Shehnaaz Gill shares a peek into her next ‘Ishqnama’, to release on July 24

Mumbai, Feb 12, 2026
Punjabi Superstar Shehnaaz Gill on Thursday unveiled the first poster of her upcoming film Ishqnama, which she described as a “true story of true lovers.”

Taking to social media, Shehnaaz announced: “First picture from my upcoming movie…. ‘ISHQNAMA’ True Story of True Lovers NIMMA–NASIMA. Releasing 24th July 2026 in cinemas worldwide.”

Alongside the announcement, the actress also shared a poster offering a glimpse into Ishqnama’s world, a romance drama rooted in true events and unfolding against the fraught India and Pakistan backdrop.

In one image, Shehnaaz is seen hugging an injured Jayy Randhawa, her expression heavy with pain, resilience, and devotion, capturing a love bruised by conflict yet refusing to break. In another visual, she appears in a bridal avatar, draped in the old Punjabi aesthetic.

She was last seen on screen in “Ikk Kudi”. The film tells the tale of a woman from a family of broken hearts who starts doubting her arranged marriage match and embarks on a quest to uncover her fiancé’s mysterious past.

The 32-year-old actress gained stardom after her stint in “Bigg Boss 13”. It was in 2015 that Shehnaaz began her modelling career with a music video titled ‘Shiv Di Kitaab’. In 2017, she marked her debut in the Punjabi film ‘Sat Shri Akaal England’.

The actress’ filmography also includes names such as ‘Kala Shah Kala’, ‘Daaka’, ‘Honsla Rakh’, ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’, and ‘Thank You for Coming’ to her credit.

Shehnaaz has appeared in several music videos titled– ‘Maar Kar Gayi’, ‘Pindaan Diyaan Kudiyaan’, ‘Je Haan Ni Karni’, ‘Putt Sardaran De’, ‘Lakh Laanhta’, ‘Viah Da Chaa’, ‘Jatt Jaan Vaarda’, ‘Gusse Ho Ke Nahiyo Sarna’, ‘Jatti Hadd Sekhdi’, ‘Gunday Ik Vaar Fer’, ‘Peg Paun Wele’, ‘Gedi Route’, ‘Shona Shona’, and ‘Habit’. She also has ‘Sab First Class’ in the pipeline.(Agency)

India in 1st group of AI-ready nations with youngest, tech savvy workforce

New Delhi, Feb 12, 2026
India is in the first group of AI-ready nations, with systematic progress across all five layers of the AI architecture applications, models, chips, infrastructure and energy, an official document said on Thursday.

India is at the forefront of an AI-led transformation, where technology is driving productivity, innovation, and job creation.

“India has one of the youngest workforces in the world, with over 65 per cent of the population under 35. This large, tech savvy talent base can be trained and adapted for AI driven industries, creating a strong foundation for innovation, digital services, and future ready jobs,” the document added.

In preparation for the ‘India AI Impact Summit 2026’, 12 Indian AI startups selected under the Foundation Model Pillar engaged in Roundtable chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, and presented their ideas and work.

According to the statement, these startups are working in a diverse set of areas including Indian language foundation models, multilingual LLMs, speech-to-text, text-to-audio and text-to-video; 3D content using generative AI for e-commerce, marketing, and personalized content creation; engineering simulations, material research and advanced analytics for data-driven decision-making across industries; healthcare diagnostics and medical research, among others.

As per Stanford AI Index Report 2025, India leads the world in AI talent acquisition, with an annual hiring rate of about 33 per cent. As per global data on GitHub AI projects by geographic distribution, India was the second-largest contributor worldwide in 2024, accounting for 19.9% of all AI projects.

According to Standford University’s AI Index Report 2025, India the relative penetration of AI skills was 2.5 times greater than the global average across the same set of occupations.

Having one of the most AI-literate workforces globally, second only to the United States, India also enjoys significant potential comparative advantages from its extensive domestic data ecosystems across key sectors such as health, agriculture, finance, education, and public administration, said the statement.

According to World Bank’s South Asia Development Update Report, AI-related job opportunities in South Asia are heavily concentrated in India and Sri Lanka, with India accounting for the majority of listings.

In India, 5.8 per cent of white-collar 2025 listings required AI expertise, driven by the southern technology corridor including Bangalore (11 per cent share of AI jobs) and Hyderabad (9.57 per cent), followed by Pune (6.95 per cent) in Maharashtra, with Chennai (6.62 per cent) also featuring prominently.(Agency)

Polio campaign falls short in Pakistan as nearly 1 mn children remain unvaccinated

New Delhi, Feb 12, 2026
Nearly one million children were missed and more than 53,000 families refused vaccination during Pakistan’s latest nationwide polio campaign, raising serious concerns about the effectiveness of eradication efforts, a report has said.

