witnessed its first World Cup just four years later, in 1975.

Cricket has evolved significantly since then, including the emergence of Twenty20 Internationals in February 2005, first played between Australia and New Zealand. Even shorter formats of T20 are now being experimented with in franchise cricket, but officially, three formats remain active internationally — Tests, ODIs and T20Is.ODI cricket became an epitome of the commercialisation of the game, bringing in more money long before franchise-based T20 leagues became the toast of the town.That 40-over-a-side contest between Australia and England more than five decades ago has resulted in 13 World Cups so far, with the next scheduled for 2027.

Australia are the most successful team in World Cups, held every four years, with six titles. India and West Indies have won it twice each, with the Caribbeans claiming the first two editions. England, Sri Lanka and Pakistan have each lifted the trophy once.Apart from the World Cups, the ICC — cricket’s world governing body — organised the highly successful ICC Champions Trophy, formerly known as the ICC KnockOut Trophy. The tournament, which began in 1998, has seen nine editions so far, with India the most successful side, winning it three times. They are also the reigning champions after lifting the trophy in 2025.India’s batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar is the most successful batter in ODIs with 18,426 runs and 49 hundreds in 463 matches, closely followed by modern-day great Virat Kohli with 14,557 runs, including a record 53 centuries in just 308 games. Among bowlers, Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan leads the wicket-takers’ list with 534 scalps from 350 matches, followed by Pakistan great Wasim Akram with 502 wickets from 356 games.All these extraordinary developments began from a humble stop-gap match on this day — January 5, 1971 — at the MCG. And here’s how the first-ever ODI played out:In front of 46,000 spectators, Australia won the toss and captain Bill Lawry sent England in to bat.Geoffrey Boycott and John Edrich opened England’s innings in the first ODI. The stand was short-lived as Boycott was dismissed for 8 off 37 balls by Alan Thomson, reducing England to 21 for 1.Edrich then steadied the innings with a 66-run partnership for the second wicket alongside Keith Fletcher, who scored 24 off 47 balls before being dismissed by Ashley Mallett. Edrich held one end firmly, scoring the first-ever ODI half-century.A 37-run stand for the third wicket with Basil D’Oliveira (17 off 16) followed, but England then lost wickets at regular intervals. From 87/2, they slid to 156/7 with the dismissal of Edrich for 82. His 119-ball knock included four boundaries.England were eventually bowled out for 190 in 39.4 overs. Ashley Mallett (3/34 in 8 overs) and Keith Stackpole (3/40 in 8 overs) took three wickets each, while Graham McKenzie (2/22 in 7.4 overs) ended the innings by dismissing Alan Knott for 24 off 31 balls.Chasing 191 from 40 overs, Australia made a shaky start, losing opener Stackpole for 13 to Ken Shuttleworth, caught and bowled. At 19/1, Lawry and Ian Chappell added 32 runs before Lawry fell for 27 off 49 balls, leaving Australia at 51/2.Ian Chappell scored the second half-century in ODI history and added 66 runs for the third wicket with Doug Walters to keep the chase on track. Walters scored 41 off 51 balls, hitting six fours, as Australia reached 117/3.A further 41-run stand between Chappell and Bill Redpath (12) took the hosts close to victory. Chappell was eventually dismissed for 60 off 103 balls, with Australia needing 26 more runs and five wickets in hand.Greg Chappell (22 not out) and Rod Marsh (10 not out) then guided Australia home in 35 overs, sealing a five-wicket win with five overs to spare.Despite the defeat, England’s John Edrich was named Player of the Match for his 82 off 119 balls, becoming the first to get the award in limited-over cricket.

Russia continued to be the India’s largest crude supplier between April and November 2025. (AI image)

US President Donald Trump on Monday warned India of higher tariffs if it doesn’t cooperate with America on the issue of Russian crude oil imports. The warning comes at a time when Indian exports already face heavy trade penalties in the US market. At present, shipments from India are subject to a 50% tariff, with half of that burden directly tied to India’s ongoing purchases of Russian crude oil.Trump said M Narendra Modi was aware of his dissatisfaction over India’s continued purchases of Russian oil, adding that Washington has the ability to swiftly increase tariffs on Indian goods.Trump made the comments while speaking to reporters on Sunday aboard Air Force One as he travelled from Florida to Washington DC.“They wanted to make me happy, basically. Modi is a very good man; he is a good guy. He knew I was not happy, and it was important to make me happy. They do trade and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly. It would be very bad for them,” Trump said.Trump’s comments have also been by senator Lindsey Graham who is advancing a legislation that would impose stringent secondary tariffs on countries that import Russian oil and gas if Moscow does not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine within a 50 day timeframe.

