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Pune: Bhigwan Chowk is where party offices are in Baramati town. It is also where election victories are celebrated and losses are quietly dissected. Whatever the result, the chowk remains the epicentre of all political activity, and it has rarely ever looked as quiet as it did on Thursday, as Baramati prepared to bid farewell to its son Ajit Pawar.The town paid its respects to the man who hated posters. There were no flashy flex boards. The few that did come for the farewell carried their leader’s photograph with just one word: nishabd (no words). The posters summed up the shock, disbelief and grief that gripped the town after the sudden death of the deputy chief minister and Baramati’s MLA in a plane crash on Wednesday morning.On Thursday, all roads in Baramati led to Vidya Pratishthan’s sports ground, where the last rites were held with state honours. Political heavyweights, including Union home minister Amit Shah, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, state minister Chandrakant Patil, MLA Praniti Shinde, AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel, Vidhan Sabha speaker Rahul Narwekar, former Union minister Sushilkumar Shinde, MLA Vishwajeet Kadam, Shahu Maharaj Chhatrapati and MNS chief Raj Thackeray were present, along with several Pawar family members, including Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule and others.The ground was flooded with thousands of men and women, old and young, many unable to hold back their tears.Katewadi’s DadaIf Baramati is the Pawar family’s bastion, Katewadi was Ajit Pawar’s homeground. On Thursday, many houses in the village were locked, because everyone, from the young to the elderly, walked to the Pawar farmhouse, where their leader’s mortal remains were kept. Villagers who swore by its Dada came in unending waves to pay their last respects.The crowd soon became overwhelming, forcing officials to halt the antim darshan for a while. Even as the gates remained shut, people continued gathering outside. Eventually, a group of women shouted at the police. “Even Dada never stopped us from entering his house. Think of him and let us go inside. We are here to see him for the last time,” they said. The police personnel on bandobast duty appeared taken aback, and the crowd was cleared to allow the women in.Tamanna Mulani, who came with her son Kabir, said Ajit Pawar was not seen as a leader in Katewadi. “To outsiders, he was a minister. Here, he was like an elder brother. You won’t find any politician who was what Dada was to Katewadi,” she said, adding that their wish to see him as chief minister would now remain unfulfilled.Jayashree Kamble said Pawar built his political legacy through tireless work. “Dada’s textile park is the reason many women are employed. Even before the Ladki Bahin scheme, we were his ladki bahin. He gave jobs, helped people set up businesses, ensured water for agriculture, and built good roads and infrastructure. How many politicians can honestly say they did so much for their constituency? He was the only one,” she said.No voting power, yet never ignoredRafik Bohari (77) has witnessed Ajit Pawar grow from a young leader to become the deputy chief minister of the state. He said the Pawars were the only family that never cared about religion or caste when it came to Baramatikars.“We are around 500 in number, which means as a community we have no voting power. Yet, whether it was help with admissions or business, Dada never turned us away. In fact, that is the Pawar legacy. He learnt the ropes from Sharad Pawar, and he too only cared about growth and development. Nothing else ever mattered to them,” Bohari added.Silence at party officeSudhakar Mane said he had worked with Ajit Pawar for the past 35 years. “Ever since we climbed onto a truck for a farmers’ protest to the Pune collector’s office 35 years ago, I have known him. He rose from the grassroots. It is a gigantic task to fill his shoes. With such a loss in the family, we feel that just as the family has united, the parties too must unite,” he added, echoing the sentiment of many.At Bhigwan Chowk, the NCP office had only three or four people seated beside a garlanded photograph of Ajit Pawar. The NCP (SP) office barely 20m away remained shut as a mark of respect.Mahesh Prabhakar, a handcart operator, said Pawar’s team had promised him a shop, with the final work to be completed on Thursday. “He helped people who worked hard. He hated laziness. He wouldn’t give you alms, but if you were genuine, he would give you the push you needed in life. He recognised people for what they were. I don’t think my dream of getting a shop will come true now,” Prabhakar added.Amardeep Lohokare said he feared things would change in Baramati after Pawar’s death. “Baramati doesn’t have criminals because of Dada. Everybody was afraid of his wrath. With him gone, I