Zohran Mamdani made history on Thursday as New York City’s first South Asian and Muslim mayor, taking the oath during a private midnight ceremony at the historic Old City Hall subway station.As the 34-year-old became the city’s second-youngest mayor, swore in on a Quran from the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center collection—his inauguration quickly dominated social media, not just for its historic significance but for the gestures, words, and cultural flourishes that followed.

From a disputed wave gesture to heartfelt family tributes and a lively Punjabi music performance, there were several moments from the swearing in ceremony that have went viral.

Nazi salute controversy over hand gesture

The most debated moment came after videos showed Mamdani briefly extending his right arm while addressing the crowd. Some MAGA supporters claimed the gesture resembled a Nazi salute, with a few comparing it to a controversial gesture made by billionaire Elon Musk during a rally for President Donald Trump in January 2025. The New York mayor’s office did not immediately respond to the online claims. However, several users pushed back, calling the comparison misleading and politically motivated, noting the movement occurred during a moment of emphasis. In the viral clip, Mamdani is seen smiling, placing his right hand on his chest before waving to the crowd.

‘From Kampala to Delhi’ line strikes a chord

Another widely shared moment was Mamdani’s reference to his roots while thanking his family from “Kampala to Delhi.” The line resonated strongly online, with many praising the mayor for openly embracing his multicultural background. Born in Kampala to a Ugandan father and Indian filmmaker mother Mira Nair, Mamdani highlighted his journey across continents, drawing loud applause at the ceremony and positive reactions on social media.Thanking his parents and his wife, Rama Duwaji, Mamdani said their support had shaped his journey. “Thank you to my family, from Kampala to Dilli,” he said, to loud applause.

Punjabi beats take over the subway ceremony

The inauguration concluded on a celebratory note inside a New York subway station, where Toronto-based Punjabi artist Babbulicious performed his popular track “Gaddi Red Challenger.” Mamdani and his wife were seen singing and dancing along as hundreds joined in. Sharing pictures from the event, the singer wrote, “NEW YORK VICH MUNDA RENDA!!!” Netizens flooded social media with reactions, calling it “the best part of the inauguration” and describing it as a joyful, multicultural crossover that captured the spirit of the city.ID@undefined Caption not available.

Emotional thanks to his wife and parents

Mamdani also thanked his parents, who were present at the swearing-in, crediting them for shaping his values and journey. He paid special tribute to his wife, Rama Duwaji, calling her his “best friend” and thanking her for “always showing me the beauty in everyday things.” Clips of the emotional moment were widely shared, with netizens applauding the warmth and personal tone of the address.

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Panaji: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has been left with a deficit of Rs 25.9 crore till June this year and may have to cut down on a quarter of its activities till it finds a new commercial partner.The AIFF ran most of its activities with the Rs 50 crore that its marketing partners, Reliance-subsidiary FSDL, paid annually in return for commercial rights of all leagues and the national team. The 15-year contract ended Dec 8 last year, leaving the federation high and dry.AIFF’s revenue from the master rights agreement (MRA) came in four equal installments of Rs 12.5 crore each.“Never in Indian football has the season, and the contract, concluded midseason on Dec 8,” said a senior AIFF official. “We have no other revenue, and this season till June, we have a deficit of two installments (Jan-March and April-June), besides we got paid only till the first week of Dec (with no money for the rest of the month).”According to the balance sheet presented at the general body last month, AIFF’s bank balance is Rs 19.9 crore with fixed deposits and bonds worth Rs 21.6 crore. Funds from FIFA, the governing body for world football, accounts for Rs 9 crore but can only be used for specific projects.“The entire money for this year has already been booked for spending. Now we have a Rs 25.9 crore (revenue) deficit. We will have to shut down a quarter of our activities to ensure that the deficit gets adjusted. We simply don’t have the money to own and operate the (top-tier) league. Even for the I-League, we are looking for similar long-term agreement where clubs will own the league. This year too we will do something similar since the leagues were previously run from MRA revenue,” said the official.Should the AIFF choose to dig into its fixed deposits to run the leagues, it will need approval from its finance committee, executive committee and then the general body.AIFF’s new constitution states that the top league should be owned and operated by the federation. This season, though, the standoff with clubs continues with the two parties unable to agree on the format or financial model. Except for Jamshedpur FC, the remaining 13 clubs said on Thursday they “may be ready and willing to participate in the 2025–26 season” subject to clarity on financial responsibility, cost allocation, time-bound and accountable long-term roadmap, and government support to minimise costs.According to the clubs, in the absence of a commercial partner and broadcaster, and until such time as commercial rights are formally transferred or monetised, “the AIFF, being the rights holder and operator of the league, should assume financial responsibility” for league-level organisational and operational costs for the 2025–26 season.“The AIFF needs to be honest with the clubs,” a club CEO told TOI on Thursday. “It needs to put on record what it can contribute financially towards the league. If the federation cannot contribute, it needs to be made known to the clubs and we will plan accordingly.”

