NEW DELHI: Former Kaiserganj MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Wednesday alleged that he was removed from the Lok Sabha through a “conspiracy” and not by the will of the people. The senior BJP leader asserted that he would contest parliamentary elections again if he remains alive.Speaking on a podcast, Brij Bhushan said that his political career in Parliament was “cut short” and that he was “humiliated and forced out” despite representing the region multiple times. “If I am alive, I will definitely go to the Lok Sabha once again. I will try to contest on a BJP ticket. If the party does not give a ticket, I will contest as an Independent candidate. But if I am alive, I will contest,” he said.Singh also said that he was hurt for not being invited to the second anniversary celebrations of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, despite being a public representative, news agency PTI reported. He claimed that the original karsevaks of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement were ignored, while others with no role were invited. Singh said that he declined a later invitation on grounds of self-respect.Former MP added that he has not visited Ram Lalla yet and when he does, he will stand in the queue like an ordinary devotee.Referring to the period when allegations of sexual harassment were levelled against him by women wrestlers, Singh said Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav did not make any statement against him, a gesture he said he would “never forget”. He added that leaders from the BSP, JD(U) and RJD also refrained from commenting against him at the time.Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a six-time MP who represented three parliamentary constituencies in Uttar Pradesh’s Devipatan division, was denied a BJP ticket in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections following allegations by six female wrestlers. The party instead fielded his son, Karan Bhushan Singh, who won the Kaiserganj seat and currently represents it in Parliament.Following the allegations of sexual harassment, several female wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, protested against Brij Bhushan. In May 2024, a Delhi court framed charges against Singh for sexual harassment, outraging the modesty of women and criminal intimidation based on complaints filed by five women wrestlers. Singh pleaded not guilty, maintaining that he had committed no wrongdoing. The court said the allegations reflected a “systematic and recurring pattern” and ordered that the case proceed to trial. He was discharged in one related complaint dating back to 2012.In August 2024, Singh approached the Delhi High Court seeking to quash the FIR, chargesheet and trial court orders.

In a high-octane clash at The Gabba, Brisbane Heat edged out Melbourne Stars by four wickets in the 20th match of Big Bash League|15 on January 2, 2026, chasing down 196 with just two balls to spare. Brisbane Heat, who won the toss and bowled first, restricted Stars to 195/6 before mounting a tense pursuit that kept 31,948 fans on edge. Max Bryant‘s unbeaten 48 off 26 balls, laced with three fours and four sixes, proved decisive in this pulsating encounter.​

Melbourne Stars set a competitive target for Brisbane Heat

Stars powered their way to 195 for six after coming out with clear intent, fully exploiting the powerplay to surge to 47 without loss in the first four overs. Sam Harper set the early momentum with a fluent 37 from 23 balls, cracking five fours and a six, as he stitched together a 52-run opening stand with Thomas Rogers, who added 13. The partnership was broken in the sixth over when Thomas Balkin clean-bowled Harper. Marcus Stoinis then took charge with a composed 43 off 35 deliveries, while Campbell Kellaway lifted the tempo through a brisk 29 from just 14 balls, peppered with six boundaries. Their 53-run stand for the third wicket carried the Stars beyond 100 by the 11th over, even as Glenn Maxwell failed to get going.

The Heat fought back strongly in the middle phase. Xavier Bartlett accounted for Stoinis, while Matthew Renshaw and Matthew Kuhnemann provided crucial breakthroughs, triggering a slide from 113 for four to 137 for six, with Tom Curran departing for two. Stability returned late as Hilton Cartwright remained unbeaten on 26 off 20 balls and Blake Macdonald unleashed a late burst, hammering 37 not out from 12 deliveries with four fours and two sixes. Their unbroken 58-run stand in just 19 balls pushed the Stars to an imposing total at a run rate of 9.75. Kuhnemann impressed with figures of one for 22, but the Stars’ late surge ensured a tough challenge under the lights.

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

Max Bryant’s fiery innings powers Brisbane Heat past Melbourne Stars in BBL|15

Brisbane Heat were rocked early as their innings stumbled in the opening phase, losing Jack Wildermuth for 15 to the guile of Peter Siddle and Colin Munro for just 3, undone by Tom Curran, to slide to 34 for 2 inside the powerplay. Skipper Nathan McSweeney steadied the ship with a composed 43 from 31 balls, finding solid support in Renshaw, who struck a fluent 41 off 27. Together, the duo stitched a vital 69-run partnership for the third wicket, lifting Heat to 103 for 3 by the 12th over after bringing up their fifty in only 5.5 overs.

