NEW DELHI: The Army has launched a training programme for the Village Defence Guards (VDG) in Jammu and Kashmir amid the ongoing counter-terrorism operation in the higher reaches of Chenab valley.According to the Army, around 15 Village Defence Guards, including women volunteers, are undergoing intensive training in handling automatic rifles, minor tactics, self-defence, bunker construction and repelling enemy attacks, they said.Officials told news agency PTI that the raining is being conducted at Shingini panchayat of Balassa, around 90 km from the Doda district headquarters. It aims to equip volunteers with the necessary skills to protect their villages and act as a first line of defence, especially in vulnerable areas.The move complements the ongoing operation by the Army, police and paramilitary forces in the higher reaches to track down and neutralise the terrorists who had managed to infiltrate into Chenab valley, especially Doda and Kishtwar districts, a couple of years back, officials added.The VDGs welcomed the training and the recent upgradation of their weaponry. They expressed gratitude to Union Home Minister Amit Shah for providing self-loading rifles (SLRs), replacing the older .303 rifles, which they said, has significantly boosted their confidence.“This is a major programme bringing together members from 17 Village Defence Groups. We are being trained in weapon handling, bunker construction and self-defence. Receiving such training at our doorstep is highly appreciable,” Surinder Singh, a VDG member from Shingani, said.He requested the government to provide more automatic weapons to the members, recalling the frequent terror attacks in the region during the early 1990s.Another VDG member, Rajesh Kumar Thakur from Gauala village, said the training by the Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police has instilled a sense of confidence.“Earlier, we only had .303 rifles. After receiving automatic weapons, our confidence has increased, and we now feel capable of defending our villages,” he said.This comes as he Army has intensified its counter-terrorism operations across the Kishtwar and Doda districts amid the ongoing Chillai Kalan — the 40-day bone-chilling winter period — in Jammu and Kashmir.According to sources, various intelligence agencies asses that there are approximately 30 to 35 Pakistani terrorists currently in the Jammu region.Inputs gathered over the past few months suggest that these groups, finding themselves cornered by successful counter-terror operations, have shifted deeper into higher and middle mountain reaches of the region — areas now devoid of habitation. These terrorists are believed to be seeking temporary winter hideouts to evade detection and avoid direct confrontation with security troops, they added.Meanwhile, the Army and security forces have also adopted a proactive winter posture, establishing temporary bases and surveillance posts deep within snow-covered areas to maintain continuous pressure on potential terrorist hideouts.

Deepti Sharma (BCCI Photo)

NEW DELHI: India all-rounder Deepti Sharma etched her name in history by becoming the highest wicket-taker in women’s T20 Internationals, claiming her 152nd scalp during the fifth T20I against Sri Lanka in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.The landmark wicket helped Deepti overtake Australia pacer Megan Schutt (151) at the top of the charts. She achieved the feat by dismissing Nilakshika Silva in the 14th over, playing a key role as India completed a comprehensive 5–0 series sweep at home. Pakistan’s Nida Dar sits third on the list with 144 wickets from 152 innings.

With 103 wickets in 86 innings, Radha Yadav is the second-highest Indian wicket-taker in women’s T20Is. Radha and Deepti are the only two Indian bowlers to have crossed the 100-wicket mark in the format.Earlier this week, the 28-year-old also became the first cricketer—across men’s and women’s internationals—to score 1,000 runs and take 150 wickets in T20Is. Currently ranked No. 1 in the ICC Women’s T20I all-rounder rankings, Deepti has played 133 T20Is for India and was named Player of the Tournament at the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup, where India clinched their maiden title on home soil.

Most wickets in career in WT20Is

India successfully defended 175 to win the fifth T20I by 15 runs. Deepti returned figures of one for 28 from her four overs. Across formats, she has taken 20 wickets in Tests and 162 in ODIs.Deepti also made headlines at the Women’s Premier League auction, rejoining UP Warriorz for Rs 3.2 crore—the second-highest bid in the league’s history.In the ICC rankings, Deepti continues to hold the top spot among T20I bowlers, while West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews remains the leading T20I all-rounder. For Sri Lanka, opener Hasini Perera jumped 114 places to 71st in the batter rankings following consistent performances, while Kavisha Dilhari climbed to 79th.The updated rankings reflect India’s dominance in the series, with significant gains for both batters and bowlers after the clean sweep.

