BENGALURU: A timely phone call from an alert citizen to the child helpline (1098) Saturday morning averted what officials suspect to be a case of child sacrifice in Sulibele, near Hoskote, around 50km from Bengaluru. Acting on the tip-off, officials rescued an eight-month-old boy from a house in Janata Colony and later lodged a complaint with Sulibele police, who detained the couple claiming to be the child’s parents for questioning.

Police said the incident came to light after the district child protection machinery swung into action following the anonymous call received around 10.40am. The caller warned that an infant was about to be sacrificed by its parents as part of a ritual to unearth hidden treasure, allegedly planned for a full-moon day. Though the address provided was vague, the caller shared his mobile number before disconnecting.

Vendor-Couple Adopted Him Illegally: Cops

District child protection officer Anita Lakshmi said the child helpline staff immediately alerted her office. However, tracing the location proved challenging. “The address was not very clear, and even when we called the informer again, he appeared confused. Still, we managed to identify the house mentioned in the call,” Lakshmi told TOI.What the officials found inside raised immediate alarm. In the house, they noticed a freshly dug pit measuring roughly 2.5 feet by 2 feet. When questioned about the purpose of the pit, the vendor couple living there failed to give a clear or consistent explanation. Lakshmi said, “Our priority was the child. When we asked where the infant was, they claimed the baby had been left at a relative’s house. That sounded odd. Why would parents leave an eight-month-old elsewhere, especially when both of them were at home?”Repeated questioning did not yield convincing answers. Eventually, after sustained pressure from the officials, the couple contacted someone from the neighbourhood, who then brought the infant to the house. By this time, Sulibele police had also reached the spot and assisted the child protection team in securing the baby.The baby boy was immediately shifted to a rehabilitation centre. Officials said the child was in good health and responding well to caregivers. “The infant is fine and adjusting well with our staff. The immediate danger has passed, but the case has to be taken to its logical conclusion,” she said.During preliminary investigation, police discovered that the couple were not the biological parents of the child. A senior police officer said the infant had been illegally adopted from a daily-wagers in Kolar. The biological parents are currently untraceable and are suspected to have moved out of the area. “We are making efforts to trace them,” the officer said.The couple, who work as vendors in the Sulibele marketplace, have denied planning any human sacrifice. However, police said their statements regarding the pit were contradictory.Based on the complaint filed by the district child protection committee, along with photographs of the pit, police said they would register the case under the Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Act, 2017, along with relevant provisions of child protection laws. The investigation is ongoing.

Mumbai: A temple corridor connecting Mumbadevi, Babulnath, Mahalaxmi and Siddhivinayak temples will be created to promote religious tourism in Mumbai, said Pavan Tripathi, the BJP Mahamantri for Mumbai. Tripathi, who was deeply involved in the selection of candidates for the BMC elections, expressed confidence that the Mahayuti would win 150 seats, of which the BJP would bag more than 100.Speaking to TOI, Tripathi said there is no Marathi-non-Marathi issue in this election. The BJP, he said, provided homes to the Marathi Manoos, with the BDD chawls being a prime example. The sin of forcing the Marathi Manoos out of Mumbai is that of Uddhav Thackeray, he said. On North Indians being given fewer tickets, Tripathi said 21 seats were given to North Indians and there was no discrimination. “We are hopeful that all the candidates will win. All tickets were given keeping every criterion in mind,” he said.

The election, he said, is being fought on the issue of security and development. To ensure the city’s development continues, they will vote for the BJP only. On the issue of security, he said, “After 2014, Mumbai became a very safe city. Earlier, there were bomb blasts at regular frequency, earning the city the moniker ‘Bomb Blast City’. Women, including those from the Muslim community, will vote for the Mahayuti on the issue of security and not just the Ladki Bahin Yojana, as they are the worst sufferers when a family member is lost in such incidents.“On the issue of encroachments, Tripathi said the party raising awareness about infiltrators and illegal encroachments helped contain the spread of such settlements, particularly in Malwani in Malad West. He said the party is committed to a slum-free Mumbai, and this would not only reduce crime but drug addiction too.The BJP “Sankalp Patra” (manifesto) will be released in the next few days, said Tripathi, and it would focus on upgrading civic hospitals and schools, besides welfare measures for women. Tripathi said he was all for the removal of encroachments on footpaths and widening them to ensure hassle-free pedestrian movement.Those who committed corruption in the BMC in the last 25 years will not go scot-free, he said. “Certain investigations are underway; the culprits will be punished,” he said.

