MUMBAI: Dahisar Police arrested one person out of a gang of four who posed as real estate agents and property sellers to dupe a potential buyer of Rs 29.5 lakh. Police said the gang has been involved in another cheating case at Malad as well.The complainant is a chartered accountant and lives in the western suburbs. He was staying in a rented apartment with his family and was keen to purchase a flat of his own. In Aug 2025, he was browsing a real estate portal when he found a listing for an apartment for sale in Dahisar. The cost was mentioned as Rs 1.05 crore and the phone number of a “broker,” Aditya, was listed.The complainant got in touch with Aditya over WhatsApp and was told that he would be shown the flat in a few days. On Aug 23, Aditya sent another “broker” Deepak to meet with the complainant and show him the vacant flat located at Dahisar. The complainant, his father and father-in-law checked out the flat and liked it.Thereafter, Shah summoned the complainant to a restaurant on Aug 26 to meet with the flat “owner”. The complainant tried to bargain the cost of the apartment but the “owner” refused and demanded Rs 85 lakh in cheque to be entered into the agreement of sale and Rs 20 lakh in cash.The complainant paid a token of Rs 5.01 lakh by cheque and was given a copy of chain of agreements of the flat. He sent them to his lawyer for verification. Later, the complainant paid the cash component of Rs 20 lakh and another Rs 4.14 lakh to the “owner”.Aditya got the complainant to pay Rs 21000 as his commission. It was mutually agreed to proceed for registration of the flat on Sept 9. But the “owner” made excuses and did not turn up. Aditya then demanded another Rs 20000 which the complainant paid as he was keen to get the flat registered.But when the complainant noticed that the same flat was up for sale again on the real estate portal, he sensed something amiss and contacted the police.Investigations by a police team comprising investigating officer Yogesh Patil and supervised by DCP Mahesh Chimte, ACP Maloji Shinde and senior inspector Sarjerao Patil revealed that the property owner whom the complainant had paid was fake.“The gang of accused would approach property sellers pretending as brokers and offer to find them a good buyer. They would then ask the seller for chain of agreements for the flat, besides other documents. The photo of one of the accused and his contact details were then forged on the documents and they were used to con potential buyers,” explained a police officer. Police have arrested Deepak so far.

NEW DELHI: In two separate cases of alleged espionage reported within 24 hours, authorities in Punjab and Haryana have arrested a 15-year-old boy from Pathankot and a contractor from Ambala for allegedly sharing sensitive defence-related information with Pakistan-linked handlers. Police in both states said the accused were in contact with individuals across the border and had passed on details connected to key security installations.A 15-year-old boy from Pathankot has been arrested for allegedly sharing information related to national security with Pakistan’s ISI, terror outfits, and Pakistan military officers, Punjab Police said on Tuesday.Police identified the juvenile as Sanjeev Kumar. According to officials, he was tricked by Pakistani handlers on social media. Police said he believed that his father had been murdered, which made him emotionally vulnerable.SSP Pathankot Daljinder Singh Dhillon said, “The police have arrested Sanjeev Kumar, aged 15, after receiving information that he had been supplying information related to the security of our nation to the frontal organisations of terror agencies, ISI, and Pakistan military officers.”He added that the boy was drawn in by Pakistani accounts online. “He fell into the trap of Pakistani agencies through social media, as he was suspicious that his father had been murdered, which affected him mentally. However, the investigation did not reveal any such evidence,” Dhillon said.According to police, Sanjeev had sent videos of several sensitive locations and had been in contact with gangsters based in Pakistan who run terror modules. “He had been in contact with Pakistan’s terror organisations for almost a year,” the SSP said.Police are investigating how much information he shared and who he was in contact with. The boy is currently in custody, and further action will be taken based on the investigation.

Ambala man arrested for allegedly spying on Air Force; under investigation

In an another incident in neighbouring state — Haryana, another man in Ambala was held for allegedly spying on Air Force, as confirmed by DSP Crime on Tuesday.DSP Crime Virendra Kumar said the accused, Sunil alias Sunny, had been a contractor handling repair work at an Air Force station since 2020.“The police had information that he was providing details about our defence area, specifically the Air Force. His mobile was seized and several suspicious things emerged from it,” Kumar said.The officer added that Sunil had been in contact with a woman who allegedly asked for information, which he passed on. “According to his device, he used to send information to a neighbouring country, which we can call an enemy country. But this is his version. Investigation is ongoing,” he said.Sunil is married with two children and is currently on four days of remand. The probe is in its initial stages.

Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Thunder meet in a pivotal mid-season BBL|15 clash at Adelaide Oval, with the hosts looking to climb into the top-four conversation and the visitors desperate to arrest a worrying slide. Home conditions, better recent form and a more settled core make the Strikers slight favourites going into this contest.​

Adelaide Strikers sit mid-table with two wins from five, coming off a narrow defeat to Perth Scorchers that exposed their middle-order inconsistency but underlined their bowling depth.​ Sydney Thunder have managed just one win from six, losing their last three, and this game feels close to must-win if they are to stay alive in the playoff race.​

For the Strikers, Matthew Short’s all-round impact at the top, backed by the power of Chris Lynn and the finishing of Jamie Overton, has been central to their better performances, even if collapses have hurt them when early wickets fall.​ Thunder’s campaign has revolved around David Warner’s batting, he comes in off a recent T20 century and remains their big hope alongside the all‑round threat of Daniel Sams and the control of Chris Green with the ball.

AS vs ST, BBL|15: Match details

• Date and Time: January 6 (Tuesday); 1:45 pm IST / 8:15 am GMT / 6:45 pm Local
• Venue: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

AS vs ST, Head-to-Head Record in BBL

Matches played: 24 | Brisbane Heat won: 12 | Sydney Thunder won: 10 | No result/Tied: 2

Adelaide Oval Pitch Report

The Adelaide Oval is considered one of the most batting-friendly grounds in the BBL, offering consistent bounce and true pace that encourage stroke play. However, the venue does present a few challenges. With the lights on, the new ball often swings and seams, providing fast bowlers with early breakthroughs. As the game wears on, the pitch can lose a bit of its initial pace during the middle overs, allowing spinners and bowlers with clever variations to make an impact.

Squads

Adelaide Strikers: Matthew Short (c), Chris Lynn, Mackenzie Harvey, Liam Scott, Harry Manenti, Jamie Overton, Jerrssis Wadia, Luke Wood, Harry Nielsen (wk), Hasan Ali, Lloyd Pope, Jason Sangha, Henry Thornton

Sydney Thunder: David Warner (c), Sam Billings, Lockie Ferguson, Daniel Sams, Chris Green, Cameron Bancroft, Wes Agar, Ollie Davies, Shadab Khan, Matthew Gilkes, Tanveer Sangha, Ryan Hadley, Sam Konstas, Nathan McAndrew, Tom Andrews, Ravichandran Ashwin, Blake Nikitaras

Also WATCH: Sean Abbott rattles Jack Wildermuth’s stumps with a peach of a delivery in BBL|15

AS vs BH, BBL|15: Today’s Match Prediction

Case 1:

• Adelaide Strikers wins the toss and bats first
• Adelaide Strikers’ powerplay score: 48-58 (6 overs)
• Adelaide Strikers’ total score: 170-185

Case 2:

• Sydney Thunder wins the toss and bats first
• Sydney Thunder’s powerplay score: 52-62 (6 overs)
• Sydney Thunder’s total score: 175-195

Match result: Team batting first to win the contest

Also WATCH: Tanveer Sangha takes a sensational diving catch to dismiss Josh Inglis in BBL|15

ULHASNAGAR: As campaigning intensifies for the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation elections, the BJP and Shiv Sena are contesting separately in the city, adding to the political heat. Recently, former BJP MLA Narendra Pawar triggered a debate by taking a swipe at Shiv Sena, claiming that the “dadagiri of the bow-and-arrow symbol will not work in Ulhasnagar.” Referring to the Ambernath and Badlapur municipal council elections, Pawar said such dominance had already been defeated there and would meet the same fate in Ulhasnagar.Responding to the remark, Shiv Sena MP from the Kalyan Lok Sabha constituency, Shrikant Shinde, addressed the issue during the inauguration of offices of Shiv Sena candidates and workers in Ulhasnagar. Shinde while naming Pawar advised leaders of the Mahayuti to maintain restraint and avoid public statements against alliance partners.Shinde stated that the Shiv Sena and the BJP are contesting together in several municipal corporations, while in some places they are fighting elections independently. He recalled that in the recently concluded municipal council elections across Maharashtra, alliance partners contested separately at many locations but avoided verbal attacks on each other and still achieved strong electoral results. He stressed that a similar approach should be followed during the ongoing municipal corporation elections.During the same visit, Srikanth Shinde, along with District Chief Gopal Landge, TOK Chief Omie Kalani and MLA Balaji Kinikar, met Shiv Sena candidates across the city and reviewed the status of election campaigning. Shinde informed party workers that in Ulhasnagar, the Shiv Sena, TOK, SAI p and RPI are contesting the elections together. He said the atmosphere across all panels is positive and favourable for the alliance.Highlighting development works carried out in the city, Shinde pointed to the construction of cement concrete roads, underground drainage pipelines, no-cash counter hospitals, and the ongoing work on a sports stadium. He said these development initiatives have been widely appreciated by citizens and expressed confidence that voters, taking into account the work done by Shiv Sena and its allies, will ensure a decisive victory for the alliance candidates in the upcoming elections.