In a pulse-pounding New Year’s Day clash at the Wanderers, Joburg Super Kings edged Durban’s Super Giants in SA20 2025-26‘s first-ever Super Over, thanks to Donovan Ferreira‘s lightning-fast run-out on the final ball. Captain Faf du Plessis hailed the moment as reminiscent of MS Dhoni‘s legendary 2016 T20 World Cup heroics, crediting sharp wicketkeeping instincts for forcing the tie. This victory marked JSK’s third straight win, boosting their playoff charge in the high-octane T20 league.​

Donnovan Ferreira’s all-round fireworks ignite wanderers as Joburg Super Kings come on top

Joburg Super Kings posted a daunting 205/4 after being sent in, powered by Du Plessis’s composed 47 off 30 balls and Shubham Ranjane‘s unbeaten 50 off 31. Ferreira exploded with an unbeaten 33 off just 10 balls, smashing four sixes and a four in a brutal death-overs assault that lifted JSK beyond 200. Noor Ahmad‘s stellar 3/12 threatened to derail the innings, but Ferreira’s blitz ensured a defendable total on the Bullring’s lively pitch.​

Durban’s Super Giants mounted a fierce chase, reaching 205/8 in regulation overs behind Evan Jones‘s explosive 43 off 17 and Aiden Markram‘s gritty 37. Richard Gleeson‘s 3/41, including crucial strikes in the 19th over, kept JSK in the hunt amid high drama. With one run needed off the last ball from Wiaan Mulder, Simon Harmer missed a short delivery angled across him, prompting a desperate bye attempt with Eathan Bosch.​

The Betway South Africa Moment of the Match that saw the FIRST super over for the #BetwaySA20 🤯#JSKvDSG #WelcomeToIncredible pic.twitter.com/ZDuat45wyd

— Betway SA20 (@SA20_League) January 1, 2026

Also WATCH: Dewald Brevis and Sherfane Rutherford unleash a flurry of sixes on MI Cape Town bowlers in SA20 2025-26

Donovan Ferreira’s stunning run-out triggers Faf du Plessis to recall MS Dhoni

Alert as ever, Ferreira whipped off his glove and unleashed a direct hit to catch Bosch short, tying the scores and sending the capacity crowd into delirium. In the post-match presentation, Du Plessis revealed his tactical nod to Dhoni: “I remember a game long ago when MS Dhoni was behind the stumps for India against Bangladesh in a World Cup. The bowler angled a cut ball across, and they planned for the dash.”​

From Chennai to Joburg, the DNA remains the same! 🦁🇿🇦
Faf du Plessis sees shades of MSD in Donovan Ferreira’s glovework today. That calmness, that speed… straight out of the Dhoni playbook. 😎#JoburgSuperKings #CSK #MSDhoni #Faf #SA2026@SA20_League pic.twitter.com/Vavp1fs3Q8

— KING | RAGNAR ⁰⁷ (@sukh_sukhe) January 2, 2026

That 2016 T20 World Cup Super 10s thriller in Bengaluru saw India defend 146/7. Bangladesh needed two off the final ball from Hardik Pandya; Shuvagata Hom missed a short wide delivery, and Dhoni—glove off—sprinted to whip the bails before Mustafizur Rahman, securing a one-run win. Du Plessis, who shared IPL camaraderie with Dhoni at Chennai Super Kings, praised Ferreira’s “ice in the veins,” mirroring the Dhoni’s composure under knockout pressure.​

The Super Over sealed JSK’s triumph where Gleeson conceded six, while Ahmad leaked eight as JSK chased it down. Ferreira earned Player of the Match for his bat-ball-glove mastery, underscoring his rise as SA20’s versatile star. For Du Plessis, the echo of Dhoni’s genius added poetic flair to a match that redefined SA20 intensity.