Babar Azam marriage: Journalist Shahid Hashmi has made huge comments on former Pakistan skipper Babar Azam amid his poor performances for the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League (BBL). Hashmi stated that Babar may be dealing with off-field pressure and disagreements over marriage, which could be affecting him mentally.

Babar is currently featuring for the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League. He has scored 131 runs in six matches at an average of 26.20 and a dismal strike rate of 111.96, including two half-centuries. One of those fifties came off 41 balls, the joint slowest half-century of the 15th season of the T20 tournament.

Babar Azam family feud: Journalist Claims Family Pressure Over Marriage May Be Affecting Babar

In a recent interview on the PakPassion YouTube channel, Shahid Hashmi said that Babar Azam may be under mental stress due to family disagreements over marriage. He stated that Babar’s family wants him to marry within the family, while the batter prefers a different choice.

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“He has some problems. I think maybe mental problems, maybe some family problems, because we have been hearing a lot of stories that his marriage is very much on the cards,” Hashmi said. “His family, his father and mother, want him to marry his cousin. He wants to marry someone else.”

“If these rumors are to be believed, if these reports are to be believed, maybe this problem is causing some mental issues. That’s why he’s not getting out to good balls or good bowlers, but getting out playing loose shots himself,” he added.

Babar Azam BBL form: Shahid Hashmi Claims Babar Needs A Good Coach

Shahid Hashmi stated that Babar’s recent struggles are more mental than technical. Hashmi feels the right guidance could help Babar regain confidence and form. He expressed optimism that Sydney Sixers coach Greg Shippard can play a key role.

“We’ve seen this in international series, in the 2023 World Cup, and now in the Big Bash as well. He was trapped very smartly by Tom Curran in the latest match and got out for two or three runs. He’s not scoring runs.”

“He needs a good coach. Mike Hesson, when the Asia Cup squad was announced, said that Babar Azam will have an opportunity to come good, to score some runs, to gain some confidence in the Big Bash,” Hashmi noted.

Pressure From Outside Forced Hesson to Include Babar – Shahid Hashmi

Hashmi stated that external pressure may have altered the plan. He stated that outside noise possibly pushed Mike Hesson to include Babar in the tri-series against South Africa. While Babar played a few decent innings, Hashmi felt his overall batting form during the series was still below expectations.

“But maybe from the outside noise, maybe some pressure from outside forced Hesson to include him in the series against South Africa in the tri-series. He scored a few runs. He played a few good innings, but overall his form, his batting was not satisfactory.”

Also read: James Anderson snubs Sachin Tendulkar, names Babar Azam and Virat Kohli as his all-time favorites

LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Image via: Getty Images

Kevin Durant and LeBron James are the two true legends of the big league, and both have played together for Team USA during the Olympics in Paris. As for their net worth, both have earned significantly from the NBA, and their net worth consists of earnings from their contract details and brand endorsements. While in the big league, both the elite players play for different teams, their sense of brotherhood and friendship has always been intact. The Los Angeles Lakers legend’s net worth comes from his crisp salary earned from the NBA, and his partnerships with the famous and high-profile brands. Now, as for Durant, he plays for the Houston Rockets, and his net worth, too, comes from his involvement with significant brands, major investments, and all sorts of charity works. From career earnings to contract details, here is everything you need to know about the NBA legends’ net worth.

Kevin Durant’s net worth, contract details, career earnings, brand endorsements, and more

The league’s most powerful player, Kevin Durant, boasts a net worth of $300 million (per Celebrity Net Worth) as of 2025. The Rocket’s top-tier player has an NBA salary that stands at around $54.7 million for the season of 2025-2026. Durant is one of the highest-paid basketball players in the history of the big league. He has signed a two-year, $90 million contract extension with the Houston Rockets in 2025. This deal also ensures him a player option at the end of 2027-2028. Kevin Durant has also partnered with several high-end brands, such as his lifetime deal with Nike, and other brands like Fanatics, FanDuel, 2K Sports, Degree Men, as well as his past involvement with brands like Gatorade. His career high point stands at 55 points, which he scored against the Atlanta Hawks back in 2022. Apart from these, he has scored significantly, averaging 25 points per game during the season of 2025-2026.