ULHASNAGAR: As campaigning intensifies for the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation elections, the BJP and Shiv Sena are contesting separately in the city, adding to the political heat. Recently, former BJP MLA Narendra Pawar triggered a debate by taking a swipe at Shiv Sena, claiming that the “dadagiri of the bow-and-arrow symbol will not work in Ulhasnagar.” Referring to the Ambernath and Badlapur municipal council elections, Pawar said such dominance had already been defeated there and would meet the same fate in Ulhasnagar.Responding to the remark, Shiv Sena MP from the Kalyan Lok Sabha constituency, Shrikant Shinde, addressed the issue during the inauguration of offices of Shiv Sena candidates and workers in Ulhasnagar. Shinde while naming Pawar advised leaders of the Mahayuti to maintain restraint and avoid public statements against alliance partners.Shinde stated that the Shiv Sena and the BJP are contesting together in several municipal corporations, while in some places they are fighting elections independently. He recalled that in the recently concluded municipal council elections across Maharashtra, alliance partners contested separately at many locations but avoided verbal attacks on each other and still achieved strong electoral results. He stressed that a similar approach should be followed during the ongoing municipal corporation elections.During the same visit, Srikanth Shinde, along with District Chief Gopal Landge, TOK Chief Omie Kalani and MLA Balaji Kinikar, met Shiv Sena candidates across the city and reviewed the status of election campaigning. Shinde informed party workers that in Ulhasnagar, the Shiv Sena, TOK, SAI p and RPI are contesting the elections together. He said the atmosphere across all panels is positive and favourable for the alliance.Highlighting development works carried out in the city, Shinde pointed to the construction of cement concrete roads, underground drainage pipelines, no-cash counter hospitals, and the ongoing work on a sports stadium. He said these development initiatives have been widely appreciated by citizens and expressed confidence that voters, taking into account the work done by Shiv Sena and its allies, will ensure a decisive victory for the alliance candidates in the upcoming elections.

NEW DELHI: Former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday stirred a controversy after he criticised the government for not taking a stand after the US captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, saying such an incident could also happen to India.“Whatever has happened in Venezuela is against the UN Charter. An elected president has been kidnapped. It’s a very grave concern that it could happen to any other country tomorrow. Tomorrow it can happen to India,” Chavan said.“India has not spoken as usual, not taken a stand on the Venezuela matter. Russia and China have taken a stand and criticised what America has done. The same thing happened in the Ukraine war. We did not take any side. We did not take a stand on the Israel-Hamas matter, and now here we are, so scared of Americans that we are not even trying to criticise what has happened,” he added.This comes after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured in Caracas and flown out of the country on Saturday in a joint operation involving intelligence agencies and US law enforcement.Subsequently, the ministry of external affairs reiterated India’s support for the safety and well-being of people in Venezuela as the situation in the country remains tense amid US strikes.“Recent developments in Venezuela are a matter of deep concern. We are closely monitoring the evolving situation,” the MEA said in a statement.“We call upon all concerned to address issues peacefully through dialogue, ensuring peace and stability in the region. The Embassy of India in Caracas is in contact with members of the Indian community and will continue to provide all possible assistance,” it added.Meanwhile, this is not the first time Chavan has made headlines for controversial remarks. Earlier in December, Chavan claimed that India was defeated on the first day of Operation Sindoor and that Indian aircraft were shot down during the four-day conflict.“On the first day (of Operation Sindoor), we were completely defeated. In the half-hour aerial engagement that took place on the 7th, we were fully defeated, whether people accept it or not. Indian aircraft were shot down. The Air Force was completely grounded, and not a single aircraft flew. If any aircraft had taken off from Gwalior, Bathinda, or Sirsa, there was a high probability of being shot down by Pakistan, which is why the Air Force was fully grounded,” the Congress leader said.Later, Chavan refused to apologise for his controversial statement and said, “Why will I apologise? It is out of the question. The Constitution gives me the right to ask questions.”

