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A picture taken aboard a flight featuring an air hostess and C. Joseph Vijay has gone viral on social media, with fans celebrating the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's humble and approachable public image. The photograph was clicked during Vijay's return journey from New Delhi following his first official multi-day visit to the national capital since taking oath as Chief Minister earlier this month. The cabin crew member identified as Uma Meenakshi shared the image online, calling the flight duty "extra special" after getting the opportunity to meet the actor-turned-politician in person. Dressed in his now-signature monochrome black-and-white formal attire, the Chief Minister appeared relaxed in the viral picture, which quickly spread across fan pages and political circles. "Crew duty became extra special today with Honourable Chief Minister Shri C. Joseph Vijay (fondly known as Thalapathy) @actorvijay onboard," the air hostess wrote on Instagram while sharin...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he had ordered the country's military to take control of 70 per cent of the Gaza Strip, in defiance of the terms of a fragile ceasefire that took effect in October. "We are currently squeezing Hamas. We now control 60 per cent of the territory in the strip," he said at a conference in an occupied West Bank settlement, according to a video aired by Israel's Channel 12 network. He said the military had controlled 50 per cent of Gaza under the terms of the ceasefire, adding: "My directive is to move to... 70 percent". "We're squeezing them from all (sides). We'll deal with what's left afterwards." The first phase of the truce saw the last hostages seized in Hamas's October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, which triggered the war in Gaza, released in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel. The transition to the second phase, which was supposed to involve Hamas's disar...

The clamour for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 's fast-tracked inclusion into the senior Indian men's team is growing deafening. Barely a year since his IPL debut, the cricket world is already convinced the 15-year-old prodigy is ready for the highest level. Fans won't have to wait long for a glimpse of his talent as the teenager is set to feature for India-A as early as next month, when the Tilak Varma -led squad heads to Sri Lanka for a tri-series. Sooryavanshi has scored nearly 600 runs (583) in the IPL this term. IPL chairman Arun Dhumal hit the nail right on the head when asked about the way forward for the teenager, calling him a 'special talent' while insisting that the BCCI and RR's continued guidance would make him even better. "I feel the BCCI and the franchise would need to handhold him in terms of showing him the right way so that his temperament stays intact. Because sport is not only about physical skill, it is also about mental toughness," Dhu...

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi looked unstoppable. The cricket world waited with bated breath. The teenager had already scored 97 off 28 balls. Three more runs in one ball against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 Eliminator and the 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals opener would have shattered Chris Gayle 's record for the fastest IPL ton (30 balls vs Pune Warriors, 2013). It was not to be. He was dismissed by Praful Hinge . His final score read 97 runs (29 balls, 12x6s, 5x4s). Wearing the Orange Cap after a breathtaking 28-ball 97 in a high-pressure Eliminator, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi said he consciously shut out the pressure of the occasion and backed his natural game as Rajasthan Royals piled up 243 for 8 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in New Chandigarh on Wednesday. "Yes, I had that in my mind," Sooryavanshi said when asked if the occasion crossed his mind while batting. "My coaches told me to play freely, enjoy the game, and not take any pre...

A 26-year-old woman in Lucknow died by suicide on Monday, barely six months after her marriage, with her family accusing her husband and in-laws of sustained dowry harassment that drove her to take her own life. Shweta Singh was found hanging at her in-laws' residence in Lucknow's Thakurganj area. Her family has alleged that she faced repeated demands for dowry, including pressure for a four-wheeler, and that her in-laws murdered her before staging the scene to look like suicide. Shweta had married Bhupendra Singh, also known as Shubham Singh, on November 22, 2025. According to her father, Umesh Kumar Singh, the harassment began soon after the wedding. He claims her husband mentally tortured her on a daily basis. Her mother-in-law is said to have involved her own relatives in taunting Shweta, which left the young woman severely distressed. Police registered a case on Tuesday following a complaint lodged by Umesh Kumar Singh.  The accused include Bhupendra Singh, his mot...

What began as a scenic cable car ride over the snow-covered peaks of Jammu and Kashmir's Gulmarg turned into a terrifying ordeal for nearly 300 tourists on Sunday after the famed Gulmarg Gondola service suffered a sudden technical breakdown, leaving visitors stranded mid-air for hours. A massive multi-agency rescue operation involving the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, paramilitary forces and Civil Defence teams was launched immediately to evacuate tourists trapped inside multiple chair cars suspended above the mountainous terrain. Officials said the technical snag occurred around 1 pm, disrupting operations in the first phase of the Gulmarg Gondola service in north Kashmir's premier tourist resort. "A sudden technical fault hit the operations in the first phase of the Gulmarg cable car," a senior official of the Gulmarg Development Authority said. The first phase of the Gondola runs from the Gulmarg bowl to Kangdori, while the second phase extends up to Apha...

