GHAZIABAD: During a verification drive at a slum cluster in Kaushambi a week ago, an SHO decided to “put pressure” on residents to reveal their true nationality by holding a cellphone to their back like a scanner and telling them it would automatically detect if they were illegals.The checks happened on Dec 23 in Bhowapur slum, which has around 50 shanties. All such verification exercises have an established protocol that are supposed to protect people’s dignity as security agencies go about their work.

But the team in Bhowapur led by SHO of Kaushambi police station Ajay Sharma thought there was nothing wrong in throwing in an element of alarm. The SHO’s phone scan method came to light through videos of the incident that surfaced on social media on Thursday. One 26-second video shows the SHO accompanied by other police officers and RAF personnel asking a slum dweller to show his identity card. When he furnishes one and says he is a resident of Araria in Bihar, Sharma asks him whether he is from Bihar or Bangladesh, to which the slum dweller replies that he is from Bihar. The SHO then decides to tell him he has a machine that “immediately” says where a person is from.The SHO then tells a constable to bring the machine (a mobile phone) and place it on the man’s back. The machine is showing Bangladesh, Sharma tells him. The slum dweller then says, “no sir, we are from Bihar”. Sharma goes on to ask who is a Bangladeshi at the slum if he is not. The slum dweller says there is no one.Asked about his verification method, Sharma defended his actions to TOI, saying he hadn’t said or done anything wrong but “tried to put pressure on them so that they reveal their true identity”. No one, he insisted, was harassed.A senior police officer said that a foot march was carried out during Christmas and New Year. On Dec 23, the same happened in which SHO asked some people of the area about their documents and identity. “But there was no such order from seniors,” the officer added.Commissioner of police J Ravindra Goud told TOI, “We are checking the details of the video and if any person is harassed by police, we will take action.”

The SA20 2025-26 season reaches a high-octane peak as the tournament’s only unbeaten side, the Joburg Super Kings, host the defending champions, Sunrisers Eastern Cape, in a clash for the top spot. The Super Kings arrive at the bullring with massive momentum after a heart-stopping Super Over victory against Durban’s Super Giants on New Year’s Day. Meanwhile, the Sunrisers, led by Tristan Stubbs, are looking to rebound from a narrow loss to Paarl Royals that snapped their perfect start. This Match 11 is a heavyweight battle between JSK’s explosive batting and the Sunrisers’ lethal pace battery, promising a spectacular contest in front of a packed Johannesburg crowd.

JSK vs SEC, SA20 2025-26: Match Details

• Date and Time: January 3 (Saturday); 4:30 pm IST / 11:00 am GMT / 1:00 pm LOCAL
• Venue: Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Head-to-Head Record (SA20):

Matches played: 7 | Joburg Super Kings won: 3 | Sunrisers Eastern Cape won: 4 | No result: 0

Wanderers Stadium Pitch Report

The Wanderers Stadium is famously known as a batter’s paradise due to its high altitude and quick outfield, which allow the ball to travel significantly further. The pitch typically offers a true bounce that stroke-makers love, though the bullring often provides some steep bounce and lateral movement for the fast bowlers early in the innings. In recent SA20 fixtures, scores exceeding 180 have been the norm rather than the exception. While the surface remains consistent throughout, the historical trend at this venue favors the team bowling first, as chasing under the lights can be slightly easier once the initial seam movement subsides. The toss-winning captain will likely elect to bowl first to exploit the early morning moisture.

Also READ: SA20 2026: Full list of commentators and presenters at South Africa’s explosive T20 cricket league

Joburg Super Kings vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape: Team Dynamics and Key Players

Joburg Super Kings: JSK are the team to beat this season, sitting at the top of the table with three wins from three. Their batting is spearheaded by the in-form Rilee Rossouw and the reliable Donovan Ferreira, who proved his finishing prowess in the Super Over thriller. The bowling unit has found a new hero in Richard Gleeson, whose eight wickets in three games have made him the most dangerous pacer in the league so far. With Faf du Plessis providing veteran leadership and the wily Prenelan Subrayen controlling the middle overs, the Super Kings look like a complete unit on their home turf.