India’s crude oil imports from Russia & US

India’s crude oil imports from the United States surged by over 92% year-on-year during the first eight months of the current financial year, even as Russia continued to be the country’s largest crude supplier between April and November 2025.Data from the ministry of commerce and industry show that India imported a total of 178.1 million tonnes of crude oil during April to November 2025. Of this, around 60 million tonnes were sourced from Russia and about 13 million tonnes from the US. In the corresponding period a year earlier, total crude imports stood at 165 million tonnes, including 62.4 million tonnes from Russia and only 7.1 million tonnes from the US.As a result, the US share in India’s crude basket rose to 7.6 percent in the current fiscal period from 4.3 percent a year earlier. Russia’s share, meanwhile, declined to 33.7 percent from 37.9 percent over the same comparison period.The full effect of recent US sanctions on Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil, both key suppliers to India, is yet to be reflected in official figures. Following Trump sanctions imposed in October on Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil, large refiners such as Reliance Industries, along with several state owned companies, announced plans to stop buying Russian crude to avoid exposure to secondary sanctions.

Why India Needs To Make Its Stand Clear

According to Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) founder Ajay Srivastava imports of Russian crude have not stopped entirely, with lower volumes continuing – leaving India in a strategic grey zone. “This approach may be weakening India’s position. If New Delhi plans to stop Russian oil imports, it should do so clearly and decisively. If it intends to continue buying from non-sanctioned Russian suppliers, it must say so openly and support the stance with data. And if it plans to buy even from sanctioned entities, that choice too must be stated plainly. What no longer works is ambiguity,” he says.India’s decision making is further complicated by the absence of any assurance that stopping Russian oil imports would ease pressure from the Trump administration. “Complicating India’s calculus, there is no guarantee that cutting Russian oil will end US pressure. Even a full stop could shift the US demands to agriculture, dairy, digital trade, and data governance,” GTRI says.India must also factor in that the current use of tariffs as leverage is linked to a particular political phase in the United States and may not persist indefinitely, the think tank says. The European Union, Japan and South Korea opted to ease tensions with Washington by sharply reducing their intake of Russian crude.India’s position differs from China’s, which enjoys greater strategic leverage with the US. Despite being the largest buyer of Russian oil, China has largely been spared American pressure, as Washington is wary of the potential fallout.Although India has significantly increased imports of crude oil and petroleum products from the US, this has not translated into any visible softening of Washington’s stance.“Indian exports to the US have already fallen 20.7% between May and November 2025, and further tariff escalation could trigger a steeper decline. As the tariff threat hardens, India must take a clean call on Russian oil—own that decision, and communicate it unambiguously to Washington,” GTRI concludes.

As India reflects on its historic Women’s World Cup 2025 triumph, the focus has swiftly shifted toward the future of the team’s leadership. With current captain Harmanpreet Kaur now 36 and entering the twilight of her illustrious career, the search for a long-term successor has intensified. While Smriti Mandhana has long been the frontrunner, South African legend Marizanne Kapp has thrown a curveball by backing a different star. Kapp believes that the next captain should be someone who ‘brings people together’ and possesses an innate ‘caring factor.’ Her endorsement comes at a pivotal time as the WPL 2026 season approaches, marking a significant transition in leadership roles across the league.

Marizanne Kapp endorses Jemimah Rodrigues for India captaincy

In a recent interview on January 5, 2026, Kapp made a strong case for Jemimah Rodrigues to succeed Harmanpreet Kaur as the leader of the national side. Kapp emphasized that she had identified Jemimah as “captaincy material” several years ago, citing her infectious personality and natural ability to lead from the front.

Kapp argued that leadership isn’t just about tactical acumen but also about the personality factor, where Jemimah excels by fostering a sense of unity within the squad. With Jemimah having just guided India to a World Cup title, highlighted by her monumental unbeaten 127 in the semi-final against Australia, Kapp believes the 25-year-old is now fully prepared to handle the immense pressure of leading a cricket-obsessed nation like India.

“I actually said a couple of years ago that Jemimah should be India’s next captain. She’s always been a leader. Her personality, the way she brings people together, the caring factor, that all matters. Even experienced captains face challenges. Jemimah has a lot of senior players around her, and I think she’ll take this opportunity with both hands,” Kapp said in an interview with Cricbuzz.