Kristian Trend, a 40-year-old wellness coach from Leicester, England, died last month after taking part in a 'cleansing' ritual involving Kambo, a toxic secretion derived from the Amazonian giant leaf frog. According to a Telegraph report, he is believed to be the first British person to die following the use of the substance. The incident occurred at a flat in Clarendon Park, Leicester, where Trend reportedly participated in a traditional "purging" ceremony commonly associated with South American spiritual and healing practices. During such rituals, Kambo is typically applied to small burns made on the skin, allowing the toxin to enter the bloodstream. Emergency services were called to the property on April 11 after Trend became seriously unwell during the ceremony. He was treated at the scene before being rushed to hospital, where he later died. Leicestershire Police confirmed that a 41-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of administering poison in connect...

The game in Uttar Pradesh politics has only just begun, but the real drama is yet to unfold. With the UP assembly elections scheduled for February 2027, political parties have already started their preparations. The BJP is currently engaged in a series of meetings. And with the elections in mind, the UP cabinet was recently expanded, resulting in the induction of six new ministers and the granting of independent charge to two others. The BJP intends to contest the elections in alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal, Apna Dal, Nishad Party, and the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party. Through this coalition, the BJP aims to successfully navigate and balance the complex caste equations of UP. As a counter-strategy to this, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav has introduced the 'PDA' formula - an acronym representing the coalition of Pichhda (backward classes), Dalit, and Alpsankhyak (minorities). The Opposition bloc INDIA's precise configuration in UP remains unclear. Altho...

Suryakumar Yadav 's future as India's T20 captain could primarily be decided by head coach Gautam Gambhir , as the national selection committee is not entirely convinced that he can make it to the team purely as a batter, according to a senior BCCI source. Suryakumar, who was given the moniker SKY by Gambhir, has been struggling for form for a year now.Within the BCCI, it is understood that the selection panel is in favour of moving on from him, but the Board hierarchy also recognises that the coach-captain equation is integral to the dressing-room environment. And Gambhir's stated comfort with Suryakumar will make him a key figure in the final call. For close to a year now, Suryakumar's place in the side has remained under scrutiny. At the moment, it is understood that all five selectors largely believe that the current T20 captain should be dropped from the XI. The view has been gaining ground ever since the emotional dust of the T20 World Cup triumph settled. The...

Arjun Tendulkar , son of legendary India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar , made his debut for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2026 on Saturday, and also took his first wicket of the tournament. Tendulkar bowled an inch-perfect yorker in his third over to dismiss Punjab Kings (PBKS) opener Prabhsimran Singh , trapping him LBW. The left-arm pacer, however, did not celebrate it much, with LSG in a losing position. Tendulkar had a golden opportunity to dismiss Prabhsimran in his very first over, but LSG skipper Rishabh Pant squandered a simple catch. When Tendulkar got Prabhsimran's wicket on the final ball of the 15th over, PBKS were already in the driving seat and on their way to victory, chasing a target of 197. Tendulkar was not animated in his celebration, instead just exchanging high-fives with some of his teammates. WATCH: Arjun Tendulkar takes his first wicket of IPL 2026 Yorker on point Arjun Tendulkar denied earlier by a dropped catch but fetches his maiden #LSG wic...

A case of alleged domestic abuse in Jaipur has left two children without their mother. The victim, Anu Meena, allegedly died by suicide by hanging herself. Both children were witnesses to their parents' constant quarrels. Anu married Gautam Meena, an executive engineer in the Public Works Department, in 2015. Allegations suggest that soon after marriage, Gautam began harassing her, often under the influence of alcohol. He reportedly abused and physically assaulted her multiple times. Their son, 10-year-old Mahir, said that his father frequently beat his mother. He recalled an incident when his father came home and assaulted Anu.  Mahir also mentioned that his mother had asked him to give her salt water whenever her blood pressure dropped. On one occasion, while he tried to help her, his father dismissed the situation. "Dad would often hit Mom and torment her. One day, he came home, played a song on the TV, then smashed the television set and beat Mom. I went to get the w...

Arjun Tendulkar had an eventful first outing for his new IPL outfit Lucknow Super Giants against Punjab Kings. It was the all-rounder's new beginning in the IPL. Arjun, who is the son of Sachin Tendulkar , came on late in the innings and scored five runs. He bowled an economical first over where he gave away just four runs. It could have been even better had LSG captain Rishabh Pant taken a catch behind the stumps. Pant was furious with himself after he let go of a tough chance in the seventh over of the innings. It was a short delivery around leg, as Prabhsimran rushed into the pull shot. The ball went off the glove to the left of Pant, who leapt across and got both gloves to it, but the ball slipped out. Prabhsimran went on to score 69 off 39 balls. Pant was frustrated, as was Tendulkar. A massive chance goes down! Prabhsimran Singh gets a lifeline Will this prove costly for LSG? #TATAIPL Race to Playoffs 2026 #LSGvPBKS | LIVE NOW https://t.co/YCEmm7Idoa pic.twit...

