Lillete Dubey recalls her college days as a handloom enthusiast as she pays tribute to India’s weavers

Mumbai, Aug 8, 2025
Veteran actress Lillete Dubey took to social media to mark National Handloom Day, sharing her deep-rooted love for handlooms.

In a recent post on Instagram, the ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’ actress reminisced about her college days in Delhi when she first fell in love with sarees from across India.

Calling herself a lifelong handloom enthusiast, the actress paid a heartfelt tribute to the country’s weavers and celebrated the timeless beauty of India’s textile heritage. Lillete posted a couple of photos of herself dressed in different sarees, along with a heartfelt note.

For the caption, Dubey wrote, “On National Handloom Day(yesterday ) .. have to admit I’ve been a handloom girl since my college days .. living in Delhi next to the Emporia on Janpath for years .. I lived in saris from all across India and fell in love with handlooms .. even today they are my go to Saris.. .. heritage, craft, passion, & immense hard work, all woven into one piece of cloth that is irreplaceable,unique and a signature of our own individualistic culture! Respect to all those weavers who keep it alive .. May they thrive for generations.”

National Handloom Day is celebrated every year on August 7 to honour the hard work of India’s weavers and the rich tradition of handloom weaving. In 2025, the country observes this special day for the 11th time.

August 7 was chosen to mark the beginning of the Swadeshi Movement in 1905, which encouraged Indians to stop using British goods and support local products. Handwoven fabrics became a strong symbol of self-reliance and freedom during that time.

To recognize the importance of handlooms in India’s independence and promote them in modern times, the Government of India declared August 7 as National Handloom Day in 2015.

Actress Vidya Balan took to social media on National Handloom Day to stress the need to protect India’s rich textile traditions. In a touching Instagram post, she encouraged people to support Indian weavers by choosing handloom products, especially pure silk with the Silk Mark Label.

Balan also spoke about the importance of taking pride in one’s cultural roots and promoting local craftsmanship. Known for her love of handloom silk sarees, the ‘Dirty Picture’ actress shared a video from her visit to a facility where authentic handloom silks are made.

Vidya Balan captioned the post, “Today as we celebrate the National Handloom Day, let us honor our weavers. Let us embrace our identity and cultural heritage. Encourage and embrace our handloom pure silks. And always buy silk with the Silk Mark Label. #MySilkMarkMyTrust.”(Agency)

ED’s charge sheet against Bengal Minister mentions Rs 1.5 crore transaction

Kolkata, Aug 8, 2025
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has tracked fictitious transactions worth Rs 1.5 crore in two bank accounts of West Bengal Minister Chandranath Sinha while probing the recruitment of primary teachers in state-run schools.

The ED has filed a charge sheet against him, which details the irregularities in the recruitment process, involving the Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Textiles in the current cabinet of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The Central agency has mentioned the details of such transactions in the charge sheet, which it filed against Sinha at a special court of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) earlier this week.

As per the charge sheet, such fictitious transactions, mainly inward remittances, took place between 2016 and 2021, which was the peak period for the multi-crore cash-for-school job case in West Bengal.

Sources aware of the development said that although Sinha was asked about such transactions in the past, he could not give any satisfactory answer on this count.

Sinha is the second Minister in the Bengal government against whom the ED has filed a charge sheet in this case, the first being the former West Bengal Education Minister and ex-Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee.

Sinha has twice avoided appearing before the ED officers.

On Thursday, Sinha suddenly appeared at the ED office. However, it was not clear whether he had been questioned or not.

Responding to the development that the ED has filed a charge sheet against him in the primary recruitment case, the Minister said he had heard about it.

The ED officials first secured the name of the Minister from the diary of the middleman and now-suspended Trinamool Congress leader, Kuntal Ghosh, who was later arrested by the Central agency.

In March last year, the ED officials conducted raid and search operations at the Minister’s residence at Bolpur in Birbhum district.

After the raid, the ED officials seized cash worth Rs 41 lakh and a mobile phone from Sinha’s residence.

He is known to be close to Anubrata Mondal, the Trinamool Congress strongman and the party’s former district president in Birbhum. Sinha was first summoned by the ED for questioning in connection with the multi-crore cattle-smuggling case in March last year, but was not named in the related charge sheet.(Agency)

ECI enhances remuneration for polling, counting personnel

New Delhi, Aug 8, 2025
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has revised the remuneration for presiding officers, polling officers, counting personnel, and other officials involved in the conduct of elections.

As per the new rates, a Presiding Officer or Counting Supervisor, who earlier received Rs 350 per day (or part thereof), will now be paid Rs 500 per day or Rs 2,000 as a lump sum.