Also READ: From emerging player to WPL 2026 winner: Deepti Sharma shares bold predictions for the Women’s Premier League

The WPL 2026 leadership shift: From Meg Lanning to Rodrigues

The discussion around Jemimah’s captaincy is no longer theoretical, as she was officially named the Delhi Capitals (DC) captain for the WPL 2026 season. She steps into the massive shoes of the legendary Meg Lanning, who has moved to lead the UP Warriorz. This appointment is seen as a strategic “test run” by the Indian cricketing fraternity to evaluate her leadership in a high-stakes environment.

“Losing Meg as a captain is obviously a big thing. She’s a very successful captain, not only for DC but in world cricket in general,” Kapp added.

DC co-owner Parth Jindal expressed total confidence in her, noting that her journey from being the franchise’s first-ever pick to now leading them in their fourth season is a ‘full-circle moment.’ As DC kicks off their campaign against Mumbai Indians on January 10, all eyes will be on Jemimah to see if she can lead the three-time runners-up to their first title, potentially cementing her claim as Harmanpreet’s heir apparent.

Also READ: India’s rising star Vaishnavi Sharma reveals her top 3 favourite male and female cricketers

This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.

49 Crypto Exchanges, majority based in India, registered with financial intelligence unit (FIU) which works under ministry of finance, in fiscal year 2024-2025. Such a move comes as part of the country’s efforts to combat money laundering and prevent terrorist financing risks in the digital currency sector. It comes as a strategic analysis of suspicious transaction reports (STRs), submitted by crypto exchanges to a federal agency found “exploitation” of crypto funds for “serious” criminal activities, including hawala-unaccounted transactions, gambling, scams, fraud, and even an instance involving an illegal adult content website.Cryptocurrency is legally termed a Virtual Digital Asset, and the exchanges are referred to as VDA Service Providers. These exchanges were brought under India’s anti-money laundering framework, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, through a linked reporting system in 2023. As reporting entities under the PMLA, VDA SPs are required to submit STRs to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the federal agency tasked with preventing, deterring and detecting misuse of India’s financial system.The exchanges must also identify and report beneficial ownership of wallets, monitor crowdfunding activities by blockchain projects, similar to IPOs and referred to as initial coin offerings or initial token offerings, and track transfers between hosted and un-hosted wallets.According to the FIU report for the 2024–25 financial year accessed by PTI, the cryptocurrency ecosystem in India has been “rapidly” evolving and attracting “significant” attention in recent years due to its potential to “transform” the financial sector and create opportunities for wealth generation.“However, VDAs, VDA SPs have certain potential money laundering and terror financing risks, owing to their global reach, capacity for rapid settlement, ability to enable peer-to-peer transactions, and potential for increased anonymity and obfuscation of transaction flows and counterparties,” the report said.Unlike several countries where multiple agencies oversee crypto exchanges, India has designated the FIU under the Union finance ministry as the single-point authority responsible for registering and monitoring VDA SPs for money laundering and terrorist financing risks.As of March 2025, the report said, 49 VDA SPs were registered with the FIU as reporting entities. Of these, 45 exchanges were based in India, while four operated offshore.STRs filed by these exchanges during the last fiscal were selected for strategic analysis and categorised under “well defined” and “high-risk” segments such as scam and fraud, gambling, and peer-to-peer scams.Some STRs also carried red flags linked to child sexual abuse material (CSAM), terror financing, dark net services and proceeds of crime, highlighting the “growing exploitation” of crypto assets for “serious criminal activity,” the report said.The geographic analysis of these reports revealed a “significant regional concentration of suspicious activities” and also identified the “commonly used digital asset for these illegal activities.”During FY 2024–25, the FIU imposed penalties totalling Rs 28 crore on certain “non-compliant” crypto exchanges, the report added.Post-registration, exchanges are required to disclose bank and financial institution accounts, appoint a designated director and principal officer, and provide complete platform contact details to the FIU.They must also conduct internal audits, adopt risk-based customer due diligence and enhanced due diligence (CDD/EDD), carry out sanctions screening, and undertake periodic risk assessments to be shared with the federal agency.As per the FIU report, India has addressed risks arising from cryptocurrencies and exchanges through legislative measures, including the introduction of taxation on crypto income and withholding taxes under the Income-Tax Act.