Month: August 2025

Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff at the White House on Sunday (local time) said that it was not acceptable for India to purchase Russian oil, alleging that it ‘financed’ the crisis in Ukraine.

Miller, in an interview with Fox News alleged that India has ‘ties’ with China in purchasing oil from Russia.

“It is not acceptable for India to continue financing this war by purchasing the oil from Russia. People will be shocked to learn that India is basically tied with China in purchasing Russian oil. That’s an astonishing fact,” he said.

Miller said that US President Donald Trump has a ‘tremendous’ relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and that the peace options for the region are on the table.

“So President Trump has had always had a tremendous relationship with India and the Prime Minister. But we have to get real about dealing with the financing of this war. So President Trump, all options are on the table to deal diplomatically, financially, and otherwise with the ongoing war in Ukraine, so we can achieve peace in the war that the democratic party and Joe Biden are responsible for,” he said.

Miller alleged that India does not accept US products as it imposes massive tariffs on US goods.

“India doesn’t accept our products, they impose massive tariffs on us. We also know they engage in a lot of cheating on immigration policies. It is very harmful to American workers and of course we see again the purchasing of oil,” he said.

Earlier on August 1, Trump claimed that India may cease purchasing Russian oil, calling it “a good step” if confirmed, while India has defended its sovereign right to pursue an energy policy in its own national interest.

Media reports on July 31 said that Indian state-run refiners suspended purchases of Russian oil amid tariff threats from Trump and narrowing price discounts. However, Indian sources have now rebutted these reports, clarifying that Indian refiners have continued to buy Russian crude based on commercial viability.

Russian oil has never been sanctioned and is still not sanctioned by either the United States or the European Union. It was rather subjected to a G7/EU price-cap mechanism to limit Russian revenues while keeping global supplies flowing. India oil refiners’ purchases have remained fully legitimate under international frameworks. (ANI)

Actor Dhanush, known for essaying the iconic character of ‘Kundan’ in Aanand L Rai’s ‘Raanjhanaa’, has finally broken his silence on the controversy surrounding the film’s AI version.

The 2013 romantic drama has been in headlines lately over the makers’ decision to alter the film’s ending with the use of artificial intelligence, sparking a heated debate among many.

Dhanush, who played the lead role, took to X on Sunday evening and shared his discontent with the same.

The actor stated that the re-release of ‘Raanjhanna’ with an AI-altered climax left him “completely disturbed.”

For the love of cinema 🙏 pic.twitter.com/VfwxMAdfoM

— Dhanush (@dhanushkraja) August 3, 2025

“This alternative ending has stripped the film of its soul, and the concerned parties went ahead with it despite my clear objection. This is not the film I committed to 12 years ago,” he added.

Dhanush also weighed in on the concerns regarding the use of AI to alter films and content.

“It threatens the integrity of storytelling and the legacy of cinema. I sincerely hope that stricter regulations are put in place to prevent such practices in the future,” he explained.

Dhanush’s reaction came after director Aanand L Rai also echoed similar sentiments on social media. Taking to his Instagram handle, Rai shared a long note to criticise the altered version.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DMxNx5Fiugx

“The idea that our work can be taken and modified by a machine, then dressed up as innovation, is deeply disrespectful. To cloak a film’s emotional legacy in a synthetic cape without consent, is not a creative act. It’s an abject betrayal of everything we built,” a part of his message read.

The Aanand L Rai directorial came out in 2013, becoming a cult classic among fans over the years. The film’s leading cast includes Dhanush and Sonam Kapoor, followed by Abhay Deol, Swara Bhasker, and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub in prominent roles. (ANI)

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Sunday said that the state’s first international cricket stadium at Narsingarh is expected to be completed by December this year.

Addressing an event at Kamalpur in Dhalai district, the Chief Minister emphasised that there should not be any politics involving players.

Chief Minister Saha said this after inaugurating the KC Girls’ School Cricket Ground and the celebrity T10 exhibition match between Tripura Cricket Association (TCA) and Bengal Tigers at K.C. Girls’ School Ground.

He said that today is truly a happy day, and history is being scripted in Kamalpur.

“This is a great day for the people of Kamalpur. When I was the president of TCA, I heard that the stadium was being constructed incorrectly in 2017. I visited it two to three times. It was under construction in an unplanned way. I created pressure on those who were engaged in the construction. But it is due to the present committee of TCA that we have been able to inaugurate it today,” Chief Minister Saha.

The Chief Minister said that there had been a lot of politics surrounding cricket.