Sunrisers Eastern Cape: The two-time champions remain a formidable force despite their recent slip-up. Their strength lies in a balanced attack featuring the raw pace of Anrich Nortje and the clinical Adam Milne, who has been amongst the wickets. The batting is anchored by the explosive Jordan Hermann and the marquee signing Quinton de Kock, who has already shown glimpses of his destructive best. Captain Tristan Stubbs provides the middle-order fire, while Marco Jansen offers elite all-round value. Their ability to deliver in high-pressure “big game” situations makes them a massive threat to JSK’s unbeaten run.

Squads: 

Joburg Super Kings: Faf du Plessis (c), James Vince, Rilee Rossouw, Donovan Ferreira, Shubham Ranjane, Rivaldo Moonsamy (wk), Akeal Hosein, Richard Gleeson, Reece Topley, Imran Tahir, Nandre Burger, Matthew De Villiers, Prenelan Subrayen, Daniel Worrall, Wiaan Mulder, Duan Jansen, Dian Forrester, Steve Stolk, Janco Smit, Neil Timmers, Jarren Bacher

Sunrisers Eastern Cape: Jonny Bairstow, Quinton de Kock (wk), Tristan Stubbs (c), Lewis Gregory, Matthew Breetzke, Marco Jansen, Patrick Kruger, Senuran Muthusamy, Adam Milne, Anrich Nortje, Chris Wood, Allah Ghazanfar, JP King, Christopher King, Jordan Hermann, Mitchell Van Buuren, Tharindu Rathnayake, James Coles, Beyers Swanepoel, Lutho Sipamla

JSK vs SEC, SA20 2025-26: Today’s Match Prediction

Case 1:

• Joburg Super Kings wins the toss and bowls first
• Sunrisers Eastern Cape powerplay score: 45-55 (6 overs)
• Sunrisers Eastern Cape total score: 170-185

Case 2:

• Sunrisers Eastern Cape wins the toss and bowls first
• Joburg Super Kings powerplay score: 50-60 (6 overs)
• Joburg Super Kings total score: 175-195

Match result: Joburg Super Kings to win the contest

Also READ: SA20 2026 – TV channels, live streaming details | When and where to watch in India, Australia, Pakistan, USA, UK & other countries