The momentum shifted again when Mitchell Swepson struck twice, dismissing both set batters to leave Heat at 107 for 4, before Hugh Weibgen followed soon after at 109 for 5. Pressure mounted further as Jimmy Peirson fell for 14, caught off Haris Rauf, reducing the total to 133 for 6.

That was when Bryant turned the game on its head. Blasting an unbeaten 48 off 26 balls, Bryant launched four towering sixes, including decisive hits in the 17th over, pushing the score beyond 150 by 16.5 overs. With Bartlett chipping in with a brisk 21 not out from 9 deliveries, the pair added a stunning 66 runs for the seventh wicket in just 20 balls. Heat raced to 199 for 6 in 19.4 overs at a scorching rate of 10.11. Despite Siddle and Swepson picking up two wickets apiece, Bryant’s blistering strike rate of 184.61 left the Stars stunned and powered Brisbane Heat up the standings in what became BBL|15’s tightest finish yet.

An outstanding win for Brisbane Heat 💪🔥#BBL15 pic.twitter.com/NgTHLYezmF

— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) January 2, 2026

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

Since the start of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, India has been the largest buyer of discounted Russian seaborne oil. (AI image)

India is looking to seal a trade deal with the US and is monitoring weekly data on crude oil purchases from Russia and America, according to a Reuters report. Oil refiners have been asked to give details of crude purchases from Russia and the United States, the report added. The move comes as New Delhi works to advance trade negotiations with Washington and anticipates that imports of Russian crude could fall below one million barrels a day.The Donald Trump administration, which has been seeking to reduce its trade imbalance with India, last year raised tariffs on Indian goods to 50%, citing India’s substantial purchase of Russian oil. While New Delhi and Washington are in talks over a possible trade agreement, the discussions have faced periodic strains.

India Monitors Crude Oil Buys From Russia

Since the start of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, India has been the largest buyer of discounted Russian seaborne oil. However, this surge in purchases has drawn criticism from Western countries, which have imposed sanctions on Russia’s energy sector on the grounds that oil revenues are supporting Moscow’s war effort.Officials quoted in the report said that the government wants clear and reliable data to share with the United States. The Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell under the oil ministry has instructed refiners to report weekly figures for crude imports from Russia and the US.“We want timely and accurate data on Russian and US oil imports so that, when the US asks for information, we can provide verified figures instead of them relying on secondary sources,” a government official was quoted as saying by Reuters.Typically, the source of India’s crude imports is captured in monthly customs disclosures and by private data firms. The current request is the first instance of refiners being asked to submit such information on a weekly basis, the report added.Russian crude has emerged as a key sticking point in the complex trade negotiations between India and the United States. While several major economies have managed to reach agreements with Washington that eased the steep tariff levels initially imposed by US President Donald Trump, discussions with New Delhi have yet to yield a breakthrough.Talks broke down in late July after India pushed back against opening its agricultural markets to US products. Despite the setback of 50% tariffs, dialogue between Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has continued and negotiations have since restarted. However, India’s continued purchases of Russian oil remain a major hurdle. Trump said in October that Modi had committed to ending imports of Russian crude, a claim New Delhi has publicly disputed, maintaining that supplies from Russia are critical to India’s energy needs.According to two government officials quoted by Reuters, refiners have not been formally directed to reduce their intake of Russian oil. Still, they and industry sources expect average imports to drop below one million barrels a day in the months ahead.Tighter sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union have already curbed Russian shipments to India. Data from analytics firm Kpler and industry sources show that inflows fell to around 1.2 million barrels per day in December, the lowest level in three years, representing about a 40 percent decline from a peak of roughly two million barrels a day in June.