“There were many people who played cricket very well but never got a chance due to politics. Some people even played the Ranji Trophy through political influence. During the previous government, preference was always given to their own people, while talents were ignored. That is why the government changed in 2018 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There should not be any politics with players. We must respect talent, and I want to thank the TCA. While selecting players, we must focus on talent and not on party affiliation. We have also given jobs based on merit and through transparency. The opposition uses their party workers to create confusion among the people,” said Chief Minister Saha.

He also informed that the state government will construct such fields across the state.

“We do not lack talent, but practice is essential. Even during the construction of the international stadium, politics was involved. The CPIM government was a master in creating problems, and we are solving those problems. Recently, there was an event at MBB Stadium, and I was informed that by December this year, the work on the international stadium is likely to be completed. International-level players will come here and play,” he added.

Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Tinku Roy, MLA Manoj Kanti Deb, Upananda Debbarma, TCA Vice President, Subrata Dey, TCA Secretary, TCA Advisor Tapan Lodh, Dhalai District Magistrate, and Superintendent of Police were present. (ANI)

Once known as the famous paranormal investigating couple, late husband-and-wife Ed and Lorraine Warren’s infamous occult museum has a new “legal guardian.”

Comedian Matt Rife, known for his stand-up specials, recently took to social media and announced his latest purchase, which also includes the ‘Annabelle’ doll and other spooky artefacts.

The artefacts, which are believed to be from the Warrens’ paranormal cases, have largely inspired the popular ‘Conjuring’ horror film franchise.

“I have officially purchased Ed and Lorraine Warren’s home and Occult Museum, including being the legal guardian for at least the next 5 years, of the entire haunted collection, including THE ANNABELLE DOLL, with my good friend @eltoncastee!!” he wrote in a post.

Further in the post, Rife spoke about his obsession with paranormal and haunted things, further calling ‘The Conjuring’ films his favourite of all time.

“So I’m incredibly honoured to have taken over one of the most prominent properties in paranormal history. Ed and Lorraine Warren arguably put demonology and paranormal into the mainstream and are the very heart of some of the most famous haunted stories of all time,” he added.

Rife also shared that the house will remain open for overnight stays and museum tours, to offer visitors to experience and learn the haunting history of the place.

Along with the information, the comedian shared a string of pictures from the inside of the museum, also featuring the late couple.

In a major highlight, Rife and Elton were seen posing with the Annabelle doll, which remained locked in its glass case with the warning “Warning: Positively Do Not Open.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the museum was open to the public in the past but was closed in 2019 over zoning issues.

The latest switch in ownership comes at a time when Warner Bros is gearing up to bring the next Conjuring chapter. The fourth and final instalment in the celebrated franchise, ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’, will follow Ed and Lorraine Warren’s take on the Smurl case.

An official trailer for the film was recently unveiled, also giving a blink-and-miss glimpse of the Annabelle doll.

‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ will be released on September 5. (ANI)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday accused the Delhi Police of describing Bengali as a “Bangladeshi language”, calling it scandalous, anti-national and unconstitutional.

Sharing a letter by Delhi Police on X, Banerjee said, “See now how Delhi police under the direct control of the Ministry of Home, Government of India, is describing Bengali as ‘Bangladeshi’ language! Bengali, our mother tongue, the language of Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda, the language in which our National Anthem and the National Song (the latter by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay) are written, the language in which crores of Indians speak and write, the language which is sanctified and recognised by the Constitution of India, is now described as a Bangladeshi language!!”

She called the act ‘scandalous’ and urged everyone to strongly protest against the government for disrespecting Bengali-speaking people.

“Scandalous, insulting, anti-national, unconstitutional!! This insults all Bengali-speaking people of India. They cannot use this kind of language which degrades and debases us all. We urge immediate strongest possible protests from all against the anti-Bengali Government of India who are using such anti-Constitutional language to insult and humiliate the Bengali-speaking people of India,” the post reads.

On July 28, Banerjee said she is not against any language or community and supports unity in diversity.

Addressing the Bhasha Andolan in Birbhum, Mamata Banerjee said, “I am not against any language or divisive policy. We want unity in diversity. Have I told Hindi-speaking people to leave Bengal? I never said that. You are also my friends…There are 1.5 crore migrant workers in Bengal, and 22 lakh people from Bengal work in other states. You should stop your oppression.”

A row over the Bengali language surfaced after Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress raised the issue during the ‘Shahid Dibas’ (Martyrs’ Day) celebrations on July 21. (ANI)

The flood situation has worsened in West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district due to the rise in water levels in Shilabati, Jhumi and Rupnarayan rivers in the Ghatal subdivision.

The areas already affected by flooding are witnessing fresh inundation, intensifying the suffering of local residents.

This is the fourth time a flood has occurred in Ghatal this year.