Polling Officers, who were earlier paid Rs 250 per day, will now receive Rs 400 per day or Rs 1,600 lump sum.

Counting Assistants will now be paid Rs 450 per day or Rs 1,350 lump sum, up from Rs 250 earlier.

The honorarium for Deputy District Election Officers (Dy DEOs) has also been revised. They will now be paid not less than one month’s basic pay of the concerned officer.

The honorarium for CAPF Gazetted Officers — including Commandants, Ad hoc Commandants, Deputy Commandants, Assistant Commandants, Medical Officers, and equivalent ranks — has been fixed at Rs 4,000 for up to 15 days, or Rs 2,000 per week for deployments exceeding 15 days.

The remuneration for subordinate staff of CAPFs has been enhanced accordingly.

Sector Officers and other officials involved in the conduct of polling will also receive an increased honorarium.

Additionally, the ECI has fixed Rs 500 per day towards packed lunch and light refreshments for polling personnel, police personnel, mobile parties, Home Guards, Forest Guards, Gram Rakshak Dal, NCC cadets, ex-servicemen, and volunteers deployed at polling stations and counting centres.

In a statement, the ECI said, “Conduct of elections involves diverse activities carried out by an election machinery consisting of officials and staff requisitioned from various departments of the Central Government, State Governments, PSUs, Local Authorities, etc.”

It added, “During the election period, the entire machinery performs arduous and sensitive duties, often working long hours for several months to ensure a conducive environment in which electors can exercise their franchise freely. To ensure suitable compensation for such efforts, the Commission has revised the remuneration/honorarium rates.”

The last major revision in election duty remuneration was carried out between 2014 and 2016.(Agency)

Gautami Kapoor slammed for wanting to gift ‘sex toy’ to 16-year-old daughter

Mumbai, Aug 8, 2025
After Gautami Kapoor made an eyebrow-raising revelation that she wanted to give her 16-year-old daughter a “vibrator” as a birthday present, the actress received heavy trolling over her bold statement on modern parenting.

In an interview Gautami said that when her daughter turned 16, she had to gift her something to her and that she was thinking, “should I gift her a sex toy? Should I gift her a vibrator? Should I gift her something?”

The actress shared that she discussed with her daughter, who too was impressed by the list Gautami had made.

In the interview, the actress said that she wants her daughter to experience everything and a lot of women go through life without experiencing the pleasures of it.

However, in the conversation, Gautami revealed that her daughter is now 19 and appreciates the fact that at least the actress had that thought.

However, these comments did not go well with netizens.

One user wrote: “Oh, urban India’s feminism? Just a fancy word for… around! Thank the daughter’s got brains, unlike her mom who’s high-fivin’ the host like they’re cool kids, but nah, they’re just cheerleadin’ for pedo creeps!”

Another said: “Best Feminist Mother of the Year Award goes to Gautami Kapoor.”

“Gautami Kapoor wants to gift sex toy to her daughter on her 16th birthday!! Trying so hard to be western, they’ve lost the plot! Disappointing!” said a user.

One simply said that Gautami “lost a fan today!” and shared the video of the interview.

A netizen wrote: “Meet #GautamiKapoor, the sanskari wife of TV Actor Ram Kapoor. She wants to give her 16-year-old daughter a vibrator. Seems she is not aware that, apart from morality, it’s even illegal as per law because the age of consent for girls in India is 18.”

“Sounds like Gautami Kapoor was really trying to have a “progressive parent of the year” moment.. But managed to overshoot the landing like a rocket with no fuel. I mean, giving ur daughter a vibrator at 16 and announcing it like it’s some kind of family heirloom?”(Agency)

VVIP Chopper case: Delhi court rejects Christian Michel’s plea for release

New Delhi, Aug 8, 2025
A Delhi court has rejected the plea of Christian Michel James, a British national and the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam, who sought release on the grounds that he has already served the maximum punishment of seven years for the offences he was extradited for.

Special Judge (PC Act) Sanjay Jindal observed that Michel, who was extradited from the UAE in December 2018, cannot be released as he is also facing charges under Section 467 of the Indian Penal Code — a serious offence punishable with life imprisonment.

Before the Rouse Avenue Court, Michel’s counsel argued that he had already served the maximum period of punishment of seven years for the offences he was extradited for, and therefore, he was entitled to statutory bail.

Further, it was contended that Michel’s 123 days of pre-extradition detention in the UAE should also be taken into account while considering his entitlement to relief.

