Month: January 2025

Prime Video has announced the global streaming premiere of the Abhishek Bachchan-starrer “I Want To Talk”, directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Shoojit Sircar.

The film, produced by Ronnie Lahiri and Sheel Kumar under the Rising Sun Films banner, is now available exclusively to Prime members in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.

The movie stars Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan in the lead role, supported by an ensemble cast including Ahilya Bamroo, Jayant Kriplani, Johny Lever, Pearle Dey, and Kristin Goddard.

‘I Want To Talk’ explores themes of resilience, human connection, and the emotional journey of a father striving to rebuild his fractured relationship with his daughter.

The film follows the life of Arjun Sen, a talkative Bengali man who has lived the “American Dream.”

Arjun’s life takes a dramatic turn when he learns he has just 100 days to live. This news forces him to confront his mortality, prompting a deep reflection on his life choices.

His quest for reconciliation with his estranged seven-year-old daughter becomes the core of the story, marking an emotional and transformative journey filled with hope, redemption, and poignant father-daughter moments.

In a statement shared by the film’s team, director Shoojit Sircar shared his excitement and said, “I Want To Talk is a poignant reminder of the indomitable power of human connection and resilience. I’ve always been fascinated by the complexities of human relationships and how they can help one heal and transform.”

He continued, “Through this film, I wanted to tell a story that would not only touch hearts but also spark meaningful conversations and inspire audiences to cherish every moment with their loved ones.” (ANI)

The Sealdah Civil and Criminal Court on Saturday found accused Sanjay Roy guilty of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Justice Anirban Das pronounced the verdict. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced by the Court on Monday.

The court said that Sections 64,66, 103/1 of BNS have been framed against the accused. “There is a complaint against the accused that he went to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and went to the seminar room, assaulted and murdered the lady doctor taking rest there,” the Court said.

Accused Sanjay Roy appealed to the Judge that he has been falsely implicated in the case.

“I have not done this. Those who have done this are being let go. I have been falsely implicated,” he told the Court.

“I always wear a chain of rudraksh on my neck. If I commited the crime my chain would have been broken in place of occurrence. I can’t commit this crime,” accused Roy added.

However, Justice Das said that the accused will be next heard on Monday.

“You will be heard on Monday. Now, I am sending you to judicial custody. Your punishment will be announced on Monday. I have fixed the time at 12:30 to hear. Then will announce the punishment,” he said.

The case, which involves the rape and murder of a trainee doctor whose body was found on August 9 in the hospital’s seminar room, sparked widespread protests. After the incident, Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer at the hospital, was arrested in connection with the crime.

In November last year, the CBI filed a chargesheet concerning financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The chargesheet named Sandip Ghosh and others, including Dr. Ashish Kumar Pandey, Biplab Singha, Suman Hazra, and Afsar Ali Khan, for their involvement in financial misconduct. This investigation was initiated following an order by the Calcutta High Court.

In addition to the corruption case, Sandip Ghosh faced questioning regarding the murder case. As part of the probe, the CBI conducted polygraph tests on him.

A delay in filing the chargesheet resulted in bail being granted to the accused, including Abhijit Mondal and Sandip Ghosh.

Earlier today, the father of the deceased doctor said that whatever punishment is appropriate will be decided by the court.

Speaking to ANI, he asserted that they will continue to knock on the door of the court until they get justice in the case.

“Not just one, but the DNA report shows the presence of four boys and one girl. We will feel some relief when the accused are punished. Until we get justice, we will keep knocking on the doors of the court and will also seek the support of the people of the country,” the father said.

He also alleged that the Central Bureau of Investigation has done nothing in the matter.

“The CBI has done nothing in this matter. There is no question of satisfaction here. We have raised several questions before the High Court and the Supreme Court. We have sought answers from the court itself. We did not seek answers from the CBI, but the court assigned all responsibility to the CBI,” he said. (ANI)

After Delhi, Police said that no permission was taken for the screening of the film ‘Unbreakable’, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal said that this film screening was not an election event rather it was a private event.

Addressing a press conference today, Kejriwal said that the movie wasn’t an election campaign and there was no election flag, speech or election propaganda present at the movie screening site.

Reiterating his claim that the BJP is “scared” of this film as it exposes “illegal and unconstitutional actions” of the BJP government, Kejriwal condemned the way film screening was stopped.

Kejriwal said, “A film has been made on AAP. Today we had a special screening for journalists but Delhi Police in morning reached there and stopped the screening of the film. It was private screening. It was not an election campaign, there was no election flag, election speech or election propaganda. Why BJP is scared from this film? It was a private screening of the film I haven’t seen this film but I was told that this shows the story when AAP leaders were sent to jail and it exposes illegal and unconstitutional actions of the BJP government. That’s why BJP is scared. We condemn the way film screening was stopped. We hope we will get the permission to screen this film.”

