Sumbul Touqeer on tying rakhi to her sister: I’ve never felt the need for a brother

Mumbai, Aug 8, 2025
TV actress Sumbul Touqeer, known for her performance in the show ‘Imlie,’ has opened up about her unique Raksha Bandhan tradition.

She shared how she celebrates the festival by tying rakhi to her sister Sanya. When asked if she ever wished she had a real brother, Sumbul shared, “I never really felt that way. I’ve never had the feeling that I needed a brother. I have a younger sister, Sanya, and I tie Rakhi to them.”

“In a way, I think we all protect each other and always will. It’s not always about one person being the protector—it’s about supporting and standing up for each other as a family,” she added.

The actress also revealed that she ties rakhi to her father. “Every year, I also tie Rakhi to my dad at home. I feel that Raksha Bandhan isn’t just about a brother-sister relationship; for me, my dad also protects me, so I tie Rakhi to him too.”

Speaking about how the festival of Rakhi isn’t just confined to rituals or customs, Sumbul mentioned, “It’s an emotional day. It reminds me to pause and acknowledge the people who are always by my side, whether it’s my father, my cousins, or my sister.

Raksha Bandhan for everyone is about emotional safety, unconditional love, and mutual respect. It’s about recognizing that protection doesn’t come from gender—it comes from the bond we share.”

Revealing how she celebrates, Sumbul Touqeer shared that she enjoys keeping the festivities close to home and deeply personal. “We usually celebrate it in a very intimate way, at home with family.

I tie Rakhi to my dad and cousins, and my sister ties one to me. It’s about honouring those who stand by us, love us unconditionally, and make us feel safe. We make each other feel special with small gestures, heartfelt conversations, and of course, sweets.”

Raksha Bandhan, which will be celebrated on August 9, is a cherished Hindu festival that celebrates the deep and enduring bond between siblings. On this special day, sisters tie a rakhi—a sacred thread—around their brothers’ wrists as a symbol of love and protection.(Agency)

Preeti Jhangiani defends ‘Udaipur Files’ amid legal challenges, says it focuses on justice, not religion

Mumbai, Aug 8, 2025
Actress Preeti Jhangiani has come out in support of her film “Udaipur Files,” which ran into legal trouble just a day before its release.

Emphasizing the core message of the movie, she clarified that it is not centered around religion but is instead a call for justice.

Jhangiani, who portrays journalist Anjana Singh in the movie, clarified, “Udaipur Files isn’t about religion — this film represents only justice. It narrates true-life incidents and crime; and when a heinous crime happens, justice must be served and given. The film emphasizes that first is the nation, then everything else.”

The Delhi High Court recently rejected a last-minute petition aimed at stopping the release of “Udaipur Files,” stating that there was no strong initial case to justify a stay. The court upheld the filmmakers’ right to free expression, particularly since the film had already been cleared by the appropriate regulatory body.

For the unversed, the movie was supposed to release on July 11, but just a day before, its release was halted due to a legal case. On July 10, the Delhi High Court issued a stay order, stopping the film’s screening.

The matter later reached the Supreme Court after Javed, one of the accused in the murder case shown in the film, filed a petition against its release.

Although several attempts were made to block the film, the Supreme Court refused to interfere, pointing out that the movie had already been cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Eventually, the issue was taken to the central government, which approved the release, allowing the film to finally hit theatres.

“Udaipur Files” is inspired by a real-life incident that deeply shocked the nation. The film is based on the tragic killing of Kanhaiya Lal in June 2022, who was attacked for allegedly posting a message on social media supporting then-BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. Her earlier remarks about Prophet Muhammad had triggered widespread unrest across the country.

The movie, produced by Amit Jani, hit the theatres today, August 8.(Agency)

Mukesh Rishi opens up about playing dictator Zia-ul-Haq in ‘Salakaar’

Mumbai, Aug 8, 2025
Actor Mukesh Rishi, who is getting a lot of positive response to his work in the recently released OTT series ‘Salakaar’, opened up about his character in the series.

Mukesh essays the role of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, a cruel Pakistani dictator in the series. The actor recently spoke with IANS during the promotions of ‘Salakaar’, and shared how he infused cruelty in the character.

He told IANS, “When you have this kind of character, a lot of things automatically come in your favour. The look the makers gave me, the kurta that the costume designer gave me, when you have this kind of character, it starts forming inside you”.

He further mentioned, “That is why you are in films because you understand so much how cruel the character has to be, for that we follow the orders from the director. The words you are being told as an actor, it helps to sketch and portray the character for the camera.

If the director tells me to tone down the pitch of the character by a few degrees, I do that. It becomes easy. Many times your get-up, the environment in which you perform. The car in which the director made me sit. The scene inside my house, the books Zia read, the whole environment took me there, I didn’t have to do much. The lines on paper were telling me”.