Opposing Christian Michel’s plea for release, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) argued that the accused is also charged under Section 467 IPC (forgery of valuable security), which carries a maximum punishment of life imprisonment — thereby disqualifying him from benefit under Section 436A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

Under Section 436A of the CrPC, an undertrial prisoner who has spent half of the maximum period of imprisonment prescribed for the alleged offence shall be released on bail, except in cases where the offence is punishable with death.

Referring to orders passed earlier by the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court, the Special CBI Judge emphasized that most of the issues raised by the accused had already been adjudicated in the past, stating, “the judicial propriety does not allow to reconsider the issues again and again when the superior courts have already given observations on the same.”

The court relied on the observation of the Supreme Court in an order passed in February 2023, where the apex court had categorically held that Section 436A CrPC would not apply due to the presence of the Section 467 IPC charge.

Observing that the question of whether Section 467 IPC is made out can only be decided at the stage of framing of charges, and that it cannot be ruled out at this stage that the section may apply to Michel, the court directed that the matter be listed again on September 12 for further proceeding.

Michel, an accused in the Rs 3,600-crore alleged scam relating to the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters from AgustaWestland, faces multiple charges of corruption, criminal conspiracy, and money laundering.

He was extradited to India on December 5, 2018, from the UAE. On his arrival in India, he was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Days later, he was also arrested by the financial probe agency, the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Since then, he has been lodged in judicial custody at Tihar Jail.(Agency)

Trump certainly doesn’t know what’s happening in Asia and India: Jim Rogers on US tariffs

New Delhi, Aug 8, 2025
As US President Donald Trump imposes 25 per cent tariffs on India, with an additional 25 per cent slated to come into effect from August 27, ace American investor Jim Rogers said on Friday that Trump doesn’t understand much of the world, and he certainly doesn’t understand what’s happening in Asia and particularly, India.

Speaking to IANS, Rogers who is one of the top financial commentators in the world, said that India remains the fastest growing economy in the world and Washington should actually be doing a lot of business with New Delhi rather than hampering long-standing trade and investment ties by slapping unrealistic tariffs.

“Trump wakes up, watches TV and then decides what to do. He doesn’t understand much of the world, and he certainly doesn’t understand what’s happening in Asia and India,” Rogers told IANS.

According to him, both the countries can actually increase trade to $500 billion by 2030, an envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Donald Trump, if the US President aims to bring Washington and New Delhi closer with reasonable gestures.

“For the first time in my life, I see that people in New Delhi seem to understand economics. They understand that prosperity is good, and success is good too. It is a very exciting and wonderful change for India,” Rogers emphasised, adding that India “could be an extremely exciting country, extremely exciting economy”.

He further stated that India is going to be one of the most exciting investment destinations in the world and it will certainly be compared to China and, maybe, even do much better than China in coming years.

On Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), Rogers told IANS that more free trade is better for the world, especially India. “It will be extremely exciting for the world, including foreign investors,” he mentioned.

New Delhi has signed 13 FTAs with its trading partners. The country is currently negotiating the following FTAs with its trading partners: India-EU FTA, India Australia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), India-Peru Trade Agreement, covering goods, services and investment, India-Sri Lanka Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) and India-Oman FTA.(Agency)

If you attack ‘One Man, One Vote’ right, we will attack you: LoP Gandhi warns ECI

Bengaluru, Aug 8, 2025
The Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday issued a stern warning to the Election Commission of India (ECI), stating, “If you (ECI) attack the ‘One Man, One Vote’ right enshrined in the Indian Constitution, we will attack you.”

Addressing a massive gathering at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, organised to protest alleged election fraud, LoP Rahul Gandhi said, “This is the voice of Hindustan.”

He added that the Election Commission had demanded his affidavit and oath in connection with the complaint of election fraud. “I have already taken my oath in the Lok Sabha — on the Constitution,” he asserted.

LoP Rahul Gandhi emphasised that the foundational idea of the Constitution is “One Man, One Vote.” He accused ECI officials of attacking this principle and, by extension, targeting the poor.

“If you think you can get away after committing election fraud, think again. It may take time, but we will catch you. We will catch each and every one of you,” he warned.

He stated that people across the country are now questioning the functioning of the ECI after the Congress party raised several issues. “The ECI has shut down its websites in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Bihar,” the LoP claimed.

LoP Gandhi guaranteed that if the ECI were to release the electronic voters’ list for the entire country along with video recordings, the Congress would prove that electoral fraud was not limited to just one seat in Karnataka but is a widespread issue across India.