LeBron James’ net worth, contract details, career earnings, brand endorsements, and more

As of 2025, the Los Angeles Lakers’ legends’ net worth stands at $1.2 billion (per Forbes). James is one of the elite players in the NBA, and his net worth has significantly added to the reputation of the big league. He also boasts a salary cap of approximately $52.6 million for the season of 2025-2026, and in the coming years, he is entitled to earn even more than that. James has also signed a two-year, $104 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, which also includes a player option at the end of the 2025-2026 season. LeBron James has been involved with many brands, and endorsements account for the largest share of his net worth. He earns approximately $55-$80 million annually from all his endorsements and has partnered with brands like Nike, PepsiCo, McDonald’s, Amazon, Fanatics, and DraftKings. His career high has been at 52 points, and for the 2025-2026 season, he has scored 20.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game. Also read: LeBron James breaks yet another historic record in Lakers’ win over Grizzlies

Mumbai: BMC commissioner Bhushan Gagrani on Monday informed the Bombay high court that requisitioning subordinate court staff for civic poll duty was the result of an “inadvertent misreading of the SEC (State Election Commission) order”. The HC, at a special vacation hearing, stayed the commissioner’s Dec 22 order to summon subordinate court staff for poll duty, and sought the commissioner’s and the SEC reply, and posted the matter to Jan 5. On Monday, Gagrani’s senior counsel, Ravi Kadam, said it was “an inadvertent misinterpretation” of a list the state prepared for poll duty. Gagrani’s affidavit said he ought to have been more prudent in segregating govt staff from court staff when requisitioning.

The BMC’s reply said this year, there are 10,231 election centres against 7,200 in 2017. Now, it has a staff of 87,000 compared to 1,05,269 in 2017. The staff requirement for the 2026 polls is 51,155, with five to one booth, and with additional flying squad and other staff, the total requirement is 79,989. The BMC has deployed 24,841 of its staff for poll duty.Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad questioned the civic chief’s action of requisitioning the court staff. “From which provision do you draw powers? You cannot summon them. You don’t have the powers,” the bench said orally, adding, “Is there any defence that you have apart from accepting your mistake?”The SEC, represented by advocate Sachin Shetye, submitted in its reply that the provisions of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951, are not applicable for the conduct of local body elections, which are held under provisions of local Acts enacted by the state legislature. With no separate provision that governs requisitioning of staff for poll duty, SEC issued guidelines in 1995 and amended them in 2018.The HC, on Dec 30, referred to a 2008 decision of the administrative judges committee and a 2023 EC communication to exempt the court staff. On Monday, the HC adjourned the matter by 3 weeks and said in its final order it would clarify the law and lay down parameters, given the absence of any final judgment on court staff being requisitioned for poll duty.

England’s Joe Root (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

After a strong second day of the Sydney Test, Joe Root reflected on the importance of creating positive experiences for his team in Australia, especially for the younger players touring down under for the first time. Having already broken his century drought in Australia during the second pink-ball Test in Brisbane, Root produced another commanding innings, scoring 160 to put England in a position of strength at stumps on day two. England ended the day at 384 for 7, holding a 218-run lead over Australia, who were 166 for 2, with Travis Head unbeaten on 91. Root’s innings was a masterclass in patience and timing. Coming in with his side at 211 for 3 alongside Harry Brook, who scored 84 off 97 balls, Root faced 242 deliveries and struck 15 boundaries. He also received valuable contributions from Jamie Smith, who made 46, and Will Jacks, who added 27, guiding England to a solid total. Michael Neser was the pick of the Australian bowlers with 4 for 60, while Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland claimed two wickets each.