“This is not an election event. It has nothing to do with election. This is no any party symbol or flag. We tried to make the police understand. This is hooliganism and dictatorship,” he added.

Earlier today, the Delhi Police said that “no permission” was taken for the screening of the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) documentary ‘Unbreakable’ and hence its screening would have been a ‘violation of guidelines’.

This follows the AAP announcement of the screening of the documentary ‘Unbreakable’, based on the time when the AAP leaders, including former CM Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, and others went to jail.

The police emphasised that the political parties have to apply for permission for such events through a single window system at the District Election Officer’s (DEO) office, adding that the police can neither grant nor reject such permission at this time.

They urged the political parties to follow the election rules and regulations at the time of the election.

Delhi Police said, “For the said event, no such permission was taken and hence it would have been a violation of guidelines. We urge all parties to follow the election rules and regulations at this time. As elections have been declared, political parties have to apply for permission through a single window system at DEO office. This is a standard process during elections.”

“Further, it is clarified that Delhi Police can neither grant nor reject such permission at this time as all permissions for political activity are granted through single window system in concerned DEO office,” it added.

Following this statement, the ruling AAP alleged that the Delhi Police banned the screening of the documentary at the “behest” of its primary opponent, BJP.

The AAP sources said that theatre owners across Delhi have been threatened not to screen the documentary

“Screening of AAP’s documentary ‘Unbreakable’ | Delhi Police banned the screening of the documentary at the behest of the BJP. This documentary is made on AAP leaders going to jail and was to be screened today at 11:30 AM. Theatre owners across Delhi have been threatened not to screen the documentary,” said AAP sources.

Delhi will go for polls on February 5 while the counting of votes will take place on February 8. (ANI)

In a first-of-its-kind event, Elon Musk hosted a delegation of leading Indian business figures at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas. The exclusive gathering provided an opportunity for Indian entrepreneurs to engage directly with Musk and tour the company’s cutting-edge space exploration facilities. The visit on Friday included a tour of Starbase and a chance to witness the successful launch and booster catch of SpaceX’s Starship Flight 7.

During a moderated discussion, Musk emphasised the potential for deeper collaboration between the United States and India, particularly in areas like technology and space exploration. “Things are trending positive. I’m certainly in favour of lowering trade barriers to increase commerce between the US and India,” he remarked.

Speaking about India, Musk said: “India is one of the ancient civilizations and a very great and very complex one.”

The Indian delegation, representing diverse sectors from technology and manufacturing to renewable energy, discussed opportunities for collaboration on global challenges. Topics included the role of technology in finance and regulation, partnerships in space and AI innovation, and India’s growing role in the global innovation landscape.

Musk offered insights into his companies’ work, including SpaceX, Tesla, and Neuralink, highlighting his belief in the transformative potential of technology. “The goal of SpaceX is to expand the scope and scale of consciousness beyond what we know to understand what questions to ask about the answer that is the universe.

He went on to state: “One of the things we’re aiming for with Grok is we’re pretty confident that soon Grok 3 will be the most sophisticated AI in the world”

“This event underscores the growing importance of collaboration between India and global pioneers in shaping a sustainable and technology-driven future,” said IGF founder Manoj Ladwa.

“As the world’s most powerful democracy transitions to a Trump presidency, meaningful dialogue is more important than ever in these challenging times. At India Global Forum, our mission is to bring together global leaders and innovators to tackle the defining challenges of our time. As I often say, democracies thrive when they work together. This moment underscores the need for collaboration, bold ideas, and shared purpose. I believe India’s rise presents limitless opportunities, and this meeting signifies the potential for powerful partnerships,” Ladwa said.

The IGF delegation included Prashant Ruia, Director, Essar Capital; Jay Kotak, Co-Head, Kotak811; Ritesh Agarwal, Founder & Group CEO, OYO; Kalyan Raman, CEO, Flipkart; Aryaman Birla, Director, Aditya Birla Management Corporation Private Limited; Nilesh Ved, Chairman, Apparel Group, and Author Amish Tripathi among several others. (ANI)

Following the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, President Mahmoud Abbas called for a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, stating that Palestine is ready to “assume full responsibility” in Gaza.

Emphasising Gaza as an integral part of Palestine, the Palestinian President in a statement said, “The Presidency affirmed its firm position of the necessity of an immediate ceasefire in and full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. The Presidency reiterated that it was necessary to establish an immediate ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and pave the way for the State of Palestine to assume full responsibility for the Gaza Strip as an integral part of the occupied territory. The State of Palestine has legal and political jurisdiction over the Strip as it is the case with the rest of the occupied territory of the West Bank and Jerusalem, while affirming rejection of any carving up of the Gaza Strip and forced expulsion of any Palestinian from their homeland.”