NEW DELHI: Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi has claimed that Beijing mediated several global conflicts, including the standoff between India and Pakistan in May following the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.Speaking at the Symposium on the International Situation and China’s Foreign Relations on Tuesday, Wang said Beijing had taken an “objective and just stance” to build peace and focused on addressing “both symptoms and root causes”.

“This year, local wars and cross-border conflicts flared up more often than at any time since the end of WWII. Geopolitical turbulence continued to spread,” Wang said at the symposium in Beijing.“To build peace that lasts, we have taken an objective and just stance, and focused on addressing both symptoms and root causes. Following this Chinese approach to settling hotspot issues, we mediated in northern Myanmar, the Iranian nuclear issue, the tensions between Pakistan and India, the issues between Palestine and Israel, and the recent conflict between Cambodia and Thailand,” he said.The statement comes despite Beijing’s role during the May 7–10 Operation Sindoor conflict between India and Pakistan coming under serious scrutiny and criticism, particularly over alleged military assistance provided by China to Islamabad.After the conflict flared up, Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt General Rahul R Singh had said Beijing used the confrontation as a “live lab”, while declining to directly elaborate on the charge.Gen Singh said China’s strategy during Operation Sindoor was based on its ancient military doctrine of the “36 stratagems”, accusing Beijing of seeking to hurt India by “killing with a borrowed knife” — a reference to alleged Chinese support to Pakistan.Meanwhile, the Indian Army on Tuesday hailed Operation Sindoor, underlining ten major milestones achieved by the force in 2025.“Nine terrorist camps across the border were destroyed. The Indian Army neutralised seven camps, while the remaining two were destroyed by the Indian Air Force. Pakistan attempted to target military and civilian assets using drones, but Indian Army air defence units successfully neutralised all threats, preventing damage and casualties. More than a dozen terror launch pads along the Line of Control were destroyed using Indian Army ground-based weapons,” the Army said.“The director general of military operations of the Indian Army was approached by his Pakistani counterpart with a request for a ceasefire. An understanding was reached to stop firing and military action,” it added.India and Pakistan were locked in a brief but intense military confrontation in May, triggered by a terror attack in the Pahalgam valley of Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, which claimed 26 innocent lives.India responded with Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.India has consistently dismissed claims of any third-party mediation, maintaining that the four-day confrontation was resolved through direct military-to-military communication.New Delhi has maintained that after sustaining heavy damage, Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) called his Indian counterpart, and both sides agreed to stop all firing and military action on land, air and sea with effect from May 10.

Director Aditya Dhar‘s spy-thriller ‘Dhurandhar’ is closing 2025 on a high. The film that completed 26 days at the ticket windows saw a growth in collections amid the New Year’s Eve celebrations.Dhurandhar Movie Review Starring Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna in lead roles, the film has been rewriting several long-standing records as it nears the end of its fourth week at the ticket windows.

‘Dhurandhar’ box office collection Day 26

On Tuesday, ‘Dhurandhar’ saw a marginal rise in box office numbers, with the movie earning an early estimated net collection of Rs 11.25 crore. This was a slight uptick from the film’s fourth Monday collection of Rs 10.50 crore India net. With this, the film’s total domestic net collection has crossed Rs 712.25 crore in just 26 days.

‘Dhurandhar’ occupancy

On Monday, ‘Dhurandhar’ recorded an overall Hindi occupancy of 23.31% with morning shows starting slow with an estimated 13.18% occupancy and evening shows recording the highest footfalls at 27.64%.

‘Dhurandhar’ week-wise collections

The film reportedly earned an estimated Rs 207.25 crore in week one and saw good growth at the box office in week two, earning its highest collections thus far, with a total earning of Rs 253.25 Crore. Week 3 saw the film’s earnings take a dip with a box office estimate of Rs 172 crore. Meanwhile, the current total of week 4 currently stands at an estimated Rs 79.75 crore. With the New Year’s break coming up, it is only a matter of time before the film breaks past the Rs 100 crore mark for the fourth consecutive week.

‘Dhurandhar’ gross collections

‘Dhurandhar’, which already has the highest net collection, also happens to be the biggest Bollywood grosser of all time, with its gross collections hitting a total of Rs 854.75 crore. With 2 more days still to go before it wraps up another week, it remains to be seen just how far it can push the total.

‘Dhurandhar’ overseas business

The film’s overseas box office collections have also impressed all with a total of Rs 240.75 crore. With this, the film’s worldwide cumulative total stands at an estimated Rs 1095.5 crore, just a little shy of breaking into the Rs 1100 crore mark. As per the film’s production house, ‘Dhurandhar’ has seen higher collections with a net total of Rs 741.90 crore. While the total worldwide total reportedly shot past the Rs 1100 mark on Monday.