The Donald Trump administration on Thursday said applications for H-1B visas had dropped significantly this year after major changes were introduced to the work visa selection process. Calling it a crackdown on misuse of the system, the administration said "the days of abusing the programme with mass, low-wage registrations are over." Data released by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) showed that properly submitted H-1B registrations fell by 38.5 per cent compared to last year, from 343,981 in fiscal year 2026 to 211,600 for fiscal year 2027. The H-1B visa programme, widely used by Indian professionals seeking jobs in the United States, has come under tighter scrutiny in recent years. The White House had earlier rolled out stricter wage requirements and raised application fees, saying the aim was to curb widespread abuse of the system. This year's H-1B season is wrapping up, and we're seeing great results from @POTUS ' new policies that pr...

Former Indian cricket team batter Sourav Ganguly rolled back the years as he played some beautiful shots to score 132 runs off just 68 balls in a viral gully cricket clip. Ganguly, who was well known for his elegant off-side shots, showed off his batting prowess and even slammed few trademark sixes straight down the group during the informal match. Internet was left stunned as the 53-year-old looked completely at ease and social media users were all praise for his batting. Ganguly scored 131 in his debut Test match against England and during this knock, he decided to score 1 more. During the video, Ganguly was given two 'lives' which meant he could afford to get dismissed once. He reached his half-century in 33 balls and ended up losing his first 'life' at 75. However, there was no stopping as he raced to the century in 58 deliveries. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gully Crickett (@gullycricket_in) ...

Giribala Singh -- former judge and mother-in-law of Twisha Sharma -- has gone to court, claiming that an audio clip and WhatsApp chats that are being widely reported on by the media is fabricated. She has sought that the court ensure that the "original source" of these audio clips and WhatsApp chats be investigated. She also alleged that proper procedure was not followed during the seizure of the Digital Video Recorders or DVRs of the CCTV cameras. The court has been requested to re-examine the DVR and to conduct a fresh verification of the sealed recordings. The audio clip - purportedly a conversation between Giribala Singh and Twisha's brother Major Harshit Sharma - became highly controversial, with questions apparently being raised in it about Twisha's relationships and private life. Reports said there were questions on whether Twisha had entered relationships with men for "personal gain". One line from the recording reportedly said, "Some people e...

Tom Selleck is returning to a crime show after a break from acting following the end of Blue Bloods . The actor, known for playing New York City Police Commissioner Frank Reagan in the long running drama from 2010 to 2024, has not appeared on screen since the series wrapped up. Now, he is stepping into a new role that keeps him close to the crime genre but in a different format. Selleck will host, narrate and serve as executive producer of a new History Channel docuseries titled Crime and Justice . The show will feature 10 episodes and will focus on real life criminal cases from American history. After Blue Bloods ended, CBS carried the story forward with a spinoff titled Boston Blue , starring Donnie Wahlberg. Through each episode, the series will be “tracing the enduring battle between law and lawlessness and the lawmen who ultimately brought some of the nation's most dangerous criminals to justice”. Speaking about Crime and Justice , Tom Selleck said, “Throughout my career...

Actor Rhea Chakraborty said she has been missing herself as she announced a break from social media to "reconnect with what feels real". Chakraborty shared a post on her Instagram handle on Tuesday and said online noise feels heavy. "Lately, I've been missing myself a little. The constant noise, the scrolling, the keeping up - it's all started to feel heavier than I expected. I miss being present without thinking about capturing the moment. I miss quiet. I miss simply being," she wrote. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rhea Chakraborty (@rhea_chakraborty) "So, I'm taking a step back for a while - to slow down, breathe a little deeper, and reconnect with what feels real. Choosing lived moments over posted ones, for now. See you soon," she added. Chakraborty will next feature in the Netflix series Family Business , which will also mark her return to the screen after a se...

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continued to shatter records as the Rajasthan Royals batter added another major accolade to his name during the IPL 2026 encounter against Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday. Sooryavanshi became the youngest batter to score 500 runs in an IPL season during his fiery knock at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. The record previously belonged to Rishabh Pant who achieved the massive feat while playing for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) back in 2018. Sooryavanshi went on to slam a half-century off just 23 deliveries with the help of 6 fours and 4 sixes. It has been a brilliant season for the 15-year-old sensation till now and his performances for the franchise has even led to a section of fans as well as experts asking for his inclusion in the senior team. He was recently included in the India A squad for the upcoming tri-series in Sri Lanka and a number of ex-cricketers have urged the BCCI to hand him an India debut in the near future.  Rajasth...