Heavy rainfall triggered by a low-pressure system has further deteriorated the situation. Roads, schools, state highways, and markets remain submerged, bringing normal life to a standstill.

According to Ghatal SDO Suman Biswas, “Water levels have risen significantly since last night. Currently, 10 gram panchayats in Ghatal block, 2 in Daspur I block, 12 wards under Ghatal Municipality, and 3 wards under Kharar Municipality are underwater. The district administration is providing essential services in the flood-affected areas.”

Meanwhile, one person from Rajnagar in Narajole is reported missing. The SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) has launched a search operation to locate the missing individual.

The authorities have confirmed that the overall situation in Ghatal remains critical and far from normal.

Earlier on July 14, three people, including a 7-year-old school girl, lost their lives in severe flooding in parts of Ghatal due to heavy rainfall in West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district. (ANI)

Captain Salman Ali Agha declared that Pakistan is “ready” for the Asia Cup, which is scheduled to begin on September 9, following their narrow two-wicket defeat in the second T20I against the West Indies.

The tournament will follow the T20I format and feature eight teams: the five full members of the Asian Cricket Council: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, along with the UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong.

Asia Cup will offer an opportunity to all the participating teams to fine-tune their preparations for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. With barely a month left for the commencement of the Asia Cup in the UAE, Pakistan skipper Agha has sent a bold message to the rest of the opposition.

“The way spinners bowled in both games, I think we’re ready for the Asia Cup. They always come in numbers and support us wherever we play,” Agha said in the post-match presentation after the second T20I against the West Indies.

India, Pakistan, UAE and Oman are in Group A, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Hong Kong are in Group B. Dubai will host 11 matches, and Abu Dhabi will be the home ground for eight fixtures. The tournament opener is placed between Afghanistan and Hong Kong on September 9 in Abu Dhabi.

Although India is the formal tournament host, a neutral venue will be provided for the opposing team for three years for competitions held in India or Pakistan, according to an agreement between the BCCI and the PCB.

In the buildup of the series, Pakistan embarked on the three-match T20I affair against the Caribbean side with flying colours. In the series opener, the Men in Green hammered 178/6 on the board and defended it successfully with a spin masterclass.

In the second fixture, fortune turned its face away from Pakistan. Their batters struggled to find their mojo and limped to 133/9. In reply, Pakistan’s spin troika of Mohammad Nawaz, Sufiyan Muqeem, and Saim Ayub failed to pull off a rescue act. Agha dissected his side’s performance and felt a 130-run target was never going to be enough against an explosive West Indies side.

“In this game, we didn’t bat well in the powerplay and couldn’t finish the game like we wanted either. But we bowled and fielded well. There’s always room to improve – death bowling can be better. 130 was never enough, but they fought really well,” he added.

In the Asia Cup, India can face Pakistan three times in the tournament. Apart from the scheduled group stage fixture, India and Pakistan can compete in the Super 4 if they qualify from the group stage. If they manage to go past the Super 4 stage, they will square off for the third time in the tournament’s final.

Fans, various politicians and former cricketers believe that India should not play against Pakistan in the tournament. The outrage over India facing Pakistan in the tournament stems from the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam during which 26 tourists were killed on April 22 by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists in the name of religion. India responded with Operation Sindoor on May 7 to avenge the attack and dismantle the terror infrastructure across the Line of Control and deeper inside Pakistan (ANI)

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday called for the revival of ties between India and Pakistan, stating that “reconciliation” is the only way forward to ease tensions.

Responding to questions about the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the recent encounter in Kulgam, Mufti said, “Encounter used to happen and will always happen, but such a huge war took place before that. The ceasefire had to be declared later. Unless reconciliation, dialogue, debate and discussions are done, such encounters will go on, and we will always stay on the verge of war. Reconciliation is the only way forward.”

Terrorists killed 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22 in a brutal and heinous attack. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) in response.

Meanwhile, security forces continue their operation in the Akhal Devsar area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district. One terrorist has been neutralised so far in the joint operation by the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir police, CRPF, and the Special Operations Group (SOG). The encounter began on Saturday and continued overnight.

A day earlier, ahead of the sixth anniversary of the revocation of Article 370, Mufti launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led Central government, saying the policy to strip Jammu and Kashmir of its special status has “completely failed.”

“Six full years have passed since August 5, 2019. At that time, Jammu and Kashmir’s special status was taken away, and Article 370 was revoked with the claim that everything would be fine in Jammu and Kashmir. But we have seen that the policy has completely failed,” she told reporters.

Mufti alleged that the internal situation in the region has deteriorated rather than improved, pointing to ongoing security crackdowns.