While health officials report that over 44 million children were vaccinated and overall coverage reached 98 per cent, experts warn that even a small gap is dangerous in a country that still carries the poliovirus, according to Dawn report.

According to campaign data, around 670,000 children were marked as ‘not available at home.’

Health specialists say this explanation is difficult to justify, as children who are not at home are usually present in public places such as schools, markets, parks or relatives’ houses.

They stress that vaccination teams should be deployed in busy public areas and that households must be revisited multiple times to ensure no child is left out.

Missed children, they argue, should be treated as a serious operational failure rather than a routine statistic, the report said.

Refusals remain another major challenge. Karachi alone accounted for about 31,000 refusals, nearly 58 per cent of the national total.

This has raised questions about the role of misinformation, weak planning, poor local governance and lack of political focus in the country’s largest city.

Public health advocates say Karachi needs a targeted, neighbourhood-level approach, stronger involvement of community leaders and stricter enforcement of vaccination laws after due process.

Security concerns also continue to disrupt campaigns in some areas. Experts insist that no child should miss vaccination because health workers feel unsafe, and that providing visible and effective security for polio teams is the state’s responsibility.

Although Pakistan has reported fewer polio cases recently and several environmental samples have tested negative, officials caution that eradication requires zero tolerance for gaps, as per the report.

Missed children, refusals and security lapses must be addressed urgently to protect every child from a preventable disease.(Agency)

Kerala HC tightens scrutiny on Sabarimala finances

Kochi, Feb 12, 2026
The Kerala High Court has been intimated of two sets of serious allegations relating to financial irregularities at Sabarimala, the first concerning the conduct of the Global Ayyappa Meet and the other involving suspicious money transfers by temporary staff during the just-ended Mandala-Makaravilakku season.

In a report submitted to the High Court, the Special Commissioner of the Travancore Devasom Board has pointed to grave lapses in the organisation of the Global Ayyappa Meet held last year.

The report states that the event was conducted in violation of court orders and without financial transparency.

Proper accounts and supporting bills were allegedly not maintained.

Contracts, including those for pandal construction and related works, were awarded without inviting tenders.

The work was reportedly handed over at an additional 10 per cent cost to an event management firm that is a subsidiary of Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society.

The report flags the absence of GST bills and other supporting documents in the accounts, warning that this could result in significant financial loss to the Devaswom Board.

Subcontracts were not properly documented and were not produced for audit.

Auditors were unable to finalise accurate accounts due to discrepancies in the bills submitted.

Decorative works initially estimated at Rs 2 lakh allegedly saw expenditure rise to Rs 8 lakh.

Sponsorship revenue amounting to Rs 2 crore remains unclear, while expenses related to VIP catering and repair works were also awarded without tender.

Contractors were unilaterally granted an additional 10 per cent as handling charges, and item-wise expenditure details were not furnished.

Veteran Congress legislator Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said they had raised this particular issue on the floor of the Kerala Assembly, and what they were told is not what has now come out, as there have been major deviations.

“We were informed that expenses for the Global Ayyappa Meet would be met through sponsorships, but now what has come out is totally different. On the floor of the Assembly, it was pointed out that the money spent from the TDB funds has been returned using the sponsorship money, but this report says it has not happened,” he said.

CWC member and senior legislator Ramesh Chennithala said what has come out is that Rs 7 crore was blown up for the meeting.

“The expected turnout for the meet was very little, but expenses show there was a huge attendance. If a proper probe is not done, we will ensure that it’s done, and responsibilities will be fixed,” he asserted.

In a related development, the High Court has ordered an investigation into suspicious financial transactions involving temporary employees engaged during the Mandala-Makaravilakku season.

Acting on another report by the Special Commissioner, the court directed a probe after it was found that more than Rs 14 lakh was transferred within a short span through post offices alone.

Two employees reportedly sent over Rs 1 lakh each, while three others transferred more than Rs 25,000.

They failed to appear for questioning.

Temporary staff, hired at Rs 650 per day and paid in a lump sum after the season, were found transferring money during the pilgrimage period to relatives and friends through money orders and bank transactions.

Vigilance officials suspect the funds were illegally earned at Sabarimala.

The court has directed a comprehensive examination of all transactions conducted at banks and post offices in Sannidhanam for the 2025–26 period and ordered that a detailed report be submitted within three weeks.(Agency)

Defence Ministry okays Rs 3.25 lakh crore deal to buy 114 Rafale fighter jets from France

New Delhi, Feb 12, 2026
The Defence Ministry on Thursday approved the Rs 3.25 lakh crore proposal to buy 114 Rafale fighter jets from France for the Indian Air Force, according to reliable sources.