wonder what will happen,” he said.From Far and WidePeople from far-off places, from Buldhana to Nashik, arrived to pay homage. The crowd filled not only the ground but also spilt onto the surrounding roads.Youngsters from Barshi in Solapur district arrived in Baramati with hand-painted posters of Dada. Many stood with teary eyes, watching emotional reels on his life on their phones.Ashwini Kadu from Daund broke down. “Dada was Dada, an elder brother. No one can replace him,” she said. Bhausaheb Jadhav from Sangamner said he was too emotional to speak.Devendra Bhandari came from Mumbai with a friend who, he said, had been helped by Pawar during illness. “He is an ordinary person. He went to meet Dada for help with medical expenses. Without any second thoughts, after checking the details, Dada helped. He wasn’t even a party worker. I was amazed. I’m not in politics, but I wanted to see the man. Unfortunately, this is how I could come,” he said.The final journeyAjit Pawar’s mortal remains were taken to the ground in a van bearing a large poster. Along the route, people stood on the roadside and showered flowers as the vehicle passed by. The van arrived at the ground at 10.45am where a police band played Jeena Yahan Marna Yahan from a Raj Kapoor film, a tune that many felt was apt for a son of the soil who lived and died in Baramati.Pawar’s sons, Parth and Jay, performed the last rites. Before that, Baramati MP Supriya Sule and Ajit Pawar’s cousin led family members to the ground and to the pyre where the mortal remains were placed. He was cremated with state honours.Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill said, “As per our estimate, about one lakh people visited the ground site. We had deployed a strong bandobast of more than 6,000 personnel.”Despite six large screens, the sports ground was filled to its capacity, with people occupying any place, including JCBs and trucks. Many climbed trees to catch a glimpse. As political leaders arrived to pay their respects, people in the crowd spoke quietly about their equations with Ajit Pawar, their skirmishes, their alliances, and the ways in which he had helped them in their political careers.Keeping Baramati clean for DadaCleanliness mattered deeply to Dada. Perhaps that is why, even as much of Baramati remained shut, sanitation workers were among the few still on duty, trying to keep pace with the huge crowd, including many visitors from outside who did not know about Dada’s insistence on cleanliness or why Baramati’s streets are not filthy.“What if Dada is not there? His work will always remain in our hearts. That is why none of us has taken leave. We are working to keep the roads clean, just like how Dada would have wanted,” said a worker.
Chennai: Commuters in Adyar, Guindy and OMR may soon get relief from harrowing traffic at the Madhya Kailash junction, as the L-shaped flyover is set to be opened in the first week of Feb. The state highways dept solved two major bottlenecks—constructing the central girder at Sardar Patel Road-OMR and creating an approach road on Sardar Patel Road—which held back the 60-crore flyover project for months. A highways engineer said they are applying wet-mix on the carriageway. After it dries, they will apply the dense bituminous macadam, a type of open-graded bituminous layer used in highway construction as a binder course.
“The corporation began installing streetlights, and the painting works are being done on the OMR side. We will finish by the first week of Feb,” the official said.Madhya Kailash junction witnesses 11,000 commuters per hour, with the highest number of vehicles heading from Guindy to OMR, prompting the highways department to build the L-flyover for the route. While the flyover will ease traffic at the junction, residents urged the southern railways and GCC to clear encroachments on the Buckingham Canal river bridge next to Kasturba Nagar to ease traffic further. “Vehicles from Sardar Patel Road now take a left at the junction, waiting at the signal along with others who are heading straight to Guindy. If encroachments are removed on this bridge, vehicles from Sardar Patel Road can be diverted through this stretch, and those heading to Guindy will get a straight thoroughfare,” said D Balaji of Kasturba Nagar residents welfare association.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru cemented their status as the team to beat in WPL 2026, delivering a clinical eight-wicket demolition of the UP Warriorz to punch their ticket directly to the grand final. This high-stakes victory in Vadodara saw the defending champions maintain their composure under pressure, effectively neutralizing a dangerous opposition through tactical superiority and individual brilliance. By finishing at the summit of the points table, Smriti Mandhana’s side has bypassed the Eliminator, earning a well-deserved week of rest before the ultimate showdown.