He further stated that the Election Commission is supposed to work for the Constitution, not for the BJP. “We have already proven how the result of one seat in Karnataka was stolen. And there are more. Congress workers carry the DNA of the Constitution,” he said.

Referring to ‘Operation Lotus’ in Karnataka, he told the crowd, “You all know how the previous government was hijacked using money. Today, I am saying with 100 per cent conviction that electoral fraud was committed during the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP’s ideology is against the Constitution. The Constitution protects the voice of the poor, the farmers, the workers, and the voiceless. Every Congress worker will defend it.”

Rahul Gandhi said that he may be the Leader of the Opposition, but he is not alone in this battle. “Opposition parties across the country are raising these questions. The ECI must release the data,” he demanded.

He stated that the Congress began its investigation with one Lok Sabha seat — Bengaluru Central — and focussed its research on the Mahadevapura Assembly segment. “We found clear evidence that the BJP and the ECI colluded to commit fraud. Out of 6.5 lakh voters in Mahadevapura, 1.25 lakh votes were stolen. That means one in every six votes was manipulated,” he claimed.

LoP Gandhi alleged that the fraud was carried out using five key methods. First, duplicate voters — about 12,000 people — were allowed to vote in five to six different polling booths. Second, around 40,000 voters were enrolled using fake IDs. Third, bulk voters were registered under the same address; in one instance, 40 people were shown living in a single house. “When we visited the house, no one was there, and the property belonged to a BJP leader,” he said.

Fourth, nearly 4,000 voters were listed without photos or with very unclear images. Fifth, approximately 34,000 new voters were added through Form 6, many of them aged between 89 and 95 years, which raised serious doubts.

“In total, the BJP and the ECI have stolen more than one lakh votes,” LoP Gandhi professed. He further claimed that there were duplicate voters who have cast votes in multiple cities, including Bengaluru, Lucknow, and Varanasi.(Agency)

US at risk of losing India as strategic partner in Indo-Pacific: Former senior Commerce Dept official

Washington, Aug 8, 2025
Former US Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade and senior foreign policy expert, Christopher Padilla, has warned that the ongoing trade tensions could pose a risk of long-term damage to the India-US relationship.

“I’m concerned that for the sake of short-term issues, we’re putting this relationship at risk,” Padilla told IANS.

He also feared that “there will be a long memory” of US actions in India, potentially leading to “a questioning of whether the United States is a reliable partner”.

“I know from working with colleagues in India over many years that these slights will not be quickly forgotten, and saying that India, which is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, is a dead economy. That doesn’t help,” he noted.

Padilla, who served in the George W. Bush administration and is now a Senior Advisor at Brunswick, a global advisory firm, highlighted that the current crisis stems from President Donald Trump’s actions against India’s core interests – the pressure to open up the agriculture and dairy sectors and New Delhi’s independent foreign policy.

“The difficulty of opening the agriculture market, given the structure of the Indian economy, is a core interest, and the other is the independence of Indian foreign policy,” he told IANS.

On the potential impact of US tariffs on India’s exports, Padilla argued that “it will be painful”, but Indian exporters could adapt with alternative markets.

“When you look at some of the key Indian exports, there are alternative markets for things like precious stones, or textiles…People have talked a lot about the number of iPhones being made in India. Well, there’s a global market for iPhones. If they can’t be sold in the United States, they can be sold in other places.”

On foreign policy, he highlighted that India’s relationship with Russia has always been an “irritant” in India-US ties, but Washington had been willing to “live with it” for the larger strategic importance of India vis-a-vis China. But that strategy is undergoing a major shift.

Padilla expressed surprise over how the US is “treating China at the moment, much more favourably than India”.

“So, we’ve got this strange situation. Where we’re seeing significant damage to an important strategic relationship between the US and India, while at the same time, the United States is making apparent concessions toward its most significant strategic competitor in the world,” he told IANS.

On the possibility of US coercion driving India closer to Russia and China, he believed that there are “internal contradictions in terms of foreign policy interests” among the three countries but stressed that it’s “not in the interest of the United States to drive countries toward closer collaboration”.

Padilla, who was part of the civil nuclear deal and other trade negotiations with India during the mid-2000s, asserted that Washington’s arm-twisting tactics that led to the capitulation of other countries were never going to work with New Delhi.

“India is a very vibrant democracy. I’ve experienced that in my dealings with India over many years. We’re not dealing with a relatively small country in Latin America or Southeast Asia that might be more willing to compromise on core interests,” he noted.

Looking ahead, the former US senior official acknowledged that “it’s going to be difficult for both sides to find a way to go back away from confrontation”, but he was confident that “it can be done”.