Director Venkat Prabhu has sent fans into a frenzy after gifting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay the iconic TN07 CM 2026 number plate from The Greatest of All Time (GOAT). The special number plate was seen on the car driven by Vijay's character in the 2024 blockbuster, but what once looked like an interesting cinematic detail is now being revisited as a possible prediction of his political journey. Venkat Prabhu recently met Vijay and presented him with the memorable prop, sharing pictures from the meeting on X. Alongside the photos, he wrote, "A history is made. From a thought to a vision to this moment. Happy to have met our honourable CM @TVKVijayHQ na today and present the very first manifestation of # GOAT . This is only the beginning. TN07CM2026." For many, the number plate has become more than just a movie prop. In GOAT , Vijay's character is seen driving a vehicle carrying the registration TN07 CM 2026 - a detail that caught fans' eyes during the fil...

Singer-composer Adnan Sami has weighed in on Arijit Singh stepping away from playback singing, saying his decision should be "respected" and not speculated upon. Earlier this year, Arijit Singh shocked both the film and music industries, along with his fans, when he announced his retirement from playback singing in a social media post. "He's made a conscious decision to retire from playback singing. Whatever his decision is, one should allow him the space and respect that decision. He hasn't arrived at that decision on impulse; it must be a very well-thought-out one," Adnan Sami told PTI in an interview. Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of his new single, Lipstick Laga Ke Nazar Utar Le , under Zee Music Company, Adnan Sami added that Arijit Singh is under no obligation to explain the reasons behind his decision publicly. "It must be for a very good reason, which he knows. It is not necessary for him to disclose that, or perhaps in due cou...

Punjab Kings suffered a massive blow to their IPL 2026 Playoffs dreams as the Shreyas Iyer -led side slumped to their sixth consecutive loss on Sunday. Venkatesh Iyer and Virat Kohli slammed half-centuries while  Rasikh Salam Dar took three wickets as Royal Challengers Bengaluru registered a 23-run victory in Dharamsala. The loss means that PBKS are currently fourth with 13 points from 13 matches. When it comes to the Playoffs race, PBKS will have to defeat Lucknow Super Giants in their last group stage match. However, it will not be enough as their qualification will depend on other results and Net Run Rate (NRR). If PBKS win their match, they will need other teams to drop points. If Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders win just one out of their remaining matches, they will be below the 15-point mark. While CSK and KKR have two matches left in the group stages, RR have 3 left including the match against Delhi Capitals on Sunday. If Sunrisers Hyder...

Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Shubman Gill did not hide his frustration as his side fell to a 29-run defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their IPL 2026 encounter in Kolkata on Saturday. GT dropped four catches during their bowling innings, which costed them dearly. KKR opener Finn Allen was dropped twice, and he went on to make 93 runs off 35 balls, while Angkrish Raghuvanshi was dropped once, and made GT pay with a knock of 82 off 44. Gill stated that GT "didn't deserve to win" due to their fielding mistakes. "No concerns but our fielding could've been a lot better. We set a certain standard and dropping 3 sitters - we didn't deserve to win this one," Gill said, speaking after the match. “Looking at the wicket, 200‑210 was par score, but we dropped too many catches. Pitch was good, the odd one was stopping, but I felt we batted well to get to the score we did," he added. KKR are now at sixth spot and behind the Punjab Kings, who ar...

US President Donald Trump wrapped up his two-day visit to Beijing on Friday by declaring that his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping had produced major economic gains for Washington, including large-scale purchases of American aircraft, agricultural goods and energy and medical products. Speaking before departing China, Trump said the meetings had resulted in "fantastic trade deals" and settled "a lot of different problems" in his meetings with China's Xi Jinping this week. However, the details of the deals and problems Trump has spoken about have not come to light yet. "We've made some fantastic trade deals, great for both countries," Trump said after taking a walk with Xi through the gardens of Zhongnanhai, the leadership compound adjacent to the Forbidden City. "We've settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn't have been able to solve," he added, though he did not specify which issues had been reso...

US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are set to tackle thorny issues dividing the two superpowers when they meet in Beijing on Thursday, with Iran, trade and Taiwan on the cards. Xi will greet Trump with pomp and ceremony as they meet at 10:00 am (0200 GMT) in the opulent Great Hall of the People, a lavish welcome that belies the deep tensions between the world's biggest economies. The two leaders will also enjoy a state banquet at the hall in the evening, and Trump will visit the historic Temple of Heaven, a World Heritage site where China's emperors once prayed for good harvest. The US president arrived for the two-day summit on Air Force One late Wednesday accompanied by top CEOs, including Nvidia's Jensen Huang and Tesla's Elon Musk -- symbols of business deals Trump hopes to reach. He was given a red carpet welcome, with 300 Chinese youth in white uniforms chanting "welcome" and waving small Chinese and US flags in unison as he ...