Grace Harris once again proved to be the ultimate game-changer, haunting her former franchise with a savage 75 off just 39 balls to make a mockery of the 144-run target. Opening the batting alongside captain Mandhana, Harris wasted no time in asserting dominance, dismantling the Warriorz’ powerplay strategy with a flurry of boundaries that cleared the ropes with ease. Her innings was a calculated assault, featuring nine fours and four towering sixes as she reached her half-century in just 22 deliveries, effectively killing the contest within the first eight overs.
The Australian all-rounder’s ability to manipulate the field and target specific bowlers left Meg Lanning without answers, as Harris shared a record-breaking 108-run opening stand in under 10 overs. Although she eventually fell in the 13th over, her dismissal was a mere formality, as the required rate had plummeted to less than three runs per over. This performance solidified her position as a top contender for the Orange Cap and showcased her reputation as one of the most destructive finishers in the women’s game.
Mandhana, watching the carnage from the best seat in the house, provided the perfect foil with a steady unbeaten 54, ensuring the chase was completed with 41 balls to spare. The sheer velocity of Harris’s knock not only secured the two points but also provided a massive boost to RCB’s net run rate, leaving no doubt about their championship credentials.
The foundation of RCB’s triumph was laid by a disciplined bowling performance that restricted a dangerous Warriorz lineup to a sub-par total of 143/8. After electing to field, the Bengaluru bowlers were forced to stay patient as Meg Lanning (40) and Deepti Sharma (55) built a steady 74-run platform for the visitors. The breakthrough finally came via Nadine de Klerk, who produced a sensational triple-wicket burst to finish with career-best figures of 4/22, effectively derailing the middle order in a matter of minutes.
Harris also made significant contributions with the ball, outfoxing Harleen Deol and Chloe Tryon to claim 2/22 and trigger a collapse that saw the Warriorz lose four wickets for just 11 runs. Shreyanka Patil provided the finishing touches, removing the set Deepti Sharma in the penultimate over to ensure there was no late-innings flourish for the opposition. Lauren Bell remained characteristically miserly at the other end, conceding only 21 runs from her four overs while applying relentless pressure on the new batters.
The collective effort from the bowling unit meant that the Warriorz, despite having wickets in hand early on, never found the acceleration needed on a surface that began to offer grip for the spinners. Georgia Voll, was equally impressive, pouching two crucial catches to keep the pressure high throughout the 20 overs. This all-round dominance with the ball allowed the RCB batters to play with freedom, knowing that the target was well below the par score for the Kotambi Stadium.
FINALE HERE WE COME 👊
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) January 29, 2026
This is what Grace Harris can do. The queen is back 🥶❤️ pic.twitter.com/cbItj7l45M
— Pari (@BluntIndianGal) January 29, 2026
If at the start of this WPL season, someone would’ve told me that RCB would directly play the FINAL after winning 6 out of their 8 league games without Ellyse Perry I would have never believed them. 😅
— Aditya Saha (@Adityakrsaha) January 29, 2026
What a season this has been for RCB
They finish top of the table for the first time in the group stage of the #WPL
One win away from the title now#WPL2026 #UPWvRCB
— Mohit Shah (@mohit_shah17) January 29, 2026
Biceps celebration by Grace Harris 🥶 pic.twitter.com/aHc4ODMdEF
— Vivek (@Hailkohli18) January 29, 2026
RCB may not have had the best team on paper, but throughout the tournament this team has played the best cricket of all teams even without having Perry and Pooja. Someone or the other has generally stepped up at different times. Very deserved first spot and final.