ITC shares slid to a three-year low of Rs 345.35 on Friday, extending a sharp two-day selloff that has erased about 14% of the stock’s value after the finance ministry announced a steep increase in cigarette taxes, triggering widespread analyst downgrades and renewed concerns over volumes and profitability.The Nifty heavyweight fell another 5% on Friday, after plunging 10% on New Year’s Day, as at least six brokerages rushed to reassess the impact of what they described as an unprecedented tax shock on the company’s core cigarette business, according to ET.Effective February 1, cigarette taxes will rise by about 50%, forcing ITC to implement portfolio-level price hikes of at least 25% just to maintain current net realisation per stick, according to Motilal Oswal. The brokerage downgraded ITC from Buy to Neutral and cut its target price to Rs 400.“The magnitude of the tax increase is staggering,” analysts said, noting that to fully offset the levy, ITC may need to raise prices by as much as 40%, assuming no change in product mix.Jefferies, which downgraded the stock from Buy to Hold, warned that if the company passes on the full impact through price hikes, the effective tax burden could rise to nearly 70%, pushing tobacco taxes per stick from about 55% to 65% of the maximum retail price.“To offset the tax burden, ITC will need to implement substantial price increases. Assuming no mix change, ITC requires a 40% price hike just to pass on the impact,” Jefferies said, ET quoted.Motilal Oswal described the move as a surprise after several years of tax stability. “Such a sharp tax increase is unprecedented and has surprised us given the backdrop of stable taxes over the last few years,” the brokerage said, cutting its cigarette business valuation multiple to 14x December 2027 EV/EBITDA from 17x earlier.Brokerages also flagged historical parallels. Jefferies pointed out that during FY15–16, when ITC implemented mid-teen price hikes amid aggressive tax increases, cumulative cigarette volumes fell by over 15%. The ad valorem tax structure could worsen the impact, as higher prices feed back into higher taxes, analysts said.In recent years, stable taxation had supported cigarette volume growth of around 5% CAGR over five years, while the illicit cigarette market’s share declined by roughly 150 basis points, according to Motilal Oswal. Analysts now fear that this trend could reverse.“For ITC, which was seeing resilient cigarette volume growth in past few quarters, this levy has the effect of pushing possible catalysts (volume resilience and uptick in EBIT growth from 2HFY26E) further out,” JM Financial said, adding that concerns over illicit trade are likely to re-emerge.Some brokerages, however, see partial downside protection at current levels. Nuvama’s Abneesh Roy, who downgraded the stock from Buy to Hold, said he stopped short of a Reduce call, citing the company’s roughly 4% dividend yield with an 85% payout ratio.Roy also pointed to potential medium-term support from easing tobacco raw material costs in FY27, expected benefits to ITC’s foods portfolio from GST cuts, and a possible margin bottom-out in the paper business following the Century Paper acquisition.Even so, sentiment remains cautious. “Near-to-medium term upside now looks capped,” Jefferies said, warning that ITC shares could remain under pressure as the market digests the full impact of the tax increase.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)

Image credits: X @toot5000

New photos have emerged of the deadly New Year’s Eve incident at a ski resort in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, showing the moment a bar ceiling caught fire.The images, circulating online and verified by the BBC, show lit sparklers attached to bottles inside the Le Constellation nightclub and were shared with claims they were taken around the moment the fire broke out. One of the photos shows people holding several bottles aloft with sparklers burning, while what appears to be flames can be seen on the ceiling above them.A second image shows a person in a sleeveless black dress and a crash helmet holding a bottle with a lit sparkler, sitting on the shoulders of someone wearing a mask.The fire broke out during New Year’s Eve celebrations at the crowded bar, killing at least 40 people and injuring 115 others. Videos shared on social media show the intensity of the blaze inside the venue, with some footage capturing people trapped and panicking as the exit became blocked by the spreading fire.Swiss President Guy Parmelin described the incident as “one of the worst tragedies” the country has known. He said the identification of victims must be completed as quickly as possible, but stressed the process is “extremely difficult work” and “is something that will last a long time.”Beatrice Pilloud, prosecutor-general of Valais canton, said, “currently we are favouring a fire and at no time is there question of any attack,” adding that she could not provide further details out of respect for the families. Police have confirmed the incident is not being treated as terror-related.Le Constellation is located on the ground floor of a residential building and has a capacity of 300 people, with space for another 40 on its terrace, according to the Crans-Montana website. Several witnesses said the basement event space, where the fire is believed to have started, was connected to the ground floor by only one staircase, which some described as “narrow.”As investigations continue, fears remain that an Italian teenager is among those who lost their lives in the tragedy.

Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan won Delhi HC protection for his personality rights against Flipkart, Amazon, Meesho, Google, Meta, and others misusing his image, voice for sales and AI. Court bans unauthorized use; next hearings Feb 9 & May 12, 2026. Affected parties can seek relief.

Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan filed a petition in the Delhi High Court to protect his personality rights. The court recently stated that, per established laws and the evidence provided, his celebrity status gives him clear ownership over his personal image and features. Any use of these without permission violates those rights, states the report.