Zohran Mamdani is set to begin a new mayoral term after a historic election that gave him the highest vote count for a New York City mayor in 60 years. After winning with a campaign focused on working-class issues, he now faces the challenge of delivering on his promises as living costs remain at record highs, economic growth shows signs of slowing, federal support weakens and budget pressures mount.Housing remains the most severe strain on household finances. More than half of a typical family’s income goes towards rent, while about 100,000 people rely on homeless shelters each night, according to CNN. In Manhattan, median monthly rents have crossed $5,400. “This is what a full-blown affordability crisis looks like,” Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine said in a December report.Central to Mamdani’s agenda is a pledge to freeze rents in rent-stabilised apartments, a policy he has described as his “landmark policy”. Nearly one million apartments, close to half of the city’s rental housing, would be affected. However, nonprofit housing providers and developers operating subsidised units say that existing revenues are already insufficient to meet operating costs.Simultaneously, the rising cost of daily necessities has pushed many residents into financial distress. Around 1.4 million people, roughly 15% of the city’s population, face food insecurity. Child care costs are also among the highest in the country, with a family required to earn $334,000 annually to afford care for a two-year-old, according to US Census Bureau data.Data from Community Preservation Corporation shows that since 2020, expenses for rent-stabilised housing have increased by 22%, while rents have risen by only about 11%. Industry experts warn that the gap between costs and income could lead to worsening building conditions as expenses for insurance, labour and utilities continue to rise.Alongside rent control, Mamdani has proposed the construction of 200,000 permanently subsidised affordable homes aimed at low- and moderate-income residents. Yet financial stress within the affordable housing sector is already evident. “The trends of increasing costs and reduced income are unsustainable for affordable housing,” Enterprise Community Partners and National Equity Fund said in a recent report, calling for emergency funding and state intervention to curb insurance expenses.Beyond housing, Mamdani has committed to free child care for children aged six weeks to five years and removing fares from city-run buses. Funding these initiatives depends on state approval to increase taxes on high-income residents and corporations. New York governor Kathy Hochul has publicly opposed making the entire bus network free, citing the potential $1 billion loss in fare revenue for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.Whether Mamdani can turn this proposal into policy will depend on political pressure from his support base, according to Columbia University historian Kim Phillips-Fein. His grassroots campaign has already inspired allies to launch a nonprofit organisation aimed at pressing city and state lawmakers in Albany. “People thought Mamdani’s election was impossible a year ago, but it was accomplished through significant political organizing,” Phillips-Fein said. His success as mayor “will depend upon an alignment of political forces and continued organizing.” Economic indicators present both strength and concern. While opponents warned before the election of a potential flight of wealthy residents or a repeat of the city’s 1970s fiscal collapse, Phillips-Fein told CNN that such comparisons are “shallow”. Unlike that period, New York is not experiencing population loss or a decline in manufacturing jobs.Employment and labour force participation remain at record levels, tax revenues are at historic highs and office leasing reached 97% of pre-pandemic levels in the first half of 2025. However, momentum is slowing. The city is projected to add 78,000 fewer jobs in 2025 than the previous year, with most gains concentrated in the low-wage home health sector, according to Sarah Parker of the New York City Independent Budget Office.At the same time, a $6.5 billion budget shortfall is expected in 2027, with larger gaps forecast in subsequent years. The incoming administration is “facing a pretty challenging fiscal picture,” Parker said.Federal policy is likely to shape the city’s outlook. Mamdani has vowed to pursue “the most ambitious agenda to tackle the cost-of-living crisis this city has seen since the days of Fiorello La Guardia”, but unlike La Guardia’s era, current federal leadership has moved to cut key social programmes, CNN reported.State estimates suggest that Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill will lead to 1.5 million New Yorkers losing health insurance coverage, 300,000 households losing some or all SNAP benefits, $13 billion in cuts to the state’s healthcare system and 200,000 job losses, alongside higher long-term energy costs due to the cancellation of clean energy projects.Although Mamdani and US President Donald Trump held a meeting at the White House in November, the administration is withholding $18 billion in federal funding for New York City transit projects. Tariffs, immigration restrictions and reduced federal spending create a “challenging climate for cities like New York,” City Comptroller Brad Lander said in a December report, as cited by CNN. Meamwhile, Mamdani has maintained confidence that progress is possible. “I’m really looking forward to delivering for New Yorkers in partnership with the president on the affordability agenda.”

Rishabh Pant (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)

New Delhi: The current Indian team management’s go-to word has been ‘flexibility’. Now, it remains to be seen whether the selectors continue to experiment or opt for continuity. At the centre of this debate is Rishabh Pant. By standard team-building logic, Pant’s place in the 15-member squad shouldn’t be in doubt. He has warmed the bench as KL Rahul’s backup wicketkeeper for the last 18 months. Since coming back from a car accident, he has played only one ODI — on a rank turner in Sri Lanka in Aug 2024. Before the accident, Pant averaged over 41 with a strike rate close to 110 while batting at No. 4. Much has changed since. Gautam Gambhir has consolidated his influence as head coach. Rohit Sharma has been replaced by Shubman Gill as captain. ‘Flexibility’ and an aversion to superstar culture have become core principles of selection.

Three ODIs against New Zealand may not seem significant. But India will play only 20 or so ODIs before the 2027 World Cup. “The team management and selection committee did a good job when they started the transition process. But constant chopping and changing doesn’t help stability. If Pant has been your No. 2 wicketkeeper and is dropped without playing, you are challenging your own selection process. There needs to be consistency in selection, otherwise it doesn’t send a good signal to players coming up the ranks,” former national selector Devang Gandhi told TOI. It is understood that the selectors wanted to rotate Pant and Rahul as wicketkeepers in the six home ODIs this season. However, the continued reluctance to play Pant suggests a lack of trust in his abilities. Similar situations have played out in Test cricket with Shardul Thakur and Nitish Kumar Reddy, when the management and captain did not appear to be on the same page. “My only fear is a repeat of 2019, when you didn’t prepare backups in the middle order. Pant can still serve for another seven to eight years. If they feel they can maximise his potential, they must start working with him. He has been part of the system since 2018. If not, they must identify a definite second wicketkeeper — and not keep changing without giving the player a full run, because there aren’t many ODIs before the World Cup,” former India wicketkeeper and broadcaster Deep Dasgupta said. Pant hasn’t set the stage on fire in the Vijay Hazare Trophy on sticky Bengaluru pitches. “I won’t judge him by the runs. He hasn’t played the 50-over format for nearly three-and-a-half years. Before his accident, he had started finding his feet in ODIs. It’s about how much you want to back him,” Dasgupta added.