— GK (@FCBxRCB) January 29, 2026
RCB makes it to three successive finals then!
✅WPL 2024
✅IPL 2025
✅WPL 2026
Time to make it 3 titles in a row! 🏏🤞— Sohini M. (@Mittermaniac) January 29, 2026
🚨 RCB QUALIFIED INTO THE FINAL OF WPL 2026 🚨
– Total dominance by Smriti Mandhana & her Army. pic.twitter.com/nubJ9bjLyP
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 29, 2026
FINALS CALLING THE LADIES 🤙🏼 pic.twitter.com/XDdstbScaF
— arfan (@Im__Arfan) January 29, 2026
RCB- The first finalist of #WPL2026 🌟#RCB pic.twitter.com/XyK3zrVetO
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) January 29, 2026
Also READ: Top 5 players to successfully defend lowest runs in final over of WPL matches ft. Sophie Devine
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he has told Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez that the United States will reopen commercial airspace over Venezuela. He said Americans will soon be able to travel to the country.Trump said he has instructed US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and US military leaders to open the airspace by the end of the day.“American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they’ll be safe there,” Trump said.Earlier this week, the Trump administration informed Congress that it had begun initial steps that could lead to the reopening of the closed US Embassy in Venezuela. This is part of efforts to explore restoring relations with the South American country after a US military raid that removed then-President Nicolas Maduro.In a notice sent to lawmakers on Monday, the US State Department said it would deploy a regular and growing number of temporary staff to carry out “select” diplomatic functions.Diplomatic ties between the US and Venezuela broke down in 2019. That year, the State Department warned Americans not to travel to Venezuela and raised its travel advisory to the highest level.In November, Trump had said the airspace “above and surrounding” Venezuela should be considered “closed in its entirety.” After that, the US Federal Aviation Administration warned pilots to exercise caution due to increased military activity. Several international airlines later cancelled flights to Venezuela.American Airlines, the last US carrier to fly to Venezuela before suspending operations in March 2019, said on Thursday it plans to restart non-stop flights from the US in the coming months.“We have a more than 30-year history connecting Venezolanos to the U.S., and we are ready to renew that incredible relationship,” said Nat Pieper, American Airlines’ chief commercial officer. “By restarting service to Venezuela, American will offer customers the opportunity to reunite with families and create new business and commerce with the United States.”
The European Union on Thursday designated the Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorist organisation, accusing it of killing “thousands of its own people.”In social media post on X, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas wrote, “Repression cannot go unanswered.”
“Any regime that kills thousands of its own people is working toward its own demise,” he added. Meanwhile, Iran’s military slammed EU’s move to put country’s Revolutionary Guards in category similar to that of Islamic State and al Qaeda. It claimed that the decision was “irresponsible and spite driven.”“The illogical, irresponsible and spite-driven action of the European Union has undoubtedly been taken in unquestioning obedience to the hegemonic and anti-human policies of the United States and the Zionist (Israeli) regime,” a statement from the General Staff of the Armed Forces carried by the official IRNA news agency said.While some EU member states have previously pushed for the IRGC to be added to the EU’s terrorist list, others have been more cautious, fearing that it could hinder communication with Iran’s government and endanger European citizens in the country. But a brutal crackdown on a nationwide protest movement earlier this month, killing thousands, increased momentum for the move.“It’s important that we send this signal that the bloodshed that we’ve seen, the bestiality of the violence that’s been used against protesters, cannot be tolerated,” Dutch foreign minister David van Weel said on Thursday morning. France and Italy, which were previously reluctant to list the IRGC, lent their backing this week.This comes after many citizens were killed and thousands of them were imprisoned in Iran after a protest spurred out across the country over the declining economy.