List of defendants

Among the defendants are Flipkart Internet Pvt. Ltd., Amazon Seller Services Pvt. Ltd., Meesho Ltd., Google LLC, Meta Platforms Inc., and several unnamed parties or individuals said to be unlawfully and improperly exploiting Mr. Kalyan‘s personality, publicity, privacy rights, and related proprietary elements.

Details of misuse

As reported in The Hindu, according to the judge’s interim order, a few defendants profit by using Mr. Kalyan’s name, face, voice, and image to sell items, either themselves or on shopping apps. The others build his personal features into AI on their sites for business or sell stuff without asking him first.

Next hearing dates

The court has scheduled the case for hearing before the Joint Registrar (Judicial) on February 9 and before itself on May 12, 2026. The plaintiff must submit any extra documents by January 22, following the Commercial Courts Act, 2015, and the Delhi High Court (Original Side) Rules, 2018.

Relief for affected parties

The judge permits websites or parties harmed by this order, who aren’t primary violators, to petition the court. They need to pledge against spreading unlawful content that harms the plaintiff’s personality rights. The court may then adjust the injunction according to the case details.Disclaimer: The information in this report is based on a legal hearing as reported by a third-party source. The details provided represent allegations made by the parties involved and are not proven facts. The case is ongoing, and a final verdict has not been reached. The publication does not claim that the allegations are true.

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and R Ashwin (PTI Photo)

Former England spinner Monty Panesar has said that the BCCI should have done more to honour some of India’s biggest cricket stars. He believes that Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin deserved proper farewell Test matches before retiring from international cricket.Panesar feels that India missed an important chance to celebrate the careers of these players. He compared India’s approach with England, where retired players are often given special farewell games. According to him, such matches show respect for players who have given many years to the sport.

Speaking to IANS, Panesar said, “The BCCI should have planned farewell Test matches for R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli. They deserved that respect. England celebrate its players when they retire — for example, Stuart Broad and James Anderson were given great farewells — but India fall short in this regard.”Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from Test cricket in May last year. Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket after the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in December 2024.Kohli is considered one of the greatest batters of the modern era. He ended his 14-year Test career with 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85. He scored 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries. Kohli also had a successful run as India’s Test captain, finishing as the fourth-most successful skipper in Test history.Rohit Sharma played 67 Test matches and scored 4,301 runs at an average of 40.57. He hit 12 centuries and 18 fifties. As an opener, his average was even better at 42.81. Under his leadership, India reached the final of the 2023 World Test Championship, where they finished runners-up.Ravichandran Ashwin ended his Test career with 537 wickets in 106 matches at an average of 24. He is India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Tests after Anil Kumble. Ashwin also contributed with the bat, scoring six centuries and 14 half-centuries. His final international match was the day-night Test in Adelaide.In white-ball cricket, Ashwin took 228 wickets across ODIs and T20Is. Overall, he finished with 765 international wickets and was part of India’s 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy-winning teams.

Dhurandhar may be fronted by Ranveer Singh, but it is Akshaye Khanna who has emerged as the film’s most talked-about performer. In a film packed with seasoned actors like Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal and Rakesh Bedi, Khanna’s restrained yet menacing turn as Rehman Dakait has stood out.

“Ranveer Singh was already onboard, so getting more stars was impossible”

In a recent interaction, Dhurandhar’s casting director Mukesh Chhabra opened up about the film’s exhaustive casting process, revealing that it took up nearly a year of his life. Speaking to India Today, Mukesh shared that Ranveer Singh was already locked in when he joined the project.

“Ranveer Singh was already onboard when I came in,” Mukesh said, adding that this made casting more stars challenging. “Once you have one big star, it becomes impossible to get more stars. That’s just how the Mumbai film industry works.”He stressed that despite this limitation, every casting decision was approached with precision. “It didn’t matter whether it was Danish Pandor, Rakesh Bedi, Akshaye Khanna or R Madhavan. Even the smallest casting idea was done meticulously.”

“Aditya Dhar thought I had gone mad”

Mukesh admitted he had ambitious ideas for the cast—ideas that initially made director Aditya Dhar question his sanity. One such idea was casting Akshaye Khanna, known for being extremely selective with his roles.“I said, Akshaye paaji will do it,” Mukesh recalled. “And then we all jumped on it.” At the time, even the makers were sceptical that Khanna would agree to the project.

“Unhone pehle mujhe daanta”

Recalling his first conversation with Akshaye Khanna, Mukesh revealed it didn’t exactly go smoothly. “I honestly hadn’t watched Chhaava then. But I called him,” he said. “Unhone pehle mujhe daanta. He said, ‘Paagal ho gaya hai kya?’ I asked him to at least hear me out once.”Persistence paid off, and Akshaye eventually agreed to meet Mukesh and director Aditya Dhar. “I asked him to come to the office. He said, ‘Main toh yahan rehta hi nahi hoon. Bol kahan aana hai?’”

