(Image: National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL)

NEW DELHI: India’s bullet train corridor marked a major milestone on Friday with the breakthrough of a high-speed mountain tunnel in Maharashtra’s Palghar district.Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw virtually witnessed the final breakthrough of the 1.5-km-long Mountain Tunnel-5 (MT-5) from Rail Bhawan in New Delhi. This is the first mountain tunnel to be completed on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train corridor.Addressing a press conference, Vaishnaw said, “Today, a major milestone has been achieved in the Bullet Train Project. This milestone is the breakthrough of Mountain Tunnel-5. In the entire Bullet Train Project, there are seven mountain tunnels and one under sea tunnel.” Calling it a crucial step forward, he added, “With this (tunnel breakthrough) everything between Thane and Ahmedabad is clear now. Only Mumbai–Thane under sea stretch is a constraint now, rest entire project is clear now.”According to a Railway Ministry note, “this 1.5-km-long mountain tunnel is among the longest in Palghar district and is located between the Virar and Boisar bullet train stations. It is the second tunnel breakthrough in Maharashtra, as the first 5-km-long underground tunnel between Thane and BKC was completed in September 2025.”

Vaishnaw also highlighted station and depot planning challenges, saying, “Overall, there are 12 stations in this project… Sabarmati is the terminal station, and in Mumbai, the terminal station is BKC. Three depots are being constructed. Normally, for a stretch of 508 kilometres, only two depots are required.”“However, three depots had to be planned because, for a long period, the then Maharashtra government, during (Uddhav) Thackeray ji’s tenure, stopped granting permissions and refused approvals. Because of this delay, additional arrangements had to be made,” he added.The 508-km Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project, passing through Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, is designed for trains running at 320 kmph, cutting travel time to about 2 hours and 17 minutes.Earlier this week, Vaishnaw said India is likely to get its first bullet train on 15 August 2027, stating that, “the bullet train will be ready in 2027, August 15th, 2027.” Detailing the phased rollout, he said, “the first section to open will be from Surat to Bilimora. After that, Vapi to Surat will open. Then Vapi to Ahmedabad will open, and after that, Thane to Ahmedabad will open, and then Mumbai to Ahmedabad will open.”The minister also announced that the first Vande Bharat sleeper train is set to be launched this month, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to flag off the service in the second half of January 2026.

Switzerland’s ski resort in town of Crans-Montana witnessed a deadly fire that ripped through a crowded bar in New Year’s party and claimed at least 40 lives and left over 100 others injured, as AFP reported.As investigators begin the gruelling task of identifying the victims and trying to determine what happened, here are some of the main issues they will seek to probe.

Many videos of the incident were shared on social media, showing the intensity of fire in a picturesque town’s bar.One of the video shows, people stuck in bar and panicking as the exit from it was disturbed and under the expanding range of fire.In another video, a ceiling of the bar can be seen in fire and a man trying to get control over it by hitting it with a big white cloth.Another video showing people running here and there in panic the bar, getting out of staircase exit, shouting, trying to find an escape amid fire.The basement venue had only a single staircase exit, forcing panicked patrons to scramble for a way out as flames and smoke tore through the crowd. Horrified bystanders described scenes of “panic” as people tried to break the bar’s windows to escape, while others, covered in burns, stumbled onto the street.Police, firefighters and rescuers rushed to the popular ski resort, set to host the Ski World Cup from January 30, after the fire broke out in the early hours of New Year’s Day.“It was around 1:30 am (0030 GMT) when smoke was spotted coming out of Le Constellation bar at the heart of the resort,” police commander Frederic Gisler told reporters. Moments later, a witness contacted authorities. “Immediately, the red alarm, which mobilises the fire department, was triggered,” he said, adding that firefighters “quickly contained the blaze” as emergency crews treated the injured.Authorities have opened an investigation but declined to speculate on the cause. Several witness accounts broadcast by Swiss, French and Italian media suggested the fire may have ignited when sparklers, mounted on champagne bottles and held aloft by staff as part of a regular show for special orders, came too close to the ceiling.“I think there were some waitresses with champagne bottles and little sparklers. They got too close to the ceiling, and suddenly it all caught fire,” said Axel, who was inside the bar at the time, speaking to Italian outlet Local Team.Le Constellation, located on the ground floor of a residential building, has a capacity of 300 people, with room 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”.Seventeen-year-old Bruno Martins said he arrived to meet friends only to find the bar engulfed in flames and surrounded by police. “It was total panic, people were trampling each other,” he said. At least one of his friends suffered severe burns, while others remained unaccounted for.However, Wallis chief prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud cautioned against drawing conclusions, emphasising that the investigation was ongoing. Responding to reporters, she said she had visited the scene herself. “What exactly constitutes a narrow staircase?” she asked, noting that the probe would determine whether all safety standards were met.Pilloud added that it was still “too early” to comment on whether emergency exits complied with requirements, or whether the proper procedures were followed before organising the New Year’s event.Multiple sources told AFP on Thursday that the bar’s owners, French nationals originally from Corsica, were safe, though they have been unreachable since the tragedy.

