Utah Jazz's star forward Lauri Markkanen had to be helped off the court in the fourth quarter after colliding with Spurs' Victor Wembanyama. After being diagnosed with a left knee contusion, Markkanen was unable to return to the game. The Jazz ended up losing to the Spurs 128-115, resulting in their elimination from NBA Cup contention.
With the expectation of seven to eight lakh people gathering on the streets of Bengaluru to ring in the New Year, the Karnataka government has implemented strict security measures to ensure a peaceful event. Home Minister G. Parameshwara has made it clear that the responsibility for any security lapses will lie with the police officials. In preparation, a meeting was held with top officials to discuss traffic management and crowd control. The government has also declared its commitment to tackling issues such as drug abuse during the celebrations.
The WPL 2025 Auction witnessed some high-profile signings as five teams picked up 19 players ahead of the upcoming Women's T20 franchise league season. Gujarat Giants made a statement by shelling out Rs 1.9 Crore for Indian youngster Simran Shaikh, while also securing the services of West Indies all-rounder Deandra Dottin for Rs 1.7 Crore. Mumbai Indians also made their mark by investing in Tamil Nadu's G Kamalini and Haridwar's Prema Rawat for a hefty price.
The Women's Premier League 2025 Auction in Bengaluru on Sunday witnessed a fierce bidding war between the Gujarat Giants and Delhi Capitals for talented batter Simran Shaikh. Eventually, the Gujarat Giants secured her for a whopping price of Rs 1.9 crore due to her impressive performance in previous tournaments. Other exciting uncapped players, such as Deandra Dottin and G Kamalini, also caught the attention of franchises, with Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru securing them for hefty sums.
After a political scuffle between the security guards of BJP leader Kabir Shankar Bose and TMC workers, Bose petitioned for the transfer of probe into two FIRs filed against him, citing a biased investigation. The SC, recognizing the “bitter enmity” between Bose and his former in-laws, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee and his daughter, ordered for a CBI investigation, stating that the "charged" political atmosphere in West Bengal may lead to an unfair investigation by the local police. Ananthakrishnan G., a senior journalist with The Indian Express, is known for his impactful legal reporting and has extensive experience in the political and community beat.
Karnataka's Home Minister G Parameshwara revealed in a legislative council meeting that residents have lost a staggering Rs 109.01 crore in 2024 to "digital arrest" scams, with law enforcement agencies only recovering a small fraction of the amount. These scams involve impersonating law enforcement officials to extort large sums of money from victims. Despite arrests being made in connection to these cases, the minister's written reply showed that none of the accused in Bengaluru, where 480 cases were reported, have been apprehended yet. In response to the rising number of cases, awareness programmes and campaigns are being held to educate the public about these fraudulent tactics.
S M Krishna, the former Minister of External Affairs, passed away at the age of 92. Despite facing a bumpy start to his term, Krishna gained a reputation for his calm and composed style of leadership and his strong rapport with world leaders. He also played a crucial role in resuming the dialogue process between India and Pakistan, despite facing criticism for not defending Home Secretary G K Pillai in a joint press conference. Throughout his tenure, Krishna remained a dedicated public servant, with a passion for literature and geopolitics.
The end of year rankings for the most-streamed albums and artists on Spotify reveal a clear trend - women are dominating the music charts like never before. Taylor Swift tops the list with her album "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology" claiming the Number One spot, followed by female artists Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, Karol G, Ariana Grande, and SZA. Swift also takes the top spot as the most-streamed artist globally, with 26.6 billion streams, solidifying her position as a powerhouse in the music industry. This marks a significant shift towards women empowerment and representation in the music industry.
Realme has launched its latest flagship smartphone, the Realme GT 7 Pro, in India. This high-performance device boasts a bright 6.78-inch curved display, a long-lasting 6500mAh battery, and a powerful 50-megapixel camera. What sets it apart from other smartphones is the inclusion of the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, promising exceptional performance and blazing fast AI tasks. The device is available in two stunning colours and is equipped with advanced features like 120W SuperVOOC fast charging and an IP69 rating for water and dust resistance. Don't miss out on the special launch offer, with the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant available at a discounted price of Rs 56,999 on Amazon.
After leaving Hapoel Tel Aviv due to the war situation in Israel and reported interest from Serbian EuroLeague club Crvena Zvezda, former center Johnathan Motley was expected to make a move to the European basketball scene. However, he is now signing with a G League team and attracting interest from NBA clubs instead. Hapoel's owner claimed that Motley's decision to leave was due to the offer from Zvezda, which was denied by the club's sports director. While there were reports about FIBA denying issuing the letter of clearance for Motley's new team, nothing has been officially confirmed yet.