Zia-ul-Haq is the bedrock of most of India’s problems, he was the one, who gave a definitive form to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s plan of “Bleed India by thousand cuts”, a thousand year war declared against India for Pakistan’s own interest.

Later, Zia got Zulfikar Ali Bhutto framed in a case, and got death penalty approved for him through hand-picked judges.(Agency)

Oppn protest disrupts Lok Sabha, adjourned till Monday

New Delhi, Aug 8, 2025
A turbulent session in the Lok Sabha on Friday witnessed repeated appeals for order as Opposition members staged a protest in the well of the House, prompting the chair, presided over by Krishna Prasad Tenneti, to adjourn proceedings for the day.

Despite the disruption, the House transacted brief business, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman formally withdrawing the Income Tax Bill 2025 as reported by the select committee. The withdrawal was cleared through a voice vote amid ongoing commotion.

As the House resumed at 3 p.m. after being adjourned earlier due to a major din by the Opposition, Tenneti made multiple appeals to protesting members to vacate the well, assuring them that their concerns would be heard.

His repeated requests went unheeded, forcing him to move to the next item of business.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju expressed dismay over the continued disruptions, remarking, “Opposition members have the opportunity to raise issues of public interest — even during the discussion on private member bills. I am very sad.”

His comments reflected growing frustration within the government benches over the impasse.

Several MPs voiced concern that their private member bills were being sidelined due to the repeated stalling of proceedings.

The chair acknowledged these concerns, stating, “We want to raise important legislative proposals, but you do not want to run the House,” addressing the Opposition benches directly.

With no signs of resolution, Tenneti adjourned the House until Monday, leaving several legislative items pending and underscoring the deepening gridlock in Parliament.

The withdrawal of the Income Tax Bill 2025 marks a notable development in the government’s fiscal agenda, while the continued disruption raises questions about the functioning of the House and the space available for individual members to introduce and debate private legislation.

As Parliament reconvenes next week, attention will turn to whether the Opposition and government can find common ground to restore order and resume legislative business.(Agency)

K’taka family declared ‘fake’ voters by Rahul Gandhi found to be genuine in preliminary EC probe

Bengaluru, Aug 8, 2025
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s claim about a family of voters being fake has turned out to be false. Preliminary verification by the Election Commission in Bengaluru has confirmed that the individuals in question are genuine voters, sources revealed on Friday.

Rahul Gandhi had alleged that a family of three — one male and two females — were fake voters based on the fact that he was unable to view their photographs. However, images of the three individuals, along with their GPS-tagged address, have since surfaced on social media.

The photograph shows the family members displaying their Voter ID cards at their residence located on 2nd Main, JCR Layout, Panthur, near Kadubeesanahalli in Bengaluru. The three members of the family are Om Prakash Bagri, Saraswati Devi Bagri, and Mala Bagri, the ECI sources said.

Sources said the reason the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka asked Rahul Gandhi to personally submit an affidavit was due to his previous tendency to disown the allegations he made against the Election Commission of India (ECI).

“The reason for asking for a declaration this time is that in the past, he has never submitted any self-signed letter. Whatever reply we provide is sent to some other entity, and each time he disowns it,” the sources stated.

Officials from the ECI also pointed out that Rahul Gandhi had referred to the Maharashtra issue on December 24, 2024. “An advocate from AICC wrote to us, and we issued a detailed reply on December 24, 2024. That reply is publicly available on our website. Yet, Rahul Gandhi claims that we never responded. Even yesterday, he repeated the same allegation,” the sources explained.

The ECI sources further noted that on Thursday (August 7), the Karnataka government decided to use the electoral roll as the base for conducting the caste survey. Ironically, on the same day, Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the credibility of the electoral rolls.

While the Congress-led Karnataka government vouched for the authenticity of the electoral rolls by basing its most important policy — the caste census — on them, Rahul Gandhi simultaneously questioned their integrity, the ECI sources pointed out.

Rahul Gandhi held a press conference on Thursday in Delhi, making serious charges regarding committing election fraud. He gave the example of the Mahadevapura Assembly segment in Bengaluru.

The Congress leader also addressed the huge protest in Bengaluru, reiterating his charges demanding 10 years of data regarding the voters and also videos. “Otherwise, you are hiding a crime. If you (ECI) attack ‘One Man One Vote’ right, we will attack you,” Rahul Gandhi warned.(Agency)

Carcasses of five wild elephants found in Kerala’s Ernakulam forests

Kochi, Aug 8, 2025
The carcasses of five wild elephants, including a calf and a pregnant female, have been recovered from three forest divisions in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, following days of intense rainfall and flooding in the region.