India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill signed off a momentous 2025 with a reflective note, sharing a video montage on social media that captured a year of sharp contrasts, hard lessons and historic highs.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“2025, you were truly special to me. So many lessons, experiences, and memories to be grateful for. Carrying it all forward into 2026,” Gill wrote while posting a reel on his official Instagram handle, offering fans a glimpse into a season that tested and transformed him.

At 26, Gill experienced the full spectrum of elite sport. The year brought a significant setback in the shortest format, as he was dropped from India’s T20I set-up despite having earlier served as vice-captain. A string of modest returns led to his omission from the home T20 World Cup squad. T20Is proved to be his only stumbling block, with Gill managing 291 runs in 15 innings at an average just above 24, without a single fifty.Yet, if T20I struggles defined one side of 2025, Gill’s red-ball dominance told an entirely different story. His tour of England was nothing short of extraordinary, producing one of the most commanding batting performances by an Indian batter overseas. Gill piled up 754 runs in five Tests at a staggering average of 75.40, including four centuries and a career-best 269 that rewrote record books. Overall, Gill finished the year with 983 runs in nine Tests at an average of 70.21, which included five hundreds. In ODIs, he continued his consistency, scoring 490 runs in 11 matches at 49.00, with two centuries and two fifties. He also played a key role in India’s Champions Trophy triumph, scoring 188 runs, highlighted by a century against Bangladesh.The year gained further significance with Gill’s elevation to Test and ODI captaincy. Under his leadership, India fought back to secure a memorable 2-2 draw in England.

Usman Khawaja poses for a photo with his family after announcing his international cricket retirement. (Getty Images)

Usman Khawaja will walk out at the Sydney Cricket Ground one final time this week, bringing the curtain down on a 15-year international career that redefined what Australian cricket could look like — and who it could belong to.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The veteran left-hander confirmed on Friday that the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney will be his last in the Baggy Green, announcing his decision in an emotional press conference surrounded by his parents, wife Rachel and their two children. He informed his teammates only moments earlier, just before Australia’s training session.

“I’m a proud Muslim coloured boy from Pakistan who was told he would never play for the Australian cricket team — look at me now,” Khawaja said, summing up a journey that has been as much about resilience and representation as runs and records.Born in Islamabad and raised in Sydney, Khawaja will retire in the city where he first watched Test cricket from the stands and later made both his first-class and Test debuts. Now 39, the oldest member of Australia’s Test side, he bows out after 88 Tests, with the chance to overtake Michael Hussey’s run tally and finish inside Australia’s top 14 men’s Test run-scorers.Khawaja told coach Andrew McDonald of his decision after the fourth Test in Melbourne, but admitted keeping the secret had been difficult.

“It’s been tough, I’ve just wanted to tell everyone,” he said. “I didn’t think I’d get emotional, but I teared up straightaway. My journey has been different to a lot of cricketers… all that emotion built up.”That journey was rarely smooth. Despite a promising debut in the 2010–11 Ashes, Khawaja endured years of being dropped, recalled and dropped again — in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, England and at home — becoming, by some measures, Australia’s most frequently discarded Test batter. At one point, his average sat just above 25, and his Test future looked finished.Instead, Khawaja kept returning. His career-defining second act began at the SCG in the 2021–22 Ashes, where twin hundreds reignited his career. From that moment until now, no Australian has scored more Test runs. His nine-hour 141 against Pakistan in Dubai, twin tons at Sydney, and marathon innings at Edgbaston in 2023 stand as monuments to patience and defiance.Off the field, Khawaja’s impact may be even greater. As Australia’s first Muslim Test cricketer, he became a powerful, plain-spoken advocate against racism and for better pathways for players from migrant backgrounds.“I just want to be remembered as a humble cricketer who went out there and entertained,” Khawaja said. On a stage that once told him he didn’t belong, Usman Khawaja will take his final bow — on his own terms.Usman Khawaja’s international career stats (before farewell SCG Test):