Speaking to reporters after the day, Root acknowledged the difficulty of batting under the conditions and emphasised the importance of using opportunities wisely. “It felt like yesterday was much batting, and it was much trickier today. It was about making sure to maximise that first innings, look at the surface and see how it plays out with time. It was pleasing and got it right to a degree today,” he said. The 35-year-old, who has enjoyed a long and illustrious career, also highlighted the significance of helping younger teammates build confidence in challenging conditions. “When you have played as long as I have, you are going to experience a lot of different things, and one thing I look at is opportunities. I do not know how many opportunities I am going to get to come here. It was great to win at MCG, and it was another opportunity today to help us get into a position of strength and try replicating that feeling once again for the group,” Root explained. He added that victories and strong performances in Australia can create lasting memories for first-time tourists and help them approach future tours with less mental baggage. “Hopefully, it benefits the team going forward when they come next time here. There are a lot of players playing for the first time in Australia, and when they have these positive memories, it will help them win. The baggage that the previous generation faced might not be there for them. There is so much to play for in the next three days,” Root said. With this century, Root equalled Ricky Ponting for the third-most Test centuries by an overseas player in Australia, marking his 41st hundred in Test cricket. Root has been England’s leading run-getter in this series, accumulating 394 runs in five Tests and nine innings at an average of 49.25, with two centuries. Australia’s innings in reply has been anchored by Travis Head, who remained unbeaten on 91 off 87 balls with 15 fours. Michael Neser was not out on 1, while Marnus Labuschagne contributed 48 before missing out on a fifty and Jake Weatherald managed 21. England’s bowlers will hope to take advantage of the remaining three days to maintain their advantage and push for a crucial win in the series. Root’s performance once again showcased his ability to adapt and dominate in Australian conditions, underlining his importance to the team and providing a blueprint for England’s younger players on how to approach Test cricket abroad. As the Ashes continue, England will be buoyed by this strong platform, with the captain leading by example both on and off the field.

Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president on Monday, two days after US forces captured her predecessor, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, to face trial in New York. Rodriguez took the oath in the National Assembly, telling lawmakers she did so “in the name of all Venezuelans.” She has hinted she will cooperate with Washington. She had been serving as the vice president of the nation since 2018.Rodriguez was already effectively running the country since Maduro’s capture on Saturday. She initially said that Venezuela would “never again be anyone’s colony.” By Sunday evening, she dialled down her tone and issued a statement inviting the US government “to work jointly on an agenda of cooperation, aimed at shared development, within the framework of international law, and that strengthens lasting peaceful coexistence.”Addressing President Donald Trump directly, Rodriguez said: “President Donald Trump: our peoples and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war. That has always been President Nicolás Maduro’s conviction and it is that of all Venezuela at this moment. This is the Venezuela I believe in and to which I have dedicated my life. My dream is for Venezuela to become a great power where all decent Venezuelans can come together. Venezuela has the right to peace, development, sovereignty and a future.”Rodriguez’s rise followed a series of extraordinary events. Maduro and Flores were captured by US forces and taken to New York, where they pleaded not guilty on drug and weapons charges in a federal court on Monday. The Supreme Court of Venezuela had sworn Rodriguez in as president on Saturday, and the country’s armed forces formally recognised her authority the next day, while still demanding the immediate release of Maduro and his wife at the same time.US President Donald Trump warned that Rodriguez could “pay a very big price” if she did not comply with his orders. He added that the US would now “run” Venezuela and hinted at a possible second strike if remaining members of Maduro’s administration refuse to cooperate with Washington. US secretary of state later clarified Trump’s position that US will only create an oil blockade in Venezuela and does not want total hold and governance of the Latin American country.Furthermore, the situation sidelined Venezuela’s democratic opposition, which is led by Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado. Machado had dedicated her Peace Prize to Trump after winning it last year. A lot of Venezuelans have been celebrating Maduro’s downfall, but many remain cautious due to the alarming number of arrests of people who opposed the ousted leader.The American forces last week carried out Operation Absolute Resolve, in which they conducted coordinated strikes across key locations in Caracas, killing dozens.