“Internally, the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is bad. For the past six years, arrests have been made daily. The situation in Jammu and Kashmir has become worse than before, although people are silent today. This is why our country has come into confrontation with Pakistan. What is Pakistan’s stature? Their economy is not even a tenth of our economy, but today the whole world is comparing us with them,” she said.

The former Chief Minister also criticised what she termed the BJP’s “aggressive policy” and its broader impact on regional diplomacy.

“Unfortunately, the BJP has created such an atmosphere in the country that today all groups are saying, why did you agree to a ceasefire? This is the BJP’s aggressive policy.” (ANI)

After a senior Army officer allegedly assaulted four SpiceJet ground staff members at Srinagar Airport on July 26, the Indian Army on Sunday issued a statement saying it is fully cooperating with the authorities in the investigations into the case.

The Army said it is aware of the incident and emphasised its commitment to high standards of discipline.

It also assured full cooperation with authorities in investigating the matter.

As per the statement from the Indian Army official, “The matter involving an alleged altercation between an Army personnel and airline staff at Srinagar Airport on 26 July has come to the notice of the Indian Army. The Indian Army is committed to upholding the highest standards of discipline and conduct, and takes all allegations seriously. Full cooperation is being extended to the authorities in investigating the case.”

A senior Army officer was charged with “murderous assault” after an issue regarding excess baggage with SpiceJet Airlines turned violent at Srinagar Airport last week. The officer allegedly assaulted four SpiceJet ground staff members, leaving them with a spinal fracture and injuries to the jaw.

According to a statement released by the airline, the passenger “grievously assaulted four SpiceJet employees at the boarding gate of flight SG-386 from Srinagar to Delhi on July 26, 2025.” The altercation reportedly began after the officer was informed that his two pieces of cabin baggage, weighing a total of 16 kg, exceeded the permissible limit of 7 kg.

SpiceJet claims that when staff members “politely informed [him] of the excess baggage and asked to pay the applicable charges,” the passenger refused and forcefully entered the aerobridge without completing the boarding process, which the airline described as “a clear violation of aviation security protocols.”

“Our staff members suffered a spinal fracture and serious jaw injuries after being attacked with punches, repeated kicks and a queue stand,” the airline said in its statement. “One SpiceJet employee collapsed unconscious on the floor, but the passenger continued kicking and hitting the fainted employee.”

“Another staff member suffered bleeding from the nose and mouth after receiving a forceful kick to the jaw while bending down to assist the colleague who had fainted,” the statement added. All four injured employees were rushed to a hospital and are currently undergoing treatment for what the airline described as “grievous injuries.”

SpiceJet confirmed that it has filed a First Information Report (FIR) with the local police and has begun the process of placing the officer on India’s no-fly list.

“SpiceJet has written to the Ministry of Civil Aviation appraising them about the murderous assault on its staff and has requested appropriate action against the passenger,” the airline stated. CCTV footage of the incident has also been handed over to authorities.

The airline said, “SpiceJet strongly condemns any act of violence against its employees and will pursue this matter to its fullest legal and regulatory conclusion.” (ANI)

Bollywood veteran Anupam Kher is giving a shoutout to his old buddies this Friendship Day. Taking to his Instagram handle, the ‘Tanvi The Great’ actor shared a small yet interesting message for his followers to mark the occasion.

In his candid thoughts, Kher wrote, “Instead of collecting money, I have collected a few friends. This is why even the ‘older’ ones are still working out… #HappyFriendshipDay.”

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The actor in his caption added, “Best wishes to all of you on #MitrataDivas.”

Fans were quick to respond as many flooded the comment section with Friendship Day greetings for Kher. Others appeared impressed with his wordplay.

Like every year, Friendship Day falls on the first Sunday of August, i.e., August 3 this year.

Anupam Kher has been basking in the success of his latest release, ‘Tanvi The Great,’ which also marked the actor’s return to direction after two decades.

Besides Kher, the film also features Shubhangi Dutt, Boman Irani, Karan Tacker, Jackie Shroff, Arvind Swami, Nasser, and British actor Iain Glen. Made under the banner of Anupam Kher Studios in collaboration with NFDC, ‘Tanvi The Great’ received accolades both domestically and internationally.

It also enjoyed a successful festival run at Cannes and across major cities like New York, Houston, and London.

‘Tanvi The Great’ focuses on the story of a young girl who lives with her mother and grandfather. Inspired by her late father, an Indian Army officer, the girl is determined to join the forces.

On the lines of his film, Anupam Kher also launched his book ‘Different But No Less’ on Wednesday.

The book launch event was attended by many celebrities like Mahesh Bhatt, Boman Irani, Gajraj Rao, Shubhangi Dutt, author Amish Tripathi, and Kher’s mother. (ANI)