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Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani, has formally written to the UN Security Council and UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemning the “reckless and inflammatory threats” made by US President Donald Trump. Tehran also warned that the United States would bear full responsibility for any consequences or escalation that might arise from such statements.In the letter dated January 2, Iran accused the US president of openly threatening the use of force against a sovereign UN member state, asserting that such remarks amounted to a clear violation of international law and the UN Charter.Drawing attention to Trump’s recent comments, the Iranian envoy said the US president had gone beyond rhetoric by publicly declaring: “We are locked and loaded and ready to go.” Iravani said the statement amounted to “the incitement of violence, unrest, and terrorist acts within Iran” and constituted “a clear, explicit, and unlawful threat of the use of force against a sovereign State.”Trump’s remarks came amid widening protests in Iran over economic hardship, soaring inflation and a sharp fall in the national currency. In a post on Truth Social, the US president warned Iranian authorities against killing protesters, saying the United States would “come to their rescue” if peaceful demonstrators were harmed, before adding that Washington was “locked and loaded.”“Only days earlier, the President of the United States publicly threatened the Islamic Republic of Iran with the use of force, including renewed military attacks against Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities and its defensive capabilities. These repeated and deliberate statements demonstrate a consistent pattern of unlawful conduct by the United States and constitute a clear, explicit, and unlawful threat of the use of force against a sovereign State, as well as interference in its internal affairs,” the letter read. Iravani stressed that international law strictly prohibits such threats, regardless of political justification. “Such threats, irrespective of political pretexts or rhetorical framing, are strictly prohibited under international law,” the letter said, citing Articles 2(1), 2(4) and 2(7) of the UN Charter.The letter also accused Washington of encouraging unrest as a pretext for pressure or intervention, calling it “a grave violation of Iran’s sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity.” It added that the encouragement or facilitation of violent activity within another state constituted “an internationally wrongful act.”Placing the current tensions in historical context, the Iranian envoy pointed to what he described as a long record of US intervention, including the 1953 coup against Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, support for Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war, the 1988 shooting down of Iran Air Flight 655, the killing of Major General Qassem Soleimani and the imposition of decades-long sanctions.He also referred to joint US-Israeli attacks in June 2025, which he said targeted civilians, infrastructure, and peaceful nuclear facilities.Calling on the UN to act, Iran urged the Security Council “to unequivocally and strongly condemn these reckless and provocative statements” and to demand that the United States “cease all threats or uses of force” and comply with its obligations under international law.The letter concluded with a direct warning, stating: “The Islamic Republic of Iran unequivocally rejects and strongly condemns these reckless, interventionist, and inflammatory statements, and reaffirms its inherent right to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national security.” Iranian officials have strongly rejected the warning. Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi described Trump’s comments as “reckless and dangerous”. Araghchi said that the protests were largely peaceful and driven by economic pressure and warned that any interference in Iran’s internal affairs would be firmly rejected. Other senior figures have also cautioned that foreign intervention would cross Iran’s security “red lines” and risk wider regional instability.The current protests are the most widespread since the 2022 unrest that followed the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. Amini, a young woman, had been accused by Iran’s morality police of not wearing her veil properly.

INDORE: Laboratory tests have confirmed that the diarrhoea outbreak in Indore, which has so far claimed at least four lives and sickened more than 1,400 people, was caused by contaminated drinking water, officials said.Indore’s Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Madhav Prasad Hasani said a report prepared by a city-based medical college found that water samples collected from Bhagirathpura were contaminated due to a leak in a main supply pipeline. The area has emerged as the epicentre of the outbreak.