Two tuskers were found dead on Thursday in the Kuttampuzha forest range, which falls under the Malayattoor division, about 50 km from Kochi. Their bodies were spotted in the Pooyamkutty River near Kuttampuzha panchayat.

According to forest officials, both elephants were about 15 years old and had likely fallen from the Pindimed waterfall.

Preliminary examination revealed signs of internal bleeding and fractured ribs, possibly caused by the fall and being swept downstream by strong river currents.

The carcasses appeared to be around two days old.

The carcasses of a female elephant and her calf were recovered near a waterfall about 20 km from the Idamalayar dam. Residents of the Adichilthotti tribal settlement spotted the bodies and informed the authorities.

Forest officials suspect the two elephants may have slipped while attempting to cross the flooded Idamalayar River and plunged down the nearby waterfall.

Malayatoor Divisional Forest Officer P Karthik on Friday told IANS that four carcasses of elephants were found in the division on Thursday. He said that there was nothing unusual about the deaths of the four elephants, which appeared to have occurred due to flooding after heavy rain.

In a separate incident, a pregnant female elephant was found dead in a rivulet at Ayyampuzha, near Angamaly, according to a local media report. The body was located in the Athirappilly forest area, which comes under the Vazhachal division.

Samples of the viscera from all five elephants have been collected and sent for forensic analysis. Following the post-mortem examinations, the elephant carcasses were buried as per protocol.

This is not the first time elephant deaths have been reported during floods in Kerala. In 2018, during the catastrophic monsoon, several elephants were swept away in rivers across Idukki and Wayanad districts.

Similar incidents were reported in 2020 in the Periyar and Parambikulam tiger reserves. The Forest Department has initiated a joint inquiry across all three forest divisions affected.

Officials have also asked local communities to remain alert and report any further sightings or unusual activity along riverbanks.(Agency)

Govt withdraws Income Tax Bill 2025 from Lok Sabha, new version to be tabled on Monday

New Delhi, Aug 8, 2025
The Income Tax Bill, 2025, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha on February 13 to replace the existing Income Tax Act, 1961, has been formally withdrawn, sources said on Friday.

A new version of the Income Tax Bill, incorporating most of the recommendations made by the Select Committee chaired by BJP MP Baijayant Jay Panda, will be introduced in Parliament on Monday, according to people in the know.

To avoid confusion by multiple versions of the Bill and to provide a clear and updated version with all the changes incorporated, the new version of the Income Tax Bill will be introduced for the consideration of the House.

According to Panda, who chaired the Parliamentary Select Committee responsible for reviewing the legislation, the new law, once passed, will simplify India’s decades-old tax structure, cut down legal confusion, and help individual taxpayers and MSMEs avoid unnecessary litigation.

“The current Income Tax Act of 1961 has undergone more than 4,000 amendments and contains over 5 lakh words. It has become too complex. The new bill simplifies that by nearly 50 per cent — making it far easier for ordinary taxpayers to read and understand,” Panda told IANS recently.

He further stated that the greatest beneficiaries of this simplification would be small business owners and MSMEs who often lack the legal and financial expertise to navigate complicated tax structures.

The new measures will play a significant role in creating a fair and equitable system of direct taxation that ensures no additional burden of direct taxes on the working and middle-class population of the country.

Slabs and rates have been changed across the board to benefit all taxpayers. The new structure substantially reduces the taxes of the middle class and leaves more money in their hands, boosting household consumption, savings and investment, according to the government.

The Finance Act, 2025, has increased the income threshold for claiming a tax rebate under section 87A of the Income Tax Act, 1961 for resident individual taxable under the new tax regime under section 115 BAC of the Act from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 12 lakh, and the maximum rebate amount has been raised from Rs 25,000 to Rs 60,000.

Marginal relief as provided earlier under the new tax regime is also applicable for income marginally higher than Rs 12,00,000, as per the Finance Ministry. The new income tax bill will make filing taxes easier for common citizens and small businesses.(Agency)

Mike Pence says US companies and consumers paying the cost of Trump’s tariffs

Washington, Aug 8, 2025
Former US Vice President Mike Pence, in a scathing attack against President Donald Trump’s trade policy, said on Thursday that American companies and consumers are paying the cost of US tariffs.

Pence took to X to highlight that the cost of production of US companies like auto giant Ford has shot up following the increase in tariffs on inputs. US consumers are also ending up paying higher prices for goods due to the tariffs levied by Trump, he added.

The former Vice President emphasised the need for “Free trade with Free nations”.

To drive home his point, Pence tagged an article from ‘Reason,’ a US monthly magazine, which stated that Ford had paid $800 million in tariff-related expenses during the second quarter of 2025, despite building most of its cars in America.