Rupee began strong on Tuesday, strengthening by 18 paise to 90.12 against the US dollar, snapping its four-day losing streak.The currency’s rebound comes a day after it ended lower on Monday, closing at 90.30 against the greenback amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and weak domestic equities. According to traders, after the American military operation in Venezuela, US dollar had gained traction globally as investors towards safe-haven assets.Since December 30 last year, when it had ended at 89.75 against the dollar, rupee has fallen 55 paise. In calendar year 2025, the currency plunged almost 5%, marking its weakest momentum since 2022.“The Indian rupee has endured a persistent downward spiral, losing ground in nine out of the past ten trading sessions. This weakness is primarily fueled by ambiguity surrounding bilateral trade agreements between Washington and New Delhi, alongside a sluggish domestic stock market triggered by an exodus of foreign capital,” Dilip Parmar, Research Analyst, HDFC Securities, told PTI.He added that a surge in geopolitical uncertainty had further boosted the dollar’s appeal. “This flight to safety followed the detention of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro by American military personnel over the weekend,” Parmar said. According to him, the USD-INR spot pair faces resistance near 90.45, while support is expected around the 89.90 level in the near term.In global markets, the dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.27% higher at 98.68. Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, was up 0.91% at $61.30 per barrel in futures trade.SBI has predicted that the currency will be declining by around 2% in the next financial year, with the exchange rate hovering near 92 against US dollar.Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of India’s latest data released on Friday showed that India’s foreign exchange reserves rose by $3.293 billion to $696.61 billion in the week ended December 26. In the previous reporting week, the reserves had increased by $4.368 billion to $693.318 billion.

Thailand on Tuesday said its Cambodian counterpart claimed that fresh cross-border fire was ‘an operational error’, following Bangkok’s allegation that Cambodian forces violated a 10-day-old truce.“A military unit in the area was contacted by the Cambodian side who claimed there was no intention to fire into Thai territory and said the incident was caused by an operational error by Cambodian personnel,” the Thai army said in a statement.

The statement comes after Thailand earlier accused Cambodia of violating the same ceasefire, alleging that Cambodian forces fired mortars into a Thai border province, wounding one soldier.Thailand’s army said the incident took place on morning in Ubon Ratchathani province, along the disputed border. In a statement, the army said, “Cambodia has violated the ceasefire,” accusing Cambodian forces of firing mortar rounds into Thai territory. It added that one Thai soldier was wounded by shrapnel and was being evacuated for medical treatment.The allegation comes despite a truce agreed on December 27, which was meant to end nearly three weeks of fighting between the two Southeast Asian neighbours. The ceasefire was signed after weeks of intense clashes that included fighter-jet sorties, rocket fire and artillery barrages, marking the worst fighting between the two countries in years.At the time of the agreement, the defence ministers of both countries said they would freeze troop movements along the border. In a joint statement, they said, “Both sides agree to maintain current troop deployments without further movement.” The statement warned that “any reinforcement would heighten tensions and negatively affect long-term efforts to resolve the situation,” according to CNN. The truce was signed by Thai defence minister Natthaphon Narkphanit and his Cambodian counterpart Tea Seiha, ending around 20 days of fighting that killed at least 101 people and displaced more than half a million civilians on both sides.The long-running conflict between Thailand and Cambodia dates back more than a century, with both countries contesting sovereignty at several undemarcated points along their 817-kilometre land border. While the dispute has simmered for decades, it has periodically erupted into violence.Tensions escalated again last year, with clashes in December killing dozens and forcing around one million people to flee their homes across border regions. The latest round of fighting was re-ignited in early December after the collapse of a previous ceasefire that had been brokered with the involvement of US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.The agreement had also included humanitarian steps, such as the return of displaced civilians and a pledge that neither side would use force against civilians. Thailand had also agreed to return 18 Cambodian soldiers captured during earlier clashes if the ceasefire held for 72 hours.