Month: August 2025

Bollywood stars Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor have been on a promotional spree for their upcoming film ‘Param Sundari’.

On Friday, the actors visited iconic places in Delhi and met with their fans. From indulging in famous rajma chawal and chole bhature at Jain Chawal Wale in Connaught Place to savouring cotton candy at India Gate, Sidharth and Janhvi immersed themselves in Delhi’s culinary scene.

After treating their taste buds to Delhi Ka Khana, the actors visited Gurdwara Bangla Sahib and offered prayers.

A few days ago, Sidharth and Janhvi visited Lucknow and tried the famous chaat there.

Sanjay Kapoor and Manjot Singh also have prominent roles in the film. The trailer for the film was unveiled recently, promising a perfect mix of romance, comedy, and action.

The Tushar Jalota directorial marks Sidharth and Janhvi’s first project together as co-stars, and their romantic chemistry in the trailer is captivating. What follows is a riot of fun and chaos when Sidharth, a Punjabi munda from Delhi, falls in love with Janhvi, a girl from Kerala.

Sharing his experience working in the film, Sidharth said, “With Param Sundari, I feel like I’m revisiting the kind of romance I grew up loving, but telling it in a way that feels fresh and relatable. Param has that Delhi boy charm, with a love story that makes you cross worlds. We wanted it to look as beautiful as it feels, and Kerala’s magic really made that happen. I hope the audience feels the same warmth and joy we felt while making it.”

Janhvi opened up about portraying ‘Sundari’, expressing how her character’s deep connection to her roots resonated with her own South Indian heritage.

“Sundari is deeply personal to me. Her grace, quiet strength, and love for her roots resonate with my own South Indian heritage. Shooting in Kerala, surrounded by such beauty, I felt an emotional connection to her world that I hope the audience will feel too,” she shared.

The film will be out in theatres on August 29. (ANI)

Actor Raza Murad has filed an official complaint at Mumbai’s Amboli Police Station on Friday, alleging that a false social media post about his death was circulated online, leaving him “exhausted” from repeatedly clarifying the rumours.

The veteran actor said the “rumour” left him deeply disturbed and forced him to repeatedly clarify that he is alive.

Speaking to ANI, Raza Murad claimed that someone had shared a social media post declaring him dead. He said the post even mentioned his date of birth and a “fake date of death,” along with a tribute.

“There are some people who, for reasons I don’t understand, seem bothered by my existence. They posted about my death and even offered condolences. They wrote that I had worked for many years, but now no one is there to remember me. They even mentioned my birthday and a fake date of death in that post. This is a very serious matter,” Murad said.

The actor added that he has been worn out by the constant need to clarify the misinformation. “My throat, tongue, and lips have dried up from telling people that I am alive. This false news has spread everywhere. I am getting calls and messages from across the world. People are even sending me copies of the post,” he said.

Calling the incident “shameful,” Murad criticised the person behind the rumour. “Whoever has done this must have a very bad mentality. He appears to be a very small person, someone who has never accomplished anything significant in his life. That is why he enjoys doing such cheap things,” he added.

Murad confirmed that the police are taking his complaint seriously. “They have accepted my complaint and are filing an FIR. They assured me that they will get to the bottom of this and catch the person responsible. Legal action will be taken against him,” he said.

He further urged action against those responsible for spreading such falsehoods. “This should stop now. It is not only about me. Celebrities are often declared dead while they are still alive. This is wrong, and whoever does this should be punished,” he added.

Raza Murad is widely recognised for his remarkable career spanning over 250 films in Hindi, Bhojpuri, and various regional languages since the 1970s. Renowned for his deep baritone voice, he is equally celebrated for his portrayal of both formidable villains and empathetic, brotherly characters. Murad has left an indelible mark in films such as ‘Prem Rog’ and ‘Padmaavat.’ (ANI)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday took to X to share a post detailing her contribution to Kolkata’s metro expansion on the same day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Kolkata to flag off new services.

The Chief Minister did not attend the Prime Minister’s unveiling of infrastructure projects, including three Metro services in Kolkata.

Her post on X read, “Allow me to be a little nostalgic today. As the Railways Minister of India, I was fortunate in planning and sanctioning a series of Metro Railway corridors in metropolitan Kolkata. I had drawn the blueprints, arranged the funds, initiated the works and ensured that the different ends of the city ( Joka, Garia, Airport, Sector V, etc) were connected by an intra-city Metro grid. Later, as the Chief Minister of West Bengal, I had the additional privilege of taking part in the execution of the projects.”