“If President Donald Trump’s tariffs were boosting the prospects of American-based manufacturing, then Ford Motor Co. ought to be one of the biggest winners.

After all, Ford builds more vehicles in the United States than any other automaker — it churned out 1.8 million of them last year — while employing around 57,000 manufacturing workers at plants across the upper Midwest. It’s a legacy American brand, doing the sort of blue-collar work in the Rust Belt that the Trump administration believes its trade policies will directly benefit,” the article states.

In reality, the tariffs are crushing Ford. The automaker announced this week that it paid $800 million in tariff-related expenses during the second quarter of 2025 (during which it posted its first quarterly loss since 2023), and that it expects the tariffs to reduce annual profits by about $3 billion. Even for a company that earned an operating profit of $10.2 billion last year, that’s a tremendous blow, the article written by Eric Boehm stated.

The Ford management is reported to have held multiple rounds of talks with the Trump administration in an attempt to reverse the setback due to the hike in tariffs.

Mike Pence had earlier stated that President Trump’s tariffs marked the “largest peacetime tax hike on the American people in the history of this country” and contributed to rising costs for consumers.(Agency)

After Rahul Gandhi’s claims, Congress mulls legal action over BJP victory in Kerala’s Thrissur

Thrissur, Aug 8, 2025
The Congress party in Kerala is considering initiating legal proceedings over the BJP’s victory in the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 general elections following the revelations made by Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi regarding large-scale electoral fraud.

The Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly, V.D. Satheesan, told the media on Friday that Gandhi has called for a thorough investigation into alleged election malpractices.

“Numerous complaints have emerged in Thrissur regarding the Sangh Parivar’s illegal addition of votes. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) will examine the possibility of initiating legal proceedings in this regard,” Satheesan said.

In Thrissur, which was a sitting Congress seat, BJP candidate and actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi secured a historic win with a margin of 74,686 votes.

Veteran Congress MP from Badagara, K. Muraleedharan, contested from Thrissur but finished third, while former State Minister and senior CPI leader V.S. Sunil Kumar took the second spot.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Congress candidate T.N. Prathapan had won Thrissur by a margin of 93,633 votes, defeating CPI’s Rajaji Mathew Thomas. At that time, Suresh Gopi finished third with 2,93,822 votes.

Rahul Gandhi has alleged that in the Mahadevapura Assembly seat under the Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency — where the BJP won by 32,000 votes — over one lakh fraudulent entries were added to the voters’ list.

These irregularities reportedly include multiple voters registered under the same name, over 60 voters listed at the address of a single-room house, English alphabets replacing the father’s name, house numbers recorded as “0” and voters aged 70 or 80 years appearing in the list of first-time voters.

Gandhi further claimed that such large-scale manipulation was also carried out during the recent Parliamentary elections and in state elections in Maharashtra and Haryana.

He asserted that the BJP/NDA remains in power by subverting free and fair elections and therefore has no legitimate right to continue in office.(Agency)

Priyanka Chopra treats with some awe-worthy glimpses of little Malti with her family

Priyanka Chopra shares glimpses of little Malti

Mumbai, Aug 8, 2025
Global sensation Priyanka Chopra is making the best of both worlds. Along with dominating Hollywood with back-to-back powerful performances, the diva is also enjoying motherhood to the fullest with her dear daughter, Malti Marie Chopra Jonas.

PeeCee used social media to drop some precious family moments of little Malti with her mom, and father, Nick Jonas.

The primary photo showed Malti relaxing on her seat while Priyanka held a tablet with “Mama” written on it. Next was a video of the little munchkin enjoying in the middle of a fountain.

Another picture featured Malti and her buddies picking out some treats for themselves in the candy shop.

We also see daddy’s little princess accompanying her father Nick as he practises for his upcoming performance.

PeeCee also uploaded a still of Malti channeling her inner artist with some watercolors and a canvas.

One of the videos in the post had Priyanka and Malti running in their lush green backyard.

The sweet post ended with a beautiful photo of Nick and Malti taking a walk down the beach.

The ‘Fashion’ actress also treated the netizens with some more adorable glimpses of her daughter with her friends and family.

“Ohana means Family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten. – lilo and stitch,” PeeCee captioned the post.

For those who do not know, Priyanka and Nick tied the knot back in 2018, after which the lovebirds welcomed Malti via surrogacy in 2022.

In a recent update, PeeCee and Malti landed in Hyderabad, most likely to shoot for SS Rajamouli’s “SSMB29”, opposite Mahesh Babu.

On Monday, she took to her Instagram stories and posted a photo of little Malti sitting on her comfy chair on the balcony, looking out the glass window at the beautiful landscape of the city.

Priyanka captioned the post, “Hyderabad mornings…”, along with a red heart emoji.(Agency)