District collector Shivam Verma said the initial laboratory report confirmed contamination in the water samples, though officials were yet to identify the specific bacteria responsible.State minister Kailash Vijayvargiya said preliminary indications suggested that sewage water had mixed with the drinking water supply near a police check post. “We are already treating the water. A detailed microbiological examination will take eight to ten days,” he said.Residents of Bhagirathpura began reporting to hospitals across the city from Monday onwards, complaining of vomiting, diarrhoea and high fever. Officials said the contamination occurred after sewage water from a toilet constructed at a local police check post seeped into the drinking water line.Additional chief secretary Sanjay Dubey, who oversees the urban development department, said nine deaths had been reported from the area so far. “Based on post-mortem findings, only four deaths can currently be linked directly to contaminated water,” he said.Dubey held meetings with senior officials in Indore to review the situation and finalise relief measures. “Guidelines have been worked out to ensure funds are made available and treatment costs for patients are covered,” he said. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of those who died.Health department officials said door-to-door surveys were conducted in 1,714 households on Thursday, during which 8,571 people were examined. Of these, 338 individuals with mild symptoms were provided treatment at their homes.Bhagirathpura, meanwhile, remains largely deserted. With more than 200 residents admitted to 27 hospitals across Indore, most families have been away attending to sick relatives. Since the outbreak began earlier this week, nine people have died.Municipal officials said the crisis was triggered when waste water from a pit connected to a toilet at the police outpost leaked into the main water pipeline running beneath it. The contractor allegedly routed the toilet’s waste into a pit instead of constructing a septic tank and linking it to the sewage network.Officials said a leak was detected in the main water pipeline near the police outpost, leading to contamination of the supply in surrounding areas. “We are examining the entire pipeline to check for additional leaks,” Dubey said.After repairs and inspection, clean water was restored through the pipeline on Thursday. However, residents have been advised to boil water before consumption as a precaution. Fresh samples have also been sent for testing.The state government is now planning to issue a standard operating procedure for drinking water infrastructure across Madhya Pradesh to prevent similar incidents in the future.According to officials, 272 patients have been admitted to hospitals since the outbreak began eight days ago. Of them, 71 have been discharged. At present, 201 patients remain hospitalised, including 32 in intensive care units.(With agency inputs)

Sydney Thunder host Hobart Hurricanes in the 21st match of Big Bash League 2025-26 at Sydney Showground Stadium. Defending champions Hurricanes hold a strong head-to-head edge and recent form advantage over a struggling Thunder side.​

Hobart Hurricanes lead the standings after winning four of six matches, highlighted by a nervy four-wicket chase against Thunder first up, reeling in 181. Their season rests on composed batting and incisive bowling. Sydney Thunder sit lower with one win from several outings; defeats to Melbourne Stars (128 all out) and Brisbane Heat hurt, though a 193/4 victory suggests batting promise.

ST vs HH, BBL|15: Match details

• Date and Time: January 1 (Saturday); 1:45 pm IST / 8:15 am GMT / 7:15 pm Local
• Venue: Sydney Showground Stadium, Sydney

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

Matches played: 23 | Hobart Hurricanes won: 15 | Sydney Thunder won: 08 | No result/Tied: 0

Sydney Showground Stadium Pitch Report

Sydney Showground Stadium’s pitch typically offers balanced conditions for T20 cricket in the Big Bash League. It provides true bounce and even pace early on, assisting seam bowlers with some movement under lights. As the game progresses, the surface wears to assist spinners with grip and turn. Average first-innings scores range from 160-180, with chasing teams winning around 60% of matches due to evening dew. Short boundaries encourage high-scoring games, but disciplined bowling in powerplay and death overs remains crucial.

Squads:

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

Hobart Hurricanes: Nathan Ellis (c), Tim David, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Billy Stanlake, Matthew Wade, Beau Webster, Jake Weatherald, Chris Jordan, Rishad Hossain, Rehan Ahmed, Mac Wright, Iain Carlisle, Nikhil Chaudhary, Fergus O’Neill, Ollie Peake

Also WATCH: Jim Peirson grabs a screamer to remove Glenn Maxwell in BBL|15

ST vs HH, BBL|15: Today’s Match Prediction

Case 1:

• Sydney Thunder wins the toss and bowls first
• Hobart Hurricanes’ powerplay score: 55-65 (6 overs)
• Hobart Hurricanes’ total score: 180-190

Case 2:

• Hobart Hurricanes wins the toss and bowls first
• Sydney Thunder’s powerplay score: 45-55 (6 overs)
• Sydney Thunder’s total score: 170-180

Match result: Team bowling first to win the contest

Also READ: Fans erupt as Mitchell Marsh lights up BBL|15 with thunderous century against Hobart Hurricanes