“From the State, I arranged free land, paved roads, arranged rehabilitation of displaced people, removed impediments, and ensured all help in the execution of projects. Our Chief Secretaries successively held a series of coordination meetings to ensure the integration of the execution agencies. My planning as Railways Minister got fulfilment in my participation in execution. Expanding Metro infrastructure has been a long journey for me. Allow me some nostalgia today,” the West Bengal CM posted.

The Trinamool chief had held the railway portfolio in the NDA government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee between 1999 and 2001, and during the Congress-led UPA-2 from 2009 to 2011.

Meanwhile, PM Modi visited the Jessore Road Metro Station in Kolkata, where he flagged off the Noapara-Jai Hind Bimanbandar metro service from Jessore Road.

In addition, through video conferencing, he also flagged off the Sealdah-Esplanade metro service and the Beleghata-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay metro service.

At the public function, the Prime Minister inaugurated these metro sections and a newly constructed subway at Howrah Metro Station.

The Noapara-Jai Hind Bimanbandar metro service will significantly improve access to the airport. The Sealdah-Esplanade metro will reduce the travel time between the two points from nearly 40 minutes to only 11 minutes.

The Beleghata-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay metro section will play a crucial role in enhancing connectivity with the IT hub. These metro routes will connect some of Kolkata’s busiest areas, bring a notable reduction in travel time, and strengthen multimodal connectivity, benefiting lakhs of daily commuters. (ANI)

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai on Friday said that although the BJP and actor-turned-politician Vijay are ideologically opposite, his political entry is welcomed.

Speaking to reporters, Annamalai acknowledged the popularity of Vijay, who leads the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), but questioned whether he could sustain political engagement for a full term.

“As far as Vijay is concerned, people may come today and applaud him when he comes for a rally. But people will think while voting. Can he effectively engage in politics for five years? People will think a lot when it comes to votes. All political parties claim that their main enemy is DMK, which reflects the prevailing mindset of the people. Although we welcome Vijay’s political arrival, we are ideologically opposite,” Annamalai said.

He further claimed that the BJP, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has gained increasing public support in the state.

“The leaders of the National Democratic Alliance are united with us. The public has accepted the BJP as a powerful party. People voted for the National Democratic Alliance by 18 per cent in the last election. As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, people have placed immense faith in the BJP and the Prime Minister,” he said.

The BJP leader also highlighted the Union government’s efforts to secure the release of Indian fishermen and criticised Vijay for not speaking out earlier on the Katchatheevu issue.

“The BJP government is continuously rescuing imprisoned fishermen. Does Vijay know? The government is taking tickets for the rescued fishermen and bringing them home at their own expense. Does Vijay know that the number of fishermen who have died in gunfire has decreased since Modi took over as Prime Minister?”

“Vijay kept acting in the film. He even played a fisherman’s friend. He didn’t talk about Katchatheevu at that time. He is talking about it now, after 50 years of not talking about it…” Annamalai added.

Earlier on Thursday, TVK chief and actor Vijay addressed a conference for TVK party workers in Madurai.

The TVK president held the party’s second state conference in Madurai, marked by a massive show of strength as party workers gathered in large numbers to participate in the rally.

Speaking at the event, TVK Chief accused Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) of being in a “secret alliance” with the BJP.

The actor-turned-politician lambasted Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin over the law and order situation in the state.

“Uncle Stalin, if you have a conscience, please answer the questions we are asking. In the government you are running, is there honesty? Is it free from corruption? Is law and order being maintained properly? Are women and the general public safe? Tell us, my dear uncle, tell us,” Vijay said.

“DMK government is secretly maintaining ties with the BJP. When DMK is in the opposition, they shout ‘Go back Modi!’ but once they are in power, (they) welcome Modi. DMK has a secret alliance with the BJP. Does drama as if they are opposing the BJP,” he added.

Vijay intends to present his party, TVK, as a third front in Tamil Nadu politics, an alternative to both the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). (ANI)

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said that Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir’s recent remarks comparing India and Pakistan’s economic conditions amount to an admission of failure and display the “robber mentality” of Pakistan.

Addressing the Economic Times World Leaders’ forum 2025, Singh said Munir’s remarks attempting to compare India with a luxury car and his own country with a dump truck was nothing but a confession of Pakistan’s failure.

The Union Minister said that after Operation Sindoor, such a doubt should never have arisen in Pakistan.

“The Chief of the Pakistan Army, knowingly or unknowingly, has pointed towards a robber mentality, which Pakistan has been a victim of since its birth…We must break this delusion of the Pakistani Army. Due to ‘Operation Sindoor,’ such a delusion should not have arisen in their minds in the first place,” he said.