The clearance was granted by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, which accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) to the programme.

The clearance has come through ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron’s forthcoming official visit to Delhi.

After the Defence Ministry’s approval, the deal will eventually need clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to the proposal, India will purchase 18 off-the-shelf Rafale fighter jets from French defence giant Dassault Aviation, while the remaining 96 fighter jets will be made in India. Some of these jets will be twin-seater aircraft to be used for training. The deal will involve the transfer of state-of-the-art fighter jet technology and a strategic partnership to give a fillip to the ‘Make in India’ programme.

The Indian Air Force already has 36 Rafales in its fleet, comprising two squadrons, with the last delivery of the ‘C’ variant taking place in December 2024. Another 26 Rafale jets of the ‘M’ version have also been ordered for the Indian Navy in a deal worth Rs 63,000 crore. The naval variants will be operated from the aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya.

That deal includes facilitation of fleet maintenance, logistics support, and personnel training under an MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) agreement.

The Rafale jets were successfully used in Operation Sindoor to hit precision targets in Pakistan, as part of India’s military response to the Pahalgam terror attack in May last year.

They were used to launch the SCALP, an air-launched cruise missile developed that can strike hardened targets over 250km away with extreme precision. The fighter jets can also carry Meteor long-range air-to-air missiles, the Hammer, a stand-off strike weapon, and the Spectra, an advanced e-warfare suite, as well as advanced radar and targeting systems.

In June last year, France and India also announced four landmark production transfer deals between manufacturers Dassault Aviation and Tata Advanced Systems Limited, which should significantly speed up the delivery of a backlog of Rafales to India.

Tata Advanced Systems is expected to set up a cutting-edge production facility in Hyderabad for the manufacture of key structural sections of the French fighter, including the lateral shells of the rear fuselage, the complete rear section, the central fuselage, and the front section.

The first fuselage segments will roll off the manufacturing line in 2028.(Agency)

Genelia Deshmukh celebrates 24 years with husband Riteish Deshmukh: ‘Nothing ever changes’

Mumbai, Feb 12, 2026

Actress Genelia Deshmukh celebrated 24 blissful years with her actor-husband, actor Riteish Deshmukh.

Genelia took to her Instagram stories section, where she shared an old picture of her with Riteish in monochrome tones. In the image,

In the picture, Genelia is smiling gently while leaning slightly forward, and Riteish stands close behind her, nuzzling near her cheek in a tender pose. At the bottom of the image, the text reads: “24 years @riteishd and nothing Eva changes.”

Genelia added the song Photograph by Grammy-winning Ed Sheeran as the background score.

It was during the filming of Tujhe Meri Kasam in 2003 that Genelia and Riteish started dating.

The couple eventually got married in February 2012. According to Marathi marriage traditions, they had a Christian wedding in the church on the next day.

The couple’s first child, a son named Riaan, was born in November 2014. Their second son, Rahyl, was born in June 2016.

It was last month when Genelia started working on her next film “Gunmaaster G9” starring Emraan Hashmi and tagged it as “new beginnings.”

Genelia on January 22 offered a quiet glimpse into a fresh chapter as she took to her Instagram Stories, sharing a picture that captured only a soft side profile of her face.

Keeping it minimal yet meaningful, she added a “New Beginning” sticker on the image and captioned it with “#GunmaasterG9.”

“Gunmaster G9” is an action film directed by Aditya Datt. It also stars Aparshakti Khurana. The film is a classic 1979 Indian spy film, Surakksha, featuring the original Gunmaster G9 character played by Mithun Chakraborty. The new film will have music by Himesh Reshammiya.

Talking about the actress, she will soon be seen in Ram Gopal Varma’s upcoming horror comedy “Police Station Mein Bhoot” starring Manoj Bajpayee. This will be the first time Genelia and Manoj will be seen sharing screen space together.

She began her acting career with the Hindi film Tujhe Meri Kasam in 2003 and earned recognition in the Tamil film Boys that same year. She further earned praises for her portrayals in the 2008 romantic comedies Santosh Subramaniam and Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na.

She has worked in films such as Satyam, Masti, Sye, Sachein, Happy, Dhee, Ready, Katha, Urumi, Force, Velayudham and Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya.

Following her marriage to Riteish Deshmukh, with whom she has two sons, she took a long hiatus from acting. The actress had a career comeback with the 2022 Marathi film Ved.(Agency)

Karan Johar mourns James Van Der Beek: This news was very sad to wake upto

Mumbai, Feb 12, 2026

As the news about James Van Der Beek’s death broke, Indian filmmaker Karan Johar mourned the loss of the actor and said this was very sad information to wake up to.