‘Dhurandhar’ to become highest earning Bollywood film of all time

The film is now chasing the Rs 1160 crore lifetime collections of Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Jawan’. Should it be able to hit the mark the end of its run at the ticket windows, it would become the biggest Bollywood grosser of all time.‘Dhurandhar’ has already crossed the Rs 1000 crore gross mark and beaten the likes of the Prabhas and Deepika Padukone starrer, ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ which had a total collection of Rs 1040 crore and Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Pathaan’ which earned a total collection of Rs 1055 crore.

Suryakumar Yadav, Khushi Mukherjee

Actress and model Khushi Mukherjee has made a public claim involving Indian men’s T20I team captain Suryakumar Yadav, saying that the batter had sent her messages frequently in the past.Speaking at a recent event, Khushi said that Suryakumar used to message her often earlier, but they are no longer in touch. When asked by a reporter if she wanted to date a cricketer, Khushi said she does not want to be linked with any player.“I don’t want to date any cricketer. There are so many cricketers after me. Suryakumar Yadav used to message me a lot,” Khushi said.She further added, “Now we don’t talk much, and I don’t even want to be associated. I don’t like any link-ups involving me.”Suryakumar Yadav has not responded to these statements so far.Meanwhile, Suryakumar and his wife Devisha Shetty recently visited the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh, where they offered prayers on the occasion of Vaikuntha Ekadashi.Suryakumar last played for India in the recent T20I series against South Africa, where he led the team to a 3-1 series win. He is next set to captain India in a five-match T20I series against New Zealand in January 2026. The series will act as preparation for the T20 World Cup, which begins on February 7.India will enter the tournament as defending champions after winning the T20 World Cup in 2024 in Barbados, where they defeated South Africa in the final.

Who is Khushi Mukherjee?

Khushi Mukherjee is a Bollywood actress and model who has also appeared on reality television, including MTV Splitsvilla. Her comments about Suryakumar Yadav gained attention online and led to increased searches for her name.She has also worked in Indian television shows, including SAB TV’s fantasy series Balveer Returns and the mythological show Kahat Hanuman Jai Shri Ram on &TV.In recent times, Khushi has been in the public eye for her fashion choices.

CJI Surya Kant (File photo)

NEW DELHI: If a citizen faces a legal emergency or is threatened with arrest by probe agencies at unearthly hours, the person will be able to seek a hearing from constitutional courts even in the dead of night for protection of fundamental rights and liberties, the Chief Justice of India said. “My endeavour is and will be to make the Supreme Court and high courts people’s courts which can be approached at any time beyond working hours in legal emergencies,” CJI Surya Kant told TOI. The CJI said one of his priorities is to set up as many constitution benches as possible to deal with pending petitions raising several important constitutional issues – like the one thrown up by a bunch of petitions challenging validity of special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which started from Bihar and is now being carried out in a dozen states. The bench on SIR would take up the issues after conclusion of the countrywide updation of electoral rolls.

‘Want approachable people’s courts’

CJI Kant said he would also examine the feasibility of setting up a nine-judge bench to decide many petitions that articulate the clash between religious freedom and women’s rights. The issue arises in three categories of cases, including petitions seeking review of the SC order allowing women of all ages into Sabarimala temple. By custom, women of menstruating age were barred from going inside Sabarimala shrine. Another set of pleas challenge the practice of female genital mutilation among Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community and the ban on entry of women into mosques, and, the third set question denial of entry into Agiary (Zoroastrian temple) of Parsi women who marry outside the community.Now, lawyers can’t argue for days in high-stake cases In another significant development, it would no longer be permissible for renowned lawyers to argue for days together in high-stake matters. CJI Surya Kant has decided to enforce strict timelines for advocates to complete arguments. “The constitutional courts will function like hospitals with emergency wards. In case of a legal emergency, a citizen, irrespective of status, can knock on the doors of Supreme Court even at midnight to seek redress of an urgent grievance and seek protection of individual rights and liberty,” CJI Kant said. There will never be another case like the one arising from settlement dispute between Ambani brothers in which lawyers argued for 26 days in SC. “This is to ensure that poor litigants not only get free legal assistance but also an equal share of court time during hearing of their cases,” the CJI said. Apart from mandatory submission of written submissions not exceeding five pages at least three days prior to the hearing, SC has issued a circular saying, “Senior advocates, arguing counsel and/or advocate-on-record, shall submit the timelines for making oral arguments in all post-notice and regular hearing matters, at least a day prior to the commencement of the hearing of the case.” To speed up hearing in pending cases, the CJI said, “Various special categories have been identified for priority listing to send a message that Supreme Court is a people’s court.”