Singh said that the spirit of defending India must never die.

“But we must ensure that alongside India’s prosperity, our culture, and our economic prosperity, our defence capabilities and the spirit to fight for our national honour remain equally strong. We must ensure that in our civilisation, in our nation, that fighting spirit remains alive,” he said.

Singh said that if the statement were a warning from Pakistan, then India is prepared to give it a befitting reply.

“I consider this statement of Asim Munir as a confession. I do not consider his statement as mere troll material… If we do not pay attention to the historical indication behind this serious warning, then it can become a matter of concern for us. And yes, if we pay attention to this and prepare for it, then India is capable of giving a befitting reply to such warnings,” he said.

“I would like to draw your attention to the statement given recently by Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir. He said, “India is a shining Mercedes coming on the highway like a Ferrari, but we are a dump truck full of gravel. If the truck hits the car, who is going to be the loser?” India’s economy is like a Mercedes and a Ferrari running on the highway. He said, I am not saying. Pakistan’s economy is like a dump truck full of debris. Now you people know the answer to this,” Singh said.

He further said that this statement by Munir backfired as people questioned him that if India and Pakistan gained independence at the same time, why does India manage to be a ‘Ferrari’ but Pakistan was just a dumper truck.

“Now, Asim Munir was trolled a lot for this statement both inside Pakistan and all over the world. Everyone said that if two countries got independence at the same time and one country built a Ferrari-like economy through hard work, right policies and foresight and the other is still in a dumper state, then it is their own failure,” Singh said.

Earlier on August 14, India hit out at Pakistan over recent nuclear war threats by its Army Chief, cautioning that any misadventure would have “painful consequences” as demonstrated in the past.

“We have seen several statements and reports regarding the continuing pattern of reckless warmongering and hateful comments from Pakistani leadership against India,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during the weekly briefing. (ANI)

The rising water level of the Ganga River has caused a flood-like situation in several villages of Kanpur.

Earlier, on Tuesday, the increase in the Ramganga river water level also created a flood-like situation in nearby areas, destroying crops in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad, leaving farmers in distress and waiting for compensation from the government.

Sugarcane and paddy fields were submerged, causing heavy financial losses to the farmers. The exact estimate of the loss is yet to be calculated.

Moradabad Divisional Statistical Officer of the Horticulture Department, Harjeet Singh, said that farmers who have insurance under Fasal Beema Yojna will be compensated accordingly.

He said, ” We don’t have an exact estimate of the loss yet. If the farmers have insurance under the ‘Fasal Beema Yojana’, they will be insured accordingly. The government will decide the compensation for the farmers…We are helping and guiding the farmers as much as we can. “He noted that the administration is actively assisting and guiding affected farmers.

Sanjay, a farmer whose paddy and sugarcane fields were destroyed, expressed the financial problems he will face and said, “There was sugarcane, there was paddy… everything was destroyed in the floods… When the water level decreases, I will have to replant all the crops. There would have been a loss of Rs 20,000. The government should think about this. I will have to take a loan again…”Several regions are experiencing heavy rainfall, cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides, causing loss of life and property. The water level of several rivers has crossed the danger mark.

Earlier, all the 18 gates of Hathinikund Barrage were opened after 1.78 lakh cusec of water came into the river due to heavy rainfall, resulting in a rise in the water level. (ANI)

Prevention against attack on BSF personnel and Indian civilians by Bangladesh-based miscreants, trans-border crimes, and construction of a single row fence are among over half a dozen issues set to be raised by India in the DG-level biannual Border Co-ordination Conference starting from Monday in Dhaka.

Action against Indian Insurgent Groups (IIGs) in Bangladesh, issues related to border infrastructure, joint efforts for effective implementation of the Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP), Confidence Building Measures (CBM), and other issues will also be raised in the four-day conference being held from August 25 to August 28.

The co-conference between India’s Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) will be organised by the BGB at Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka.

During this conference, the BSF delegation, led by BSF Director General Daljit Singh Chawdhary, will meet the BGB delegation, headed by its Director General, Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui.

Officials in the BSF told ANI that the conference is being organised to discuss the “border-related issues and for better coordination between both border guarding forces.”

The last BSF-BGB Border Co-ordination Conference was held from 17th to 20th February 2025 at New Delhi.

The Joint India-Bangladesh guidelines for Border Authorities – 1975 envisage that there should be frequent contacts between the border authorities of the two concerned countries to discuss the matters of immediate administrative concern.