James Van Der Beek, the beloved “Dawson’s Creek” actor, died after battling colorectal cancer at age 48.

Karan took to Instagram stories, where he shared the news about James Van Der Beek and captioned it: “I had loved Dawson’s Creek and this news was indeed very sad to wake upto (sic).”

The news about James Van Der Beek was announced on social media.

“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning,” his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, shared via a joint Instagram statement.

“He met his final days with courage, faith and grace. There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come.”

In the meantime, Kimberly asked fans “for privacy” to grieve.

Hilaria Baldwin commented, “Sending so much love. I’m so sorry.”

“We are the luckiest to have been part of his tribe. Fly high James. You were everything good in this world,” wrote actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler added.

“I’m so sad for your beautiful family,” Sarah Michelle Gellar wrote.

Gellar added: “While James’ legacy will always live on, this is a huge loss to not just your family but the world..”

“Sending love and light to your beautiful family,” Chad Michael Murray stated.

He added: “James was a giant. We’re so so so sorry for what you’re going through. His words, art and humanity inspired all of us – he inspired us to be better in all ways. God bless you guys.”

James Van Der Beek was known for his portrayal of Dawson Leery on Dawson’s Creek, he also played a fictionalized version of himself on the cult sitcom Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, starred as FBI agent Elijah Mundo on CSI: Cyber and appeared as Matt Bromley during the first season of the drama Pose.

Van Der Beek’s film credits include Varsity Blues, Texas Rangers, The Rules of Attraction, Formosa Betrayed, Labor Day, and Bad Hair.(Agency)

Tobacco tycoon’s son arrested in Kanpur Lamborghini crash case, produced in court: DCP

Kanpur, Feb 12, 2026

Shivam Mishra, the son of Uttar Pradesh tobacco businessman K.K. Mishra and the main accused in the Kanpur Lamborghini crash case, was arrested on Thursday morning and presented in court after a routine medical check-up, Kanpur Nagar Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Atul Kumar Srivastava said.

Speaking to IANS, Srivastava noted the police received information about Mishra’s presence, following which teams were activated and he was arrested.

“We had received information that he is here. Based on that input, our teams became active and arrested him, and now he has been presented in court,” he said.

The DCP added that further procedures will be carried out based on the court’s directions.

“Now, the further procedures will be done as per the order of the court. Five teams were formed in this case, and with their joint effort, he has been arrested,” Srivastava told IANS.

The DCP said the police investigation has established that Mishra was driving the Lamborghini at the time of the crash.

“In the police investigation, it has been made clear that during the accident, Shivam Mishra was driving the car. We have enough proof, and it will be presented before the court,” he said.

“Now, further proceedings will be done on the basis of the honourable court’s directions,” Srivastava added.

Six people were injured in the crash. According to initial details, the Lamborghini first hit a rickshaw and then crashed into a parked Royal Enfield motorcycle. The rider of the motorcycle was reportedly flung around 10 feet away. The Lamborghini then mounted the bike’s front wheel and dragged it for some distance before colliding with an electric pole and coming to a halt.

Eyewitnesses claimed that private security personnel accompanying Mishra attempted to push the crowd back and take him away from the scene before authorities arrived.

Mishra’s arrest on Thursday followed dramatic developments on Wednesday.

A preliminary investigation had stated that Mishra was driving the vehicle, following which his name was added to the case. The charges include negligent and rash driving, endangering lives, and causing hurt by dangerous means.

However, on Wednesday, a man appeared in a Kanpur court claiming that he, and not Mishra, was driving the car at the time of the accident. Identifying himself as Mohan, he said he was the designated driver.

Mohan claimed he lost control of the vehicle after Mishra suffered a sudden seizure moments before the crash. Mishra’s family had earlier claimed that he suffers from epilepsy.

Mrityunjay Kumar, a lawyer for the Mishra family, had argued: “Shivam was not driving; his driver, Mohan, was. This is an accident case. Since he was not driving, there can be no case against him.”

However, the police maintained that the evidence established Mishra as the driver, including videos allegedly showing him being pulled out from the driver’s seat after the crash. One such video reportedly showed a man carrying Mishra away from the driver’s seat, while stunned locals can be heard urging others to keep filming.(Agency)

Bangladesh elections: Violence erupts at several polling booths, BNP leader killed

Dhaka, Feb 12, 2026

Violence erupted at several polling booths across Bangladesh on Thursday, leading to the death of a political leader as the voting was underway across the nation, local media reported.