Magic Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal. Image via: Getty Images

When debating about the NBA’s most iconic players, the two names that always pop up are Magic Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal. Both inevitably fit in the legendary positions in the league, and their fans know it well. Now, when one talks about their net worth comparison, it gets pretty much difficult to just presume who earns more than whom. As for Johnson and O’Neal, both are former NBA players, and their current net worth is undoubtedly more than what they earned while playing for the big league. Magic Johnson has always been an exceptional all-time scorer, and so is his net worth. He has been involved in several other charity works and events, brand endorsements, and other businesses, which have helped him earn a notable amount. As for Shaquille O’Neal, he is a 4x NBA Champion and has earned himself the title of the Most Valuable Player three times. His net worth stands somewhat close to Magic Johnson’s. From the NBA salary cap to the contract details and brand endorsements, here is everything you need to know about the former NBA legends and their net worth in 2025.

Magic Johnson’s net worth in 2025, NBA salary, contract details and brand endorsements

As of 2025, Magic Johnson’s net worth stands at $1.5 billion (per Forbes). While playing for 13 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, Johnson earned a total salary of $40 million. He is one of the richest basketball players in the history of the big league. His contract details include one of the most groundbreaking contracts with the Los Angeles Lakers, which was signed by him in the year 1984, earning and averaging $1 million annually until 2009. His charity works started with his own foundation, known as the “Magic Johnson Foundation”, started in 1991, to help people suffering from AIDS, a disease that Johnson has been fighting since that very year. Apart from this, he has also been involved with various brands such as Nike, Starbucks, TJI Fridays, Sodexo, and Equitrust, which have helped him build his massive wealth beyond basketball.

Shaquille O’Neal’s net worth in 2025-26, NBA salary, contract details, and brand endorsements

Shaquille O’Neal’s net worth in 2025 stands at $500 million (per Celebrity Net Worth). Apart from this, his NBA salary includes a total of $286 to $296 million, which he has earned over his 19-season career in the NBA, and that is huge. O’Neal’s massive contract details include a seven-year $120 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, which was signed in 1996, making him one of the highest-paid players at that time.His brand endorsements include working and partnering up with high-profile brands like Papa John’s, General Insurance, and his own gummy candy brand, that is, the Shaq-a-licious candy. He has partnered with Reebok, thereby becoming its President, which has ultimately led to a significant transformation in his net worth. Also read: What is Magic Johnson’s net worth in 2025? NBA earnings, investments and more

A students’ group in Bangladesh protests against the killing of Dipu Das

LONDON: The UK govt has for the first time condemned the two recent murders by mobs of Hindus in Bangladesh.Whitehall sources told TOI that the UK govt “condemns the murders of Dipu Chandra Das and Amrit Mondal. We extend our condolences to their families and friends.”Das (27), a Bangladeshi Hindu garment factory worker, was handed over to an enraged mob on Dec 18 in Mymensingh over fake blasphemy allegations. They killed him, tied him to a tree and set him on fire. The extreme brutality of the killing, which happened during unrest over the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, sparked protests across India.Whitehall sources said the UK govt “welcomes the 12 arrests that have been made” in the Das case. “We welcome the public commitments made by Prof Yunus, Bangladesh’s interim head of govt, to the safety of minorities,” the sources added.Another Hindu, Amrit Mondal (29), was beaten to death by villagers on Dec 24 in Rajbari district. Bangladesh’s govt claims he was a criminal who had gone there to extort money.Westminster sources told TOI: “The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief. We have raised the importance of protecting minorities with Bangladesh, including during Baroness Chapman’s trip to Bangladesh last month.” This refers to the visit by international development minister Jenny Chapman in Nov when she met Yunus.The sources said: “We have underlined the importance of the current election campaign being peaceful. Meanwhile, we continue to provide Bangladesh support on protecting civic and human rights and tackling corruption.”Tom Morrison, a Liberal Democrat MP, has written to foreign secretary Yvette Cooper, saying the murder of Das “warrants urgent engagement by the UK govt”.British MP Apsama Begum, of Bangladeshi origin, tweeted there must be full accountability for the murder of Das and that religious freedom and protections for minority groups “must be heeded to over mob violence”.