Also READ: Sunrisers Eastern Cape skittle Paarl Royals for SA20’s lowest-ever total in one-sided win

Mahatma Gandhi once envisioned a future where the Congress would quietly dissolve itself into a Lok Sevak Sangh after Independence, having fulfilled its role and returned power to the people. History, as it often does, chose drama instead. The party stayed on, grew older, heavier with legacy — and now, at 140, finds itself older than independent India and still very much in the business of electoral survival.Founded in 1885, the Indian National Congress didn’t just witness the making of modern India; it scripted large parts of it. But fast-forward to the present, and the party that once defined the political centre is struggling to locate it. The slogans are loud, the marches long, the symbolism familiar—but dominance has been replaced by damage control, and nostalgia no longer guarantees votes.

Now, stepping into its 141st year, the Congress has little time to blow out birthday candles and even less room to get things wrong. A series of assembly elections across five states is lining up as its next reality check, testing whether fresh campaign calls, revived alliances, and lessons from a bruising 2025 can finally add up. From rebranding protest politics to fighting key battles in the south and the northeast, the grand old party is once again at the crossroads — older, wiser, and under pressure to prove it still knows the way forward.

Does Congress need to change its campaign calls?

Save the Constitution, vote chori, caste survey — these are some of the battle cries Congress tried to campaign on. Rahul Gandhi walked miles for it. While the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha may have charmed those he walked with, the votes did not enter its account.2026, however, would see a break from these campaign calls as the Grand Old Party announced nationwide protests against the BJP-led central government for replacing the rural employment scheme – MGNREGA – with VB G-RAM-G law.“We also pledge to democratically oppose every conspiracy to remove Gandhiji’s name from MNREGA,” Mallikarjun Kharge said at the CWC meet as he announced the campaign from January 5.But the question is, would the people who need the scheme relate to “conspiracy to remove Gandhiji’s name from MNREGA”?While the CWC release does highlight what it describes as the systematic dilution of MNREGA, including unilateral changes to the scheme’s structure without consultation or parliamentary debate, the beneficiaries in whose name the Congress is mobilising are unlikely to engage with or prioritise such detailed party statements.Also read: Rahul Gandhi walked 1,300 km but Congress still went downhill

Battle in the South and the Northeast

KeralaOut of the five states that are set to see ballot contests this year, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry remain the crucial ones for Congress. The party will directly face the BJP or the Left in these assembly elections.The party is riding on high confidence with a sweeping comeback in the Kerala local body polls. However, the BJP-led NDA’s Trivandrum win cannot be ignored.

The local body election results offer the Congress-led UDF a clear strategic edge heading into the upcoming assembly polls. A pronounced anti-incumbency wave has cut through the LDF’s welfare and governance narrative, pushing the Left to its weakest grassroots position in years and denting its push for a third consecutive term.While the BJP’s expanding footprint has complicated Kerala’s traditional bipolar contest, the erosion of LDF dominance gives the UDF momentum, credibility, and a renewed claim as the principal alternative as the assembly battle approaches.AssamAfter its 2016 defeat in Assam—driven by deep anti-incumbency, alliance consolidation by the BJP, and voter frustration over corruption, jobs, and governance—the Congress is recalibrating its approach. This time, the party is foregrounding a grassroots-first strategy through its “Raijor Podulit Raijor Congress” campaign, aimed at rebuilding credibility from the bottom up. By crowdsourcing inputs for its manifesto via thousands of “aspirational boxes” and sustained community outreach across regions, the Congress is seeking to address precisely the issues that cost it power earlier: employment, fair wages for tea workers, flood management, public health, and governance delivery.At the organisational level, the Congress is also positioning itself as the anchor of a broad opposition alliance to take on the BJP, while trying to avoid the fragmentation that helped its rivals in the past.However, the decision to contest 100 of 126 seats has exposed fault lines within the alliance, making seat-sharing and coordination a key test of leadership. Balancing assertiveness with accommodation, translating consultation into votes, and countering the BJP’s entrenched narrative on identity and development remain the party’s central challenges as it looks to convert renewed mobilisation into an electoral comeback in Assam.Tamil NaduCongress finds itself walking a tightrope within the DMK-led alliance. While it wants to improve its bargaining position by pressing for a higher number of seats, the party has to contend with its relatively weak independent base in the state and the DMK’s clear upper hand.

The party’s challenge lies in projecting relevance and cohesion without appearing disruptive, ensuring smooth coordination at the grassroots for vote transfer, and managing internal ambitions—all while avoiding strain in a long-standing alliance that remains crucial for its electoral survival in Tamil Nadu.Conflicting actions by individual leaders, including high-profile meetings outside the alliance framework, have added to doubts about unity and discipline, even if these are intended mainly to strengthen Congress’s hand in talks. West BengalCongress heads into the West Bengal polls facing an existential challenge shaped by years of steady decline and shrinking political space. From being a significant player with strongholds in Malda and Murshidabad a decade ago, the party has slipped into near irrelevance, drawing a blank in the 2021 assembly election and losing even its traditional bases. This collapse has coincided with the BJP’s rapid rise as the principal opposition to the Trinamool Congress, leaving Congress squeezed out of the bipolar contest. Compounding the problem is Mamata Banerjee’s clear insistence on going it alone, shutting the door on any meaningful alliance and reducing Congress’s bargaining power to zero.