These incidents unfolded hours after polling began, reflecting the deteriorating law and order situation and volatile security landscape in Bangladesh.

Amid the escalating violence, a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader, Mohibuzzaman Kochi, died at the Alia Madrasa polling station in Khulna district.

Citing eyewitnesses and police, Bangladesh’s leading Bengali daily Jugantor reported that tension arose between BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami supporters on Thursday morning near the Alia Madras Academic Building.

Former Khulna Sadar Thana BNP organising secretary Yusuf Harun Majnu said, “There was tension at the centre since morning. The principal of Alia Madrasa was campaigning for Jamaat. When he stopped him, he pushed Mohibuzzaman Kochi. As a result, he hit a tree and got hit on the head. This is what caused his death.”

Confirming the incident, Khulna Sadar Police Station Sub Inspector Khan Faisal Rafi, in charge of the centre, said, “When tension arose between the two parties, we immediately went to the spot and separated the two parties.”

Emergency Medical Officer at Khulna City Medical College Hospital, Partha Roy, said the BNP leader Kochi was brought dead to the hospital.

Meanwhile, a cocktail bomb attack at a polling station in Gopalganj Sadar Upazila during voting left three people injured.

The incident occurred at the Reshma International School polling station in Gopalganj district on Thursday morning.

According to Sub-Inspector Jahidul Islam, on duty officer at the polling station, voting was going on peacefully since morning when miscreants threw cocktails from across the canal outside the centre. The explosion injured two on-duty Ansar members, a paramilitary auxiliary force and a child accompanying a voter, triggering panic among the voters.

Additionally, Jamaat alleged that its leaders, workers and supporters were prevented from voting and attacked in several parts of the country.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday morning, the party’s Assistant Secretary General Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair made the allegation.

“The elections are being held in a festive atmosphere. In the meantime, there have been allegations of attacks on Jamaat leaders, activists and candidates’ agents in different parts of the country, and obstruction of voting. Among them, Jamaat leaders and activists were attacked at a polling station in Barisal, there was a massive attack in Bhola-2 constituency, militants are attacking and obstructing agents in Comilla-8 constituency,” Bangladeshi Bengali daily Bonik Barta quoted Zubair as saying.

“Besides, voters are being prevented from going to polling stations in Hatia, Noakhali. Several such incidents are happening. We think those who are doing this are depressed and bankrupt. We have informed the administration, the Election Commission and those responsible to take action in these incidents. We have told the administration not to take sides,” he added.

Bangladesh’s high-stakes parliamentary elections are unfolding amid escalating political conflict and violence, with several parties raising concerns over the fairness of the polls.(Agency)

MP will implement Centre’s ‘Vande Mataram’ order, move to strengthen unity: CM Mohan Yadav

Bhopal, Feb 12, 2026

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday welcomed the Union government’s directive regarding the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ and the national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’, and announced that the order would be implemented in the state with immediate effect.

Describing the decision of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs as significant, Yadav said it would strengthen national unity and remind citizens of the sacrifices made during the freedom struggle.

In a message addressed to the people of the state, the Chief Minister said, “Dear people of Madhya Pradesh and the country, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to respectfully sing all six stanzas of Vande Mataram before the national anthem Jana Gana Mana. We are implementing this in Madhya Pradesh.”

Expressing gratitude to the Prime Minister, he added, “We are fortunate that Prime Minister Modi has decided that the entire Vande Mataram will be sung. The Madhya Pradesh government welcomes this decision, and it is being implemented with immediate effect.”

The Union Home Ministry, in its order dated January 28, stated that the official version comprising all six stanzas of ‘Vande Mataram’ shall be sung at official functions. When both the national song and the national anthem are performed together, ‘Vande Mataram’ will precede ‘Jana Gana Mana’.

The order specifies that the national song will be rendered on occasions such as the arrival and departure of the President and Governors at government functions, before and after the President’s address to the nation broadcast on All India Radio and television, and during the unfurling of the national flag.

It further states that ‘Vande Mataram’ will be played at civilian award ceremonies, including the Padma awards, and at events attended by the President during arrival and departure. It will also be played in public places such as cinema halls, although standing will not be mandatory in such instances.

Until now, only the first two stanzas of the song were generally sung, following a decision taken in the pre-independence period and later noted in the Constituent Assembly after objections were raised by some sections regarding certain references in the text.

The directive comes as the Union government marks the 150th year of ‘Vande Mataram’. During the Winter Session of Parliament in 2025, a special discussion was held to commemorate the anniversary.

Under existing law, any person who intentionally prevents others from showing respect to the national anthem, and now the national song as specified, may face imprisonment of up to three years.(Agency)

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