“We have got 20 years of a strong relationship here. There’s a firm base of common interest. I’m hoping that things will calm down. We have bigger interests at stake here than just trade and dairy products,” he told IANS.

Padilla concluded with a piece of advice. “Buckle up, because this isn’t going to reach some equilibrium where everything is going to be normal again, I think for the next three and a half years, the only certainty is more uncertainty.”(Agency)

Man-son duo set afire: 12-year-old dies, father sustains burns in Bihar’s Katihar

Patna, Aug 8, 2025
In a shocking incident, a 12-year-old boy died and his father sustained severe burns after being allegedly set on fire in their home at Kachora village in Bihar’s Katihar district.

The deceased has been identified as Sunil Kumar Mandal.

Sunil’s father, 45-year-old Ram Kalyan Mandal, is battling for his life in Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, Bhagalpur’s burn ward.

According to police, both the man and his son were sleeping on the veranda of their house on Thursday when unidentified assailants allegedly sprinkled petrol on them and set them ablaze.

Other family members, who were sleeping inside, rushed out on hearing screams. Villagers quickly gathered and managed to douse the flames.

The victims were first taken to the Primary Health Centre in Durgaganj and later referred to Katihar Sadar Hospital.

As their condition worsened, they were shifted to Bhagalpur, where Sunil succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

The incident has plunged the village into mourning. Family members allege foul play, though the motive remains unclear.

Kadwa SHO Vijay Prakash said one person has been detained for questioning, and the case is being investigated from “every possible angle”.

He assured that strict action would be taken against those found guilty.

“We have called the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to collect the evidence from the crime scene. The body was sent for the post-mortem examination. We are waiting for the report for the analysis,” Prakash said.

“We are also waiting for the recovery of the injured person to take his statement. His statement will be crucial to identify the accused,” Prakash said.

“We have registered an FIR of murder and attempt to murder under the relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sahita in Kadwa police station, and the investigation is currently underway. We are taking statements of the deceased’s family members to crack this case,” he added.(Agency)

Shilpa Shetty reveals she is on the hunt for a dulha for sister Shamita on ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show’

Mumbai, Aug 8, 2025
In the upcoming episode of ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show’ season 3, host Kapil Sharma celebrates Raksha Bandhan with a special guest lineup featuring sibling duos Shilpa and Shamita Shetty and Huma Qureshi and Saqib Saleem.

The episode promises laughter and light-hearted banter as the stars share fun family moments, playful secrets, and engage in witty exchanges with Kapil.

In a new promo, Shilpa brings full-on matchmaker vibes as she appears with her sister Shamita, determined to find her the perfect dulha — all on a global streaming stage! During a light hearted conversation, the ‘Dhadkan’ actress says “Main toh besharam bhi hoon, main toh saamne se pooch bhi leti hoon, ‘tumhari shaadi ho gayi hai?’”

Cracking up the audience she continues, “Woh sochta hoga ki ‘tumhari toh shaadi ho gayi hai, yeh mujhse abhi ye sawaal kyun kar rahi hai?’ phir main bolti hoon, ‘nahin nahin mere liye nahin, meri choti behen ke liye!’ Actually, main impress bohot jaldi ho jaati hoon isiliye!”

Kapil adds to the fun by teasing Huma about her dating app collaboration and playfully suggesting that Shamita give it a try. But the spotlight soon shifts when a fan named Prachi takes center stage and surprises everyone by proposing to Saqib with a touching shayari, bringing a sweet twist to the episode.

As if things couldn’t get more entertaining, the fan casually mentions having a younger brother — instantly grabbing Shilpa’s interest. With a straight face, she quickly asks, “How old is he?”, playfully hinting at yet another potential match for Shamita. Saqib can’t help but quip, “Was this a Raksha Bandhan special or a matrimony special?” adding to the laughter.

Earlier, the makers dropped a promo where Shilpa Shetty playfully teased Kapil Sharma about his weight loss.

The comedian quickly responded with a witty comeback, saying he probably picked it up from her — and joked that he seems to be shrinking every year. The fun continued when Kapil asked if Shamita shares everything with Shilpa, to which Shilpa cheekily replied that the only thing Shamita keeps from her are her boyfriend secrets.

On a related note, this episode will stream this Saturday, 9th August, on Netflix. Hosted by Kapil Sharma, the show also stars Sunil Grover, Kiku Sharda, and Krushna Abhishek. The latest season features the return of Navjot Singh Sidhu, who joins Archana Puran Singh as a permanent guest on the show.(Agency)

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