With no dominant leader, weak organisation, and little clarity on whether it is fighting for seats, vote share or mere visibility, Congress enters the 2026 battle not just struggling to regain relevance, but fighting to remain a credible political force in Bengal at all.

Team Rahul vs Team Priyanka

The recent remarks from within and around the Congress have given fresh momentum to the question of whether the party is informally sounding out Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as a larger leadership option amid its ongoing churn.

Priyanka Gandhi The letter by former Odisha MLA Mohammed Moquim, questioning Mallikarjun Kharge’s effectiveness and explicitly citing age and youth disconnect, reflects a deeper anxiety within sections of the party about stagnation and electoral drift. Endorsements of Priyanka—ranging from Imran Masood’s projection of her as a prime ministerial face to Robert Vadra’s acknowledgement of growing demands—suggest an undercurrent that sees her as a potential unifying figure who could reconnect the party with voters. Rather than a clear leadership challenge, the episode points to a Congress struggling to balance generational renewal, organisational reform and its continued reliance on the Gandhi family, with Priyanka emerging less as a declared alternative and more as a symbol of unresolved succession questions.

Rahul was visible, a little too much? A lookback at 2025

2025 was a year of motion without payoff for the Congress. Rahul Gandhi’s 1,300-kilometre march through Bihar—spanning 25 districts and 110 seats—came loaded with slogans, symbolism, and carefully curated local flavour. From gamchas and Bhojpuri soundbites to makhana and motorbike rides, the outreach was exhaustive. The results were not. Voters showed up, but they did not line up behind the Congress, leaving the party staring at one of its weakest performances in the state and once again exposing the gap between optics and organisation.

That disconnect played out across the electoral map. The promise of 2024’s Lok Sabha showing evaporated in the 2025 Assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi. Haryana slipped away amid factional squabbles and the absence of a decisive state leader. Maharashtra saw alliance fatigue within the MVA blunt Congress’s impact. In Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the BJP’s machine, backed by Narendra Modi’s enduring pull, steamrolled Congress campaigns. Delhi remained a write-off. Jharkhand stood apart, where the Congress survived by riding on the back of a strong JMM alliance and a welfare-driven pitch—less a revival than a reminder of where the party still works.Rahul Gandhi ensured the Congress never vanished from the headlines, sharpening his attacks with claims of “vote chori” and warnings of systemic voter fraud. The rhetoric kept the narrative alive, but elections are won on the ground, not in press conferences. By the end of 2025, the verdict was hard to miss: the Congress can still set the conversation, but without organisational discipline and credible state leadership, it continues to lose the contest.

Errol Musk, father of Elon Musk, has triggered widespread controversy after remarks he made in a CNN interview on demographic change in the United States, warning that a decline in the white population would have severe consequences for the country’s future.Speaking to CNN correspondent Donie O’Sullivan for a documentary segment examining conspiracy theories around “white genocide,” Errol Musk reacted to US Census Bureau projections showing that non-Hispanic White Americans are expected to fall below 50% of the population by the mid-2040s. Musk described this projected shift as “a very, very bad thing to happen” and claimed that the United States would be “doomed” if whites became a minority.

“You want to see the US go down? Why?” Musk asked during the interview. “You don’t like electric cars, and you don’t like technology? What is it, you want to go back to the jungle?” The remarks were widely criticised for implying that technological progress is dependent on racial demographics.

Comments on South Africa and apartheid

Musk went on to draw comparisons with South Africa, where he lives. He argued that the country’s small White population had historically projected “European culture” and values that contributed to national development. During the exchange, Musk denied that Black South Africans had been systematically oppressed under apartheid, dismissing such claims as “nonsense.”These assertions were directly challenged on air by CNN, and have been widely condemned by historians and commentators. Apartheid, which lasted until the early 1990s, is internationally recognised as a system of institutionalised racial segregation and oppression, documented by courts, governments, and human rights organisations worldwide.