It added, “The Palestinian government has completed all preparations to assume full responsibilities in the Strip and that the government administrative and security personnel were fully prepared to carry out their tasks in order to alleviate the suffering inflicted on the Gaza population, allow displaced persons to return to their houses, restore essential services to the Strip, assume responsibility for the border crossings and help commence Gaza reconstruction.”

It also urged international support for humanitarian aid, reconstruction efforts, and a political resolution aligned with UN resolutions.

“The Presidency urges the international community along with neighbouring and donor countries to offer urgent humanitarian aid to enable the government to shoulder its responsibilities towards the Palestinian people, whether in the Gaza Strip which has been subjected to a genocidal war or in the West Bank and Jerusalem which have been subjected to grave Israeli violations,” the Palestinian Presidency said.

It added, “The Presidency reiterates the urgent need for a political solution based on the United Nations resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative by holding an international peace conference to mobilize international recognition of the State of Palestine and support its quest for full membership of the United Nations in order to bring about regional security and stability conducive to ending the occupation and realise the establishment of the State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the 1967 borders, in line with international law and the relevant UN resolutions.”

Earlier this week, Hamas agreed on a deal with Israel for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. Israel’s security cabinet approved the deal on Friday evening, and it awaits endorsement from the wider government cabinet.

While the full details of the agreement have not been officially disclosed, the ceasefire is expected to unfold in three phases, beginning with a six-week truce set to take effect on Sunday.

In the first phase, hostages in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israel are to be released. Displaced Palestinians in Gaza will be allowed to start returning to their homes. According to US President Joe Biden, Israeli troops will withdraw from “all” populated areas in Gaza, and aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip will increase significantly.

Biden described the second phase as aiming for a permanent end to the war, with negotiations starting on the 16th day. This stage would involve releasing the remaining hostages, including men, in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners. It would also see a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.

The third phase focuses on the reconstruction of Gaza and the return of any deceased hostages’ remains. (ANI)

The Crime Branch of Mumbai Police have formed 20 teams to search for the accused who attacked the Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan at his residence, leaving him injured, said Mumbai Police.

To ensure the early arrest of the accused, the police have started investigating people roaming around unnecessarily at night. Along with this, people whose names are already in the police records are also being called to the police stations for questioning.

The police are also showing the picture of the accused captured in the CCTV footage during interrogation. Last night, the police brought more than 15 people to the police station for questioning.

On Friday, actress Kareena Kapoor Khan recorded her statement with Bandra Police, regarding the attack on her husband and actor, Saif Ali Khan, at their Bandra residence early Thursday morning.

The statement was recorded on Friday evening at her residence in the presence of police officers. So far, over 30 statements have been recorded in connection with the attack.

CCTV footage from the Bandra area has been seized, and three persons of interest are being questioned. However, no arrests have been made yet in connection with the incident.

Earlier, Saif’s staff members were summoned to the Bandra Police Station for questioning regarding the case but were later allowed to leave.

Meanwhile, the auto-rickshaw driver who rushed the actor to the hospital also shared details of what happened and how he stepped in to help.

Speaking to ANI, the driver explained that he saw a woman trying to hire an auto-rickshaw at 2 am on Thursday. Soon after, he approached the scene and saw the actor covered in “blood,” coming out of the gate, accompanied by a few others.

The actor was “bleeding” from his “neck and back,” the driver said.

“I drive my vehicle at night. It was around 2-3 a.m. when I saw a woman trying to hire an auto, but nobody stopped. I also heard calls for a rickshaw from inside the gate. I took a U-turn and stopped my vehicle near the gate. A man covered in blood came out, along with 2-4 others. They put him in the auto and decided to go to Lilavati Hospital. I dropped them there, and later I came to know that he was Saif Ali Khan. I saw him bleeding from his neck and back,” Rana told ANI.

Saif was attacked by an intruder in his 11th-floor Bandra flat in the early hours of Thursday. The incident occurred when the intruder allegedly confronted the actor’s maid at his residence. As Saif attempted to intervene, the situation escalated into a violent altercation, resulting in the actor sustaining several stab wounds.

Saif underwent surgery at Lilavati Hospital. According to the doctors, Saif sustained a major injury to the thoracic spinal cord due to a knife lodged in his spine. Surgery was performed to remove a 2.5-inch-long blade from the actor’s spine and repair his leaking spinal fluid.

While Saif is “out of danger,” doctors are continuing to monitor him. (ANI)

A mysterious disease has caused widespread panic in Badhal village, with 16 reported fatalities and 38 affected individuals since early December 2024.

The cause of the illness remains unidentified, despite extensive efforts by medical experts and organizations such as PGIMER Chandigarh, the National Institute of Virology, and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

On Saturday one woman from Badhaal Village was admitted to the Government Medical College (GMC) after showing symptoms of a mysterious illness.

