Mumbai: Mumbai woke up to a pleasantly cool and refreshing Monday morning marked by clear skies, gentle breezes and mild winter-like conditions. The early hours offered residents temporary relief from the city’s typically warm and humid climate, with temperatures dipping enough to bring a slight coldness to the air. Despite this promising weather, a thin veil of haze hovered over the skyline, subtly hinting at the return of deteriorating air quality, an issue that has been recurring throughout the season.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Mumbai is expected to experience clear skies throughout the day, with maximum temperatures likely reaching around 31°C. Night and early morning temperatures may fall close to 16°C, giving the city a touch of wintry comfort not commonly felt during November. However, visibility levels remained comparatively low during the initial hours of the day, as a blanket of smog lingered over several regions of the city, masking what could have been a perfectly crisp morning.

This resurgence of air pollution comes shortly after heavy rainfall had briefly cleansed the atmosphere, washing away suspended particulates and offering improved humidity and visibility conditions. For a short period, residents enjoyed noticeably cleaner and fresher air, but with the rain spell ending, pollutants have begun to accumulate again, rapidly pushing Mumbai’s air quality back into alarming territory.

The city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) shot up to unhealthy levels, undoing the temporary environmental relief. Data recorded on Monday morning revealed Mumbai’s overall AQI at 251, categorised as unhealthy. This marks a notable decline from the moderate levels witnessed earlier in the month.

Among the most severely affected locations was the Wadala Truck Terminal, which recorded an AQI of 365, placing it deep in the severe category. Malad (318) and Colaba (311) also reflected severe air quality, while Worli (308) and Mazgaon (305) remained in the same critical bracket.

Although suburban localities fared slightly better, their readings still remained below satisfactory levels. Kandivali East (137) and Mankhurd (153) fell into the poor range, while areas like Malad West (163), Powai (183) and Santacruz East (187) also hovered in poor territory.

As per AQI standards, readings between 0–50 are considered Good, 51–100 Moderate, 101–150 Poor, 151–200 Unhealthy and any value above 200 falls under Severe or Hazardous, a range into which many of Mumbai’s key locations have now slipped.

Kannur, Nov 15: In the case involving the sexual assault of a Class 4 girl at Palathayi in Kerala’s Kannur, former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and teacher K. Padmarajan, on Saturday, has been sentenced to life imprisonment along with fines.

He has also been awarded 40 years of imprisonment under POCSO charges.

The sentence was delivered by the Thalassery Fast-Track POCSO Court.

The court had found Padmarajan guilty on Friday.

The offences proved against him carry punishments ranging from a maximum of 20 years to life imprisonment.

The case had triggered political controversy because the investigation team was changed five times and the interim charge sheet did not include POCSO sections.

Charges against the accused included Section 376AB (rape), and offences under the POCSO Act.

Padmarajan was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl inside and outside her school at Palathayi in Kannur, on three occasions between January and February 2020.

The complaint against the teacher was handed over to the Thalassery Deputy Superintendent of Police by the Panoor Police.

The initial police investigation had concluded that the complaint was false.

However, there was strong public protest over the failure to act against the accused.

On April 15, 2020, Padmarajan was arrested from a relative’s house where he had been hiding.

The investigation was later transferred to the Crime Branch.

Without including POCSO charges, the Crime Branch filed a charge sheet just hours before the 90-day deadline expired.

After five different investigation teams handled the case, the final charge sheet was submitted in May 2021.

In February 2024, the trial began, and the Thalassery POCSO Court ultimately found the accused guilty.

The prosecution had said on Friday that the survivor received justice on Children’s Day (November 14) and that the accused deserved the maximum punishment.

Before sentencing, the prosecution again urged the court on Saturday to impose the harshest possible penalty.

The defence said that the case was politically motivated.

Padmarajan pleaded for leniency, saying he had a family consisting of his wife, children and mother.

The court responded that it had examined only the merits of the case.

Meanwhile, senior CPI-M leader and former legislator M.V. Jayarajan hailed the court judgment and said there was nothing political in the order.

Bengaluru, Nov 15: India advanced to the semi-finals of the Cricket for the Blind 2025 Women’s T20 World Cup with a commanding ten-wicket win over the USA.

In only their sixth match of the tournament, India secured their fourth consecutive win, defeating the USA by ten wickets in a contest that was as symbolic as it was one-sided.

For the USA Women’s Blind Cricket Team, this was a remarkable occasion. As they made their World Cup debut, the team was assembled from scratch over the past year, shaped through an unprecedented developmental partnership with Indian institutions that identified, trained, and nurtured visually impaired cricketers across the United States.

Opting to bat first, USA fought hard but were limited to 60/8 in 20 overs, owing to India’s disciplined bowling and sharp fielding. Tatyana (17 off 41, B2) and Caroline (12 off 26, B2) demonstrated resilience against a relentless attack, but wickets kept falling as India’s bowlers kept tight lines and created pressure throughout.

Simranjeet Kour (B2), Sunita Srathe (B2), Simu Das (B1), and Ganga Kadam (B3) each picked up a wicket, while India’s fielders contributed with multiple run-outs — a testament to their coordination across all categories.

What followed was an extraordinary display of batting authority. Chasing just 61, India romped home in 3.3 overs without losing a wicket. Player of the Match Simranjeet Kour blasted an unbeaten 31 off 12 balls (B2), while Kavya N.R (B3) complemented her with a swift 21 off 12*, sealing the match in minutes. The gulf in experience showed, yet the spirit displayed by the young USA side reflected the courage and commitment fueling their rise on the global stage.

India now turn their attention to what promises to be one of the marquee fixtures of the tournament: a high-voltage showdown against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday in Colombo.