World Bank Group President Ajay Banga (Photo-AP)
India should “think less” about tariffs and focus more on opportunities to expand trade, World Bank Group President Ajay Banga said on Thursday, as geopolitical tensions continue to cloud the global trade outlook.Interacting with media during a visit to the Central Tool Room and Training Centre (CTTC) in Bhubaneswar, Banga pointed to India’s growing engagement through trade agreements, noting that the country has signed more than 100 regional and bilateral pacts over the past two decades, with the recently concluded India–European Union free trade agreement as a key example, PTI reported.
“Think less about the tariffs, and more about the opportunities like you (India) have done (the FTA) with the European Union,” he said, stressing that all trade deals are important in an evolving global landscape.Highlighting shifts in global commerce, Banga said world trade has quadrupled over the last 20 years, while the share of emerging markets has doubled from 20 per cent to 40 per cent. “If you look at the way trade has changed over last two decades, the global trade has quadrupled, while the share of the emerging markets doubled from 20 per cent to 40 per cent. Therfore, emerging markets like India have now become key components in the global trade,” he said.India and the EU recently announced the conclusion of negotiations for the long-pending free trade agreement, often described as the ‘mother of all deals’. Under the pact, 93 per cent of Indian shipments will get duty-free access to the 27-nation bloc, while imports of luxury cars and wines from the EU are set to become cheaper.The agreement, finalised after negotiations spanning nearly two decades, will create a market of around 2 billion people, bringing together India, the world’s fourth-largest economy, and the EU, the second-largest economic bloc.
Former champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru produced a commanding all-round display to thrash UP Warriorz by eight wickets, sealing their spot in the WPL final and all but ending the opposition’s playoff hopes here on Thursday. After opting to bowl, RCB clawed their way back impressively despite a brisk start from UP Warriorz. Nadine de Klerk led the fightback with a brilliant spell of 4 for 22, while Grace Harris chipped in with 2 for 22, as UPW slipped from a strong position to post a modest 143 for eight.
Harris then made the chase a one-sided affair. The Australian unleashed a blistering 75 off just 37 deliveries, ensuring RCB romped home with 41 balls to spare. The emphatic victory lifted RCB to 12 points, confirming a top-of-the-table finish in the five-team competition. In contrast, UP Warriorz were left rooted to the bottom with four points and the poorest net run-rate, their campaign hanging by a thread despite having a game in hand. Harris set the tempo early, targeting Kranti Gaud in the powerplay and plundering five boundaries in the third over alone. She reached her half-century in just 28 balls, lifting Asha Sobhana over long-on, and dominated a 108-run stand with captain Smriti Mandhana. Mandhana played the perfect supporting role, bringing up a classy fifty off 26 balls. Although Harris was eventually bowled by Shikha Pandey while attempting to work a cross-seam delivery, the result was already beyond doubt, with only 36 runs needed and plenty of overs left. Earlier, UP Warriorz had looked well placed thanks to Deepti Sharma’s fluent 55 off 43 balls, her first fifty of the season. Deepti and Meg Lanning put on their best opening stand of the campaign, adding 72 in just 49 balls. However, once Lanning fell, the innings lost momentum. From a comfortable 74 without loss after eight overs, UPW slumped to 103 for four as de Klerk and Harris tightened the screws through the middle phase. De Klerk removed Lanning and trapped Amy Jones lbw, before Harris struck in consecutive overs to dismiss Harleen Deol and Chloe Tryon, swinging the contest decisively in RCB’s favour.