BENGALURU: For much of 2025, artificial intelligence did not enter people’s lives through dramatic product launches or viral demos. Instead, it slipped in quietly, taking over small, repetitive tasks that many users barely noticed. What began as casual experimentation with chatbots has, for many, evolved into a set of everyday tools that now handle remembering, planning, drafting and filtering information in the background.One of the most common uses of AI today is as a personal memory and life ledger. Hyderabad-based AI product manager Saumya Shikhar uses ChatGPT to log work achievements, skills he is building and challenges he encounters on the job. He also maintains separate chats to track RBI interest rate movements that affect his loan repayments, and another to record his health history. “That way, I feel like I have personal assistants with infinite memory and quick wisdom all the time,” he said.

Others are embedding AI even more deeply into their daily recall. Vignesh Ramakrishnan, founder of a Bengaluru-based AI consulting firm, built a WhatsApp-based AI assistant that acts as his operational memory. The system logs voice notes, handwritten notes, calendar entries and client conversations, and can retrieve details weeks later on request. “Earlier, client details were scattered across chats, notes and spreadsheets,” he said. “Now I just ask one place.”Another widespread shift is the use of AI to filter signal from noise. Instead of scanning crowded inboxes or unread newsletters, users increasingly rely on AI-powered curation tools. Dr Sneha Jain uses Readerwise and Pocket to curate and prioritise what she reads during the week. “I start each morning by scanning only high-signal insights instead of wading through inbox noise,” she said, adding that saved articles now resurface during short breaks between meetings, turning idle minutes into focused reading time.Drafting and structuring work remains one of the most common daily uses of AI. Tools such as ChatGPT, Claude and Copilot are now routinely used to turn rough thoughts into first drafts of emails, notes and long-form documents. Newer tools like Gemini’s Nano Banana and Gamma are increasingly being used to generate presentation visuals and slide decks from basic prompts. Meeting-focused tools such as Granola are also gaining traction for recording conversations and auto-generating summaries and action points. Founder and author Pavan Govindan said the biggest change has been the removal of thinking friction. “AI hasn’t replaced judgment or creativity,” he said. “It has replaced the blank-page problem.”

NEW DELHI: A dispute over a gym operating from a residential property allegedly escalated into a violent assault in east Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar, where a man was beaten up, his wife was allegedly molested, and their son was stripped naked and assaulted on the street, police said.The incident took place on Jan 2 and was captured on CCTV cameras, which have been seized as part of the investigation.

According to police, the complainant, Rajesh Garg, owns a house in Laxmi Nagar and runs a gym in its basement. In his complaint, Garg alleged that the gym’s caretaker, Satish Yadav, cheated him and attempted to take over the business, leading to an ongoing dispute between the two.Garg alleged that on Jan 2, he and his wife went to the basement to check a water leakage issue when Satish Yadav, accompanied by several men, followed them inside. An argument allegedly broke out, during which the men punched and kicked Garg. He further alleged that his wife was molested during the confrontation.According to the complaint, when the couple’s son came down after hearing the commotion, the accused men allegedly caught hold of him, dragged him out onto the street, stripped him naked, and beat him up publicly.Police said CCTV footage shows the alleged assault and is being examined to establish the sequence of events. Garg has also alleged that the accused continued to drag and assault his son on the street. In the CCTV footage that has been widely circulated on social media the accused men can be seen physically assaulting the man who has been stripped naked and then kicked repeatedly by a group of 4-5 men and the footage shows them only stopping after police officers reached the spot. Rajesh Garg told reporters, “On January 2, around 3–3.30pm, I was standing outside when they pushed me and started beating me. They tore my clothes and kept punching me in the face.” He claimed that his son was then assaulted and left lying on the road. “My son’s wedding is in 10 days. He was beaten badly. I saw him lying on the road,” Garg said. According to him, both his sons left home after the incident and have since switched off their mobile phones. “We don’t know where they are,” he said. His wife further alleged that by the time she ran to the police station and got help his son had already been taken to the middle of the road and assaulted. Speaking to reporters she alleged, “The way he was stripped and dragged is this less than any form of rape?”Based on the complaint, a case was registered at Laxmi Nagar police station under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including provisions related to voluntarily causing hurt, wrongful restraint, criminal trespass, assault or use of criminal force to outrage the modesty of a woman, acts intended to insult a woman’s modesty, and criminal intimidation.Cops said the main accused Satish Yadav has been arrested while the other three are on the run