“F**k, it’s very good”: The moment Akshaye said yes

Mukesh described the meeting as intense yet quietly reassuring. “He came and sat for four hours. He quietly listened. He kept smoking,” he said. “When we finished, he said, ‘F**k, it’s very good.’ Then he said, ‘Well done, yaar. Bada maza aayega.’”Despite the encouraging response, the makers remained anxious for a few days. Their doubts were finally put to rest when Akshaye made the call himself. “He called me and said, ‘Let’s do it, bro,’” Mukesh shared.

What’s next for Akshaye Khanna

Following Dhurandhar’s success, Akshaye Khanna has already moved on to his next venture. The actor is set to make his Telugu debut with Mahakali, part of the Prasanth Varma Cinematic Universe (PVCU), which also includes HanuMan, Jai Hanuman and Adhira. Director Puja Kolluru recently shared behind-the-scenes photos with Akshaye from the sets, including a sunny selfie of the two smiling at the camera. The makers had earlier unveiled Akshaye’s look as Shukracharya.

Drishyam 3 controversy

Akshaye also recently made headlines for exiting Drishyam 3 just days before Dhurandhar’s release. Producer Kumar Mangat Pathak slammed the actor for what he called an “unprofessional” and “toxic” exit, even sending a legal notice after Akshaye allegedly quit abruptly over creative differences—reportedly linked to wearing a wig for his character, IG Tarun Ahlawat.While reports suggested that Jaideep Ahlawat would replace Akshaye in Drishyam 3, director Abhishek Pathak later clarified to Bombay Times that Jaideep is not replacing Khanna but will instead be playing a newly written character.

New supply of office space declined sharply in key property markets such as Delhi-NCR and Mumbai last year, even as demand for prime workspaces remained strong across India’s major cities, according to real estate consultant Colliers, PTI reported.Delhi-NCR saw a 15 per cent fall in new office supply in 2025, while Mumbai recorded a steeper decline of 37 per cent, Colliers India said, adding that office demand outstripped fresh supply across India’s top seven cities, leading to lower vacancy levels.Colliers data showed that new office supply in Delhi-NCR fell to 7.4 million sq ft in 2025 from 8.7 million sq ft in the previous year. Mumbai saw fresh supply decline to 5.2 million sq ft from 8.3 million sq ft a year earlier.Hyderabad also witnessed a drop, with new supply falling 21 per cent to 10.8 million sq ft from 13.7 million sq ft. In Kolkata, supply plunged 80 per cent to 0.1 million sq ft from 0.5 million sq ft in 2024.In contrast, Chennai, Bengaluru and Pune saw an improvement in new office completions. Bengaluru recorded a 15 per cent rise in fresh supply to 17.5 million sq ft from 15.2 million sq ft. Chennai more than doubled its new supply to 4.5 million sq ft from 2.1 million sq ft, while Pune saw a more than two-fold jump to 11 million sq ft from 5.3 million sq ft.Overall, the seven major office markets — Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Kolkata — witnessed a 5 per cent rise in new office supply to 56.5 million sq ft in 2025, compared with 53.8 million sq ft in the preceding year.Office leasing activity also remained strong, with total absorption rising 6 per cent to 71.5 million sq ft last year from 67.2 million sq ft in 2024.“With demand outpacing supply in recent times, overall vacancy levels fell by 49 basis points, while average rentals strengthened by up to 15 per cent YoY across major cities,” Colliers India said.Technology companies and the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector continued to be the key drivers of office demand, while foreign firms setting up Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in India further supported absorption of prime office spaces.Major developers active in the office segment include DLF Ltd, Prestige Estates, K Raheja Group, Embassy Group, Sattva Group and RMZ Group.India currently has four office asset-backed real estate investment trusts (REITs): Knowledge Realty Trust backed by Sattva Group and Blackstone, Mindspace Business Parks REIT sponsored by the K Raheja Group, Brookfield India Real Estate Trust and Embassy Office Parks REIT.Recently, Bengaluru-based Bagmane Group sponsored Bagmane Prime Office REIT filed draft papers with market regulator Sebi to raise up to Rs 4,000 crore through an initial public offering.REITs are investment vehicles that own or operate income-generating real estate, allowing investors to earn income without directly owning property.