Political context and reaction

Musk’s comments have sparked backlash across social media and international media outlets, with critics arguing that his views echo long-discredited racial and civilisational theories. The controversy comes amid heightened global sensitivity around race, migration, and identity politics.The remarks also intersect with recent political tensions involving South Africa, following earlier claims by Donald Trump alleging “white genocide” in the country, claims that have been repeatedly rejected by South African authorities and independent investigations.

What the data actually show

US Census Bureau projections indicate that demographic change in the United States is being driven by long-term trends, including lower birth rates among non-Hispanic Whites, higher birth rates among other groups, and immigration. Demographers note that becoming a “minority-White” country does not mean any group becomes numerically dominant, nor does it imply economic or technological decline. Historically, periods of immigration and demographic transition in the US have coincided with innovation and growth.Errol Musk’s CNN interview has nonetheless placed him at the centre of an ongoing global debate on demographics, culture, and identity, highlighting how population data is increasingly being interpreted through political and ideological lenses rather than empirical evidence.

Usman Khawaja speaks to the media, announcing his International cricket retirement. (Getty Images)

Australia captain Pat Cummins and former India opener Shikhar Dhawan led the tributes after Usman Khawaja announced he will retire from international cricket following the fifth and final Ashes Test, starting January 4 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Khawaja, 39, will bring the curtain down on a distinguished 15-year international career at his home venue, walking into his farewell Test just 30 runs shy of overtaking Michael Hussey’s 6,235 runs to move into 14th place on Australia’s all-time Test run-scorers list.

Congratulating his long-time teammate, Cummins posted a celebratory picture with Khawaja on social media and expressed hope of one final landmark knock. “Congratulations on an incredible international career, mate. One more home century to go,” the Australia skipper wrote on his Instagram handle.

Dhawan also reacted warmly to the announcement, praising Khawaja’s journey across cultures and conditions. “What a journey, @Uz_Khawaja. Good luck for the last Test in Sydney and everything that comes next,” the former India opener shared on X.

Speaking to reporters at the SCG, Khawaja said the decision had been building for some time and was shaped by conversations with his wife, Rachel. “Moving into this series, I kind of had an inkling that this would be the last one,” he said, adding that head coach Andrew McDonald had continued to explore ways for him to extend his career until recently.Khawaja said retiring on his own terms, at a ground he loves, brought a sense of closure. “I’m glad I get to leave with a bit of dignity and go out at the SCG,” he said, admitting that moments earlier in the series helped him gain clarity about the timing.Across formats, Khawaja finishes with over 8,000 international runs from 87 Tests, 40 ODIs and nine T20Is. He was named ICC Test Cricketer of the Year in 2023 and was part of Australia’s World Test Championship triumph. Khawaja has confirmed he will continue playing domestic cricket, including the Big Bash League, after his international farewell.

PM Modi, Inscribed relic casket from Piprahwa (Picture- Ministry of culture)

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he will inaugurate the Grand International Exposition of Sacred Piprahwa Relics in Delhi on Saturday, calling it a special moment for those who care about India’s history, culture and the teachings of Bhagwan Buddha.In a post on X, PM Modi said, “Tomorrow, 3rd January, is a very special day for those passionate about history, culture and the ideals of Bhagwan Buddha. At 11 AM, the Grand International Exposition of Sacred Piprahwa Relics related to Bhagwan Buddha, ‘The Light & the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One’, will be inaugurated at Rai Pithora Cultural Complex in Delhi.”The Prime Minister said the exposition brings together the Piprahwa relics that were repatriated after more than a century, along with authentic relics and archaeological material preserved at the National Museum in New Delhi and the Indian Museum in Kolkata. He further described the event as part of the government’s effort to popularise the teachings of Bhagwan Buddha and strengthen the connection between young people and India’s cultural roots. PM Modi also thanked those involved in bringing the relics back to India.

What are Piprahwa relics

The Piprahwa relics were discovered in 1898 and are considered among the earliest and most important archaeological finds linked directly to Bhagwan Buddha. Archaeological evidence connects the Piprahwa site to ancient Kapilavastu, widely believed to be the place where Buddha spent his early life before renouncing worldly life.Officials say the exposition brings the repatriated relics together with national collections for the first time. It highlights India’s long civilisational link with Buddhism and the continuing relevance of Buddha’s teachings.The exhibition is organised around several themes, with a central interpretive model inspired by the Sanchi Stupa. Other sections focus on the life of Buddha, the rediscovery of Piprahwa, the spread of Buddhist art beyond India, and the ongoing efforts to repatriate cultural artefacts.To exposition includes films, digital reconstructions, projections and multimedia displays that trace the journey of the relics and their wider cultural meaning.