‘Dhurandhar’, starring Ranveer Singh, kicked off 2026 on a high, further tightening its grip over the Indian box office. The Aditya Dhar-directed Hindi spy thriller, which has been on a historic run since its December release, wrapped up its fourth week with a record-breaking Rs 100 crore haul, aided by a strong New Year boost that helped it outperform new release ‘Ikkis’.Dhurandhar Movie Review

Dhurandhar Week 4 box office collection

According to early estimates by Sacnilk, ‘Dhurandhar’ earned approximately Rs 15.75 crore India net on Day 28. With this, the film has also sealed its position as the biggest Hindi grosser of all time.

Week-wise performance

The film opened to an explosive Rs 207.25 crore in its first week, followed by an even stronger Rs 253.25 crore in Week 2. Collections dipped in Week 3 to Rs 172 crore, but the New Year holiday propelled the film to an estimated Rs 106.5 crore in Week 4, thus scoring the highest fourth-week collection ever recorded by a Bollywood film.

Total box office collections

With its Day 28 earnings added in, ‘Dhurandhar’ now stands at an estimated Rs 739 crore India net. The film’s India gross collection has climbed to around Rs 886.75 crore.

‘Dhurandhar’ vs ‘Ikkis’

The film that is nearing a month of its release, still managed to rake in a higher box office performance than the new release ‘Ikkis’ which hit theatres on Jan 1. While the war drama earned just around Rs 7 crore on its opening day, ‘Dhurandhar’ earned almost double of its box office collections.

Historic fourth-week milestone

‘Dhurandhar’ now holds the record for the highest fourth-week collection in Bollywood history. Its Rs 106 crore Week 4 haul nearly doubles the previous record of Rs 53.75 crore held by ‘Pushpa: The Rule – Part 2’. The film has also remained in double-digit daily collections for an unprecedented stretch, surpassing all previous Hindi blockbusters.

Overseas performance

The Ranveer starrer has also continued its stellar performance overseas, raking in an estimated Rs 250 crore from international markets. This takes the film’s worldwide box office total to approximately Rs 1,136.75 crore, thus establishing ‘Dhurandhar’ as the highest-grossing Hindi film ever.

Top 5 highest-earning Indian films

With these numbers, ‘Dhurandhar’ entered the top five highest-earning Indian films of all time. The film now trails only ‘RRR’, ‘KGF Chapter 2’, ‘Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’ and ‘Pushpa: The Rule – Part 2’ on the India gross chart.

‘Dhurandhar’ eyes historic Week 5

If the film continues to hold strong in the coming days, trade analysts believe it could go on to challenge the Week 5 records as well. Currently, Vicky Kaushal’s ‘Chhaava’ holds the record for the highest week 5 collection, which is estimated to be around Rs 30.05 crore.

NEW DELHI: Medical aspirants seeking postgraduate admissions will get a wider choice this year after the National Medical Commission (NMC) approved 171 additional PG seats across medical colleges and directed counselling authorities to include them without waiting for formal permissions. According to a public notice, the 171 additional seats span key clinical and diagnostic specialties, including general medicine, general surgery, anaesthesiology, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, radiology, dermatology, emergency medicine, psychiatry, orthopaedics, respiratory medicine and pathology. Colleges across multiple states – including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Odisha, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Haryana – have received additional seats under the appeal process. In a notice issued on Dec 31, 2025, NMC’s Medical Assessment and Rating Board said postgraduate seats granted by the First Appeal Committee for the 2025-26 academic year will be treated as valid for the counselling process. Counselling authorities have been told they need not wait for letters of permission (LoPs) from individual institutions to proceed. The additional seats were approved after medical colleges challenged earlier MARB decisions under provisions of NMC Act, 2019. These appeals were examined by the First Appeal Committee in meetings held on Dec 22 and 23, following which extra seats were sanctioned. The commission clarified that the list uploaded on the NMC website would itself serve as the valid document for counselling, ensuring that eligible PG seats are not lost due to administrative delays. Formal LoPs for the newly sanctioned seats, it said, will be issued shortly. Officials said the move is aimed at maximising seat utilisation while retaining regulatory oversight through the appeal mechanism. State medical education departments and counselling authorities have been instructed to act on the decision immediately. For thousands of PG aspirants, the approval offers additional opportunities at a time when competition for postgraduate medical seats remains intense.