Microsoft led a pullback on Wall Street on Thursday, with US stocks retreating from record levels after the tech heavyweight logged its steepest single-day fall in years, weighing on broader market sentiment. While gold prices also reversed sharply after a blistering run, reflecting a broader cooling of risk appetite across global markets.Microsoft sank 12.3% despite reporting better-than-expected profit and revenue for the latest quarter. Investors focused instead on the scale of its capital spending, concerns over a potential slowdown in Azure cloud growth, and uncertainty over when its heavy investments in artificial intelligence will translate into meaningful profits. The stock was on track for its worst day since the Covid-led market crash of 2020 and accounted for more than half of the S&P 500’s decline.The S&P 500 fell 1.1% after briefly hovering near an all-time high earlier in the session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 203 points, or 0.4%, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.1%.Tesla also weighed on sentiment, slipping 2% after posting higher-than-expected quarterly profit that was still sharply lower than a year earlier. Chief executive Elon Musk has urged investors to look beyond weak car sales towards the company’s ambitions in robotaxis and robotics.Several other large technology stocks came under pressure. ServiceNow tumbled 10.7% despite delivering a profit beat, extending a slide that has been under way since last summer.Gains elsewhere offered only limited support. Meta Platforms rose 7.4% after topping earnings expectations, even as it reiterated plans for heavy AI-related investments. IBM climbed 5.7% on strong results, while Southwest Airlines surged 12.9% after issuing an upbeat earnings outlook for 2026 despite a quarterly profit miss.In commodities, gold prices reversed sharply after touching fresh highs earlier in the day. Bullion briefly traded near $5,600 an ounce before sliding back to $5,274.30, down 1.2% on the day, after crossing the $5,000 mark for the first time earlier this week. Silver fell 1.6%, while bitcoin dropped more than 5% to below $85,000.Market participants said the pullback reflected profit-taking after what many viewed as an overheated rally in precious metals driven by concerns over geopolitical risks, high government debt and stretched equity valuations.In bond markets, the yield on the 10-year US Treasury eased to 4.23% from 4.26% late Wednesday. The Federal Reserve on Wednesday paused its rate-cut cycle, citing inflation that remains above its 2% target. President Donald Trump renewed criticism of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, pressing again for lower interest rates.Overseas, equity markets were largely higher, with South Korea’s Kospi rising 1% to a fresh record, helped by gains in chipmaker SK Hynix, according to AP.
NEW DELHI: In an urgent missive to Election Commission, Congress on Thursday accused the ruling BJP of using the EC’s Form 7 to target genuine voters for wrongful deletion in the Claim and Objection phase of the SIR in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam and Kerala.AICC general secretary and MP KC Venugopal, in a complaint to EC, termed the watchdog’s inaction in addressing concerns about systematic subversion of electoral rolls revision as worrisome and urged immediate steps to prevent BJP from misusing the electoral rolls to gain unfair electoral advantage.
“These actions, if not taken cognizance of by the Commission, … will lead to the disenfranchisement of lakhs of voters, especially those belonging to the backward, marginalised communities,” he said, adding that backward communities are being targeted by BJP.Venugopal said Form 7 serves a narrow purpose of raising objection to a voter’s name with fact-based reasons like death or duplication, and “is not meant for generalised or speculative objections”. He said the burden of proof too rests on the person filing the Form, with penalties prescribed for making a false submission.Specifying the pattern involved in engineering wrongful deletion, Venugopal said Form 7 is being generated in bulk through a centralised system, which is then being used to raise objections in bulk against targetted categories of electors, including SCs, STs, the minorities and senior citizens. He said these forms are then being handed over to BLOs across multiple constituencies through a well-organised mechanism. The striking feature here is the absence of clear and verifiable particulars of the individual submitting the Form 7, though EC mandates disclosure of an objector’s identity along with documentary material substantiating the objection. He said in many instances, the alleged objectors denied filing the objections.“This casts serious doubts over the sanctity of the entire SIR process being undertaken,” he said.Congress urged EC to institute real-time supervision over the voter deletion process and the monitoring of Form 7 applications, including their issuance and submission. It also sought investigation under Article 324 into misuse of Form 7. Congress further urged EC to release disaggregated data relating to Form-7 applications for all 12 States undergoing SIR.