Authorities are on high alert, with the Rajouri district administration, health department, and police working in coordination to investigate the deaths and provide assistance to the affected families. The outbreak has primarily impacted three interlinked families in the village.

In the absence of concrete information regarding the cause of the disease, efforts to implement targeted measures have been hindered, leaving local authorities to intensify their investigations and preventive actions in a race against time to avoid further casualties.

The medical team present there is also inspecting the chaotic situation of ‘mysterious illness’.

An official said “We’re closely monitoring the situation. Reports of illnesses and deaths due to a mysterious disease will be available within 8-10 days. Medical assistance has been provided in 4 wards, and door-to-door counselling and surveillance are ongoing. ICMR has collected samples, and we’re taking daily samples. Doctors are available 24/7, and village surveillance has been ongoing since December 7.”

Another member of the team said, “From a pediatric perspective, all necessary tests have been conducted. The symptoms and progression of the illness have been observed. The ill children’s condition deteriorates rapidly within 2-3 days, leading to coma and eventually death despite ventilation. Notably, these incidents are confined to three specific families, suggesting a non-infectious cause. Therefore, there’s no need for the general public to worry.”

The situation continues to evolve, with all relevant departments committed to identifying the origin of the disease and ensuring the safety of the local population.(ANI)

Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina has alleged that there was a conspiracy to kill her and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana, the moment she was ousted from power.

“Rehana and I survived – just 20-25 minutes apart we escaped death”, Sheikh Hasina said on an audio speech posted on the Facebook page of her Bangladesh Awami League party late on Friday.

In August last year, a student-led movement ousted Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, after weeks of protests and clashes that killed over 600 people. Hasina, 76, fled to India and an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed.

Sheikh Hasina recalled that there were conspiracies to kill her at various times.

“I just feel that surviving the killings on August 21, or surviving the huge bomb in Kotalipara, surviving on this time August 5, 2024, there must be a will of Allah, a hand of Allah”, she said.

“Otherwise, I’m not going to survive this time!” she added.

“You later saw how they planned to kill me”, Hasina said.

“However, it seems to be a mercy of Allah that I am still alive because Allah wants me to do something more”, she said.

“Although I am suffering, I am without my country, without my home, everything has been burned”, she said in an emotionally tearful voice.

Sheikh Hasina’s security was very high as she escaped several assassination plots. The 2004 Dhaka grenade attack took place at an anti-terrorism rally organized by Awami League on Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004. The attack left 24 dead and more than 500 injured. The attack was carried out at 5:22 pm after Sheikh Hasina, the then leader of opposition had finished addressing a crowd of 20,000 people from the back of a truck. Hasina also sustained some injuries in the attack.

The Kotalipara bomb was another plot to kill Sheikh Hasina that she referred to in her audio message. The 76kg bomb was recovered on July 21, 2000, and two days later, the 40 kg bomb was recovered at Sheikh Lutfor Rahman Ideal College in Kotalipara, where Awami League President and the then leader of the opposition Sheikh Hasina was supposed to address the rally on July 22, 2000. (ANI)

US President-elect Donald Trump held a telephone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and discussed a range of issues including trade, fentanyl and TikTok on Friday.

Stressing the expectation that the two global leaders will “solve many problems together,” the President-elect said they would do “everything possible” to make the world “more peaceful and safe.”

“I just spoke to Chairman Xi Jinping of China. The call was a very good one for both China and the USA. It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together, and starting immediately. We discussed balancing trade, fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects. President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the world more peaceful and safe!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Notably, TikTok is facing a potential ban in the US. The popular short-video app is preparing to shut down its operations in the country by Sunday if the proposed legislation goes ahead. The ban would require TikTok to sever all business ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or cease its US operations by January 19.

If the app does not comply with the legislation, users will soon see a notice explaining the situation, with instructions on downloading their data before TikTok becomes unusable.

Despite ByteDance’s refusal to sell TikTok’s US operations, lawmakers continue to debate the implications for both US users and the broader tech industry, with the app’s future hanging in the balance as Trump’s administration takes office.

Notably, Trump has also threatened to impose new tariffs on major trade partners. He has vowed as much as 60 per cent tariff on China.

Fentanyl overdoses have surged in recent years to become a leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. Over 107,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2023, CNN reported citing government data.

The US says China has not done enough to help monitor or regulate purchases from buyers aiming to use Chinese-made ingredients to manufacture illegal drugs overseas. The US lawmakers have also alleged that China is subsidizing the manufacturing of materials that are used by traffickers to make fentanyl.

Donald Trump will be sworn in as President on January 20.

Trump won the US presidential elections in November last year. He won 312 electoral votes against Harris’ 226 votes. (ANI)