An Indian delegation under the leadership of Ashwani Kumar, former Director General of BSF, and the Bangladesh delegation under the leadership of Major General Quazi Golam Dastgir, former Director General BDR (now BGB), met at Kolkata on December 2, 1975, for the first time to discuss mutual border problems. Since then, the meetings between DG BSF and DG BGB were held annually alternatively in India and Bangladesh till 1993.

During discussions between the Home Secretaries of India and Bangladesh that were held at Dhaka (Bangladesh) from Oct 7th to 9th, 1993, it was agreed that the Director General-level meetings between BSF and BGB were to be a bi-annual event.

In the agreed summary of discussions during the said meeting, it was emphasised that problems in the areas of mutual interests and concerns could be progressively resolved through close contacts and continuing meaningful dialogue at various levels.

Accordingly, DG BSF and DG BGB have been holding Border Coordination meetings twice a year alternatively at Delhi and Dhaka, and a joint record of discussions of these meetings is forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs after each such meeting. (ANI)

US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) hinted at allowing Ukraine to “fight back” against Russia, marking a departure from his earlier peace stance, as he said, “It is very impossible, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invading country.”

Promising “interesting times ahead,” Donald Trump criticised Joe Biden for not allowing Ukraine to “fight back” against Russia, calling the former US President “grossly incompetent” for his action, reiterating that the war would never have happened if he (Trump) was the President.

In a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump said, “It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invader’s country. It’s like a great team in sports that has a fantastic defence, but is not allowed to play offence. There is no chance of winning! It is like that with Ukraine and Russia. Crooked and grossly incompetent Joe Biden would not let Ukraine FIGHT BACK, only DEFEND. How did that work out? Regardless, this is a war that would have NEVER happened if I were President – ZERO CHANCE. Interesting times ahead!!!”

This comes after Russia launched its largest drone and missile attack on Ukraine in more than a month, just days after a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump in Alaska. Nine civilians were killed in the strikes as well as in shelling in eastern Ukraine, CNN reported, citing Ukrainian officials.

The meeting in Alaska failed to establish any solid ground for the ceasefire as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remained insistent on having security guarantees before agreeing to a ceasefire. However, Trump has suggested a trilateral meeting involving him, Putin and Zelenskyy in the near future.

Trump has also promised that the US would be involved in providing security guarantees for Ukraine. The US leader said that there would be some form of security guarantees for Ukraine, but did not reveal whether this would involve US troops.

However, US White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of US sending troops to Ukraine as part of security guarantees.

“The president has definitively stated US boots will not be on the ground in Ukraine, but we can certainly help in the coordination and perhaps provide other means of security guarantees to our European allies. The president understands that security guarantees are crucial to ensuring a lasting peace. He has directed his national security team to coordinate with our friends in Europe and also to continue to cooperate and discuss these matters with Ukraine and Russia as well,” she said.

Upon being asked if the US would provide ‘air’ as a security option, Leavitt said that it was a possibility.

“It is an option and a possibility. I certainly won’t rule out any military options that the president has at his disposal. I’ll let him do that. I can tell you he’s ruled out boots on the ground,” she said.

BJP Karnataka State President Vijayendra Yediyurappa said that Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and Dy CM DK Shivakumar are the ones to take the responsibility for the stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4 during the Royal Challenger Bengaluru team’s Indian Premier League (IPL) victory celebrations.

On June 4, 11 people died and several were injured in a stampede outside Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy stadium as a massive crowd of nearly 3 lakh people had gathered to witness the victory celebration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, celebrating their maiden IPL trophy win.

A two-person bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) observed Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to be “responsible” for the gathering of “about three to five lakhs people” outside their home venue of M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

However, Yediyurappa, on Thursday, alleged that the state government made the decision to organise the felicitation program and said, “Today the govt has taken action against the police officers… The issue is with the incident where the 11 innocent people died; the decision was taken by the state government, not by the police department. It was the decision of CM Siddaramaiah to organise the felicitation program outside the Vidhana Soudha. The police department was requesting more time to organise the celebration rally. It is CM Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar who have to take the responsibility,” Yediyurappa told the media.

Last month, the CAT pulled up RCB for “unilaterally” putting up information on celebrations without “obtaining the permission” or without the “consent” of the police.”

The CAT order stated that neither the franchise nor its event management firm, S DNA Entertainment Network Private Limited, sought any permissions to conduct the title celebration parade at the stadium.

The order came out in defence of cops, saying that they are “human beings”, “neither God (Bhagwan) nor Magician and did not have the magical powers like “Alladin ka Chirag” capable of fulfilling a wish only by rubbing a finger.” (ANI)