In an exhilarating new venture, Snoop Dogg is set to both star in and produce ‘God of The Rodeo,’ a film that draws from Daniel Bergner’s gritty reporting from Angola Prison. Directed by Rosalind Ross, the film showcases Shia LaBeouf as a participant in the historic 1967 rodeo held in the prison yard.
Snoop Dogg is set to star in ‘God of The Rodeo’ from director Rosalind Ross. Also, Snoop and his Death Row Pictures partner, Sara Ramaker, have signed on to produce the movie with Ross. The film is based on Daniel Bergner’s acclaimed reporting inside America’s deadliest Southern prison.
What is ‘God of The Rodeo’ about?
The film is based on journalist Daniel Bergner’s 1998 book ‘God of The Rodeo’, which takes place inside Louisiana’s infamous Angola Prison. Bergner spent a year in the prison, following the inmates as they put together the prison’s annual rodeo and watching them grapple with harsh realities inside the prison’s walls. The movie will follow Buckkey (played by Shia LaBeouf), an inmate serving a life sentence who participates in Angola’s inaugural inmate rodeo in 1967.
Snoop Dogg on the collaboration
In an interview with Deadline, Snoop said, “Linking up with Scott Free Productions and working with Ridley Scott and Giannina Scott on ‘God of the Rodeo’ is life changing and an honor.” Saying Rosalind Ross brought a story with “heart and grit,” the hip-hop legend said, “Me and the team at Death Row Pictures stepping in as producers, I’m acting in it, and Death Row Records is building the soundtrack, and this one got soul.”
Snoop Dogg’s previous on-screen appearances
The rapper made several cameos in films throughout the ’90s before making his major acting debut in 2001’s ‘Bones’ where he played the lead character Jimmy Bones. Most recently he starred in ‘1992,’ a heist thriller film written by Sascha Penn and directed by Ariel Vromen. He’s even lent his voice to animated features such as Pharrell’s 2024 Lego biopic ‘Piece by Piece.’
NEW DELHI: Chess fans and players have been worried about the upcoming Candidates tournament in Cyprus, mainly due to safety concerns and basic facilities like electricity. The island’s closeness to tensions in West Asia and recent attacks on nearby military bases have raised fears about whether it’s the right place to host such a major event. Some players have already reacted strongly. Indian star Koneru Humpy pulled out of the Women’s Candidates, while Hikaru Nakamura questioned the reliability of the power supply.
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Anish Giri Exclusive: FIDE World Cup in Goa, Candidates 2026 prep, GCL stories, and more
Dutch No. 1 Anish Giri also took a sarcastic dig at the governing body. After FIDE released a detailed FAQ addressing concerns, he wrote, “FIDE finally giving a FAQ!” Earlier, he had joked, “If they will move the Candidates, will I at least get an sms or something?”The post certainly highlights the frustration over communication.
FIDE responds to safety fears
With criticism growing, FIDE on Tuesday published a “Cyprus. Safety & Logistics FAQ” to reassure everyone. On the key question of safety, it stated, “Yes. Cyprus is a safe country to travel,” adding, “There is no emergency situation, and the country continues to operate normally.” The body also said it is working closely with authorities and has taken all necessary steps to ensure a secure environment for players, media, and guests.
Concerns over power and backup plans
Another major issue raised by American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura was the possibility of power cuts during games. FIDE dismissed these worries, saying, “No. The risk is extremely low and overstated.” It explained that outages are rare and short and that the venue has backup generators to prevent any disruption.To address worst-case scenarios, FIDE added, “FIDE has contingency plans in place,” assuring that safety and comfort will remain the top priority if the situation changes.
After several celebrities heaped praise on Aditya Dhar`s Dhurandhar: The Revenge, Ameesha Patel has now shared her view about the film. She reacted to the box office success of the film, taking a sharp dig at the industry. The actor called the film an “eye opener” and urged filmmakers to focus on making films rather than “projects”.
Ameesha Patel on Dhurandhar 2
Ameesha took to her X account on Tuesday evening to share her review of the film. She wrote, “Eye opener. Industry Praising DHURANDHAR is wow and the brand deserves all the accolades (applause emoticons) industry needs to realise that ADITYA made a film and not a project, casted actors and not instagrammars who trend at parties. Stop making projects and start making films.” (sic)
Eye opener 👌Industry Praising DHURANDHAR is wow and the brand deserves all the accolades 👏👏industry needs to realise that ADITYA made a film and not a project,,casted actors and not instagrammars who trend at parties 👍stop making projects and and start making films👍
The spy thriller directed by Aditya Dhar and led by Ranveer Singh, has been dominating the box office and drawing significant attention from people across the film industry. Several stars, including Alia Bhatt, Kangana Ranaut, Allu Arjun, and Mahesh Babu, have already praised the film after its release. Rajinikanth took to social media on Monday to call Dhar the “Box Office-ka Baap” and said that the Ranveer Singh-starrer a ‘must-watch’ film for every Indian. An overwhelmed Aditya Dhar responded to the superstar, describing this recognition as a blessing from the very star who, has long defined entertainment for entire generations.
Dhurandhar 2 is shaping up to be one of the biggest box office successes in recent times. The film has shattered records and is being widely discussed. Several prominent names from the Bollywood to the South film industry are publicly endorsing the film, giving it a strong cross-industry push.
Dhurandhar 2 casting
Apart from the scale and execution, one of the key talking points surrounding Dhurandhar 2 has been its casting. The film stars a mix of established stars and lesser-known actors, a commendable cast brought together by casting director Mukesh Chhabra.
Alongside Ranveer Singh, the film also features Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Sara Arjun and Akshaye Khanna in prominent roles, along with a wide range of supporting actors such as Danish Pandor, Rakesh Bedi, Mustafa Ahmed, Gaurav Gera, Manav Gohil, Naveen Kaushik, Udaybir Sandhu and Danish Iqbal.
Pawan Kalyan, Sreeleela and Raashii Khanna’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh was released in theatres last week. The film has been affected amid the storm created by Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar The Revenge. The spy thriller, which clashed with the Telugu release, has been shattering box office records over the past few days, leaving little room for Pawan Kalyan’s film to make a significant impact at the ticket windows.
Harish Shankar’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh clashed at the box office with Dhurandhar The Revenge.
What the director said
In a fan interaction event, director Harish Shankar has broken his silence on the negative reviews of the film as well as its box office numbers. He directly addressed the troll comments and said, “Trollers are more than free to troll anything, I take constructive criticism. Like, ‘the scene was not very well written’ or ‘it could have been written much better,’ ‘the first half was little slow’… I will take the constructive criticism and I don’t think of taking the troll material seriously because their identity, their whereabouts are not known. They themselves are too insecure to reveal their identity.”
‘I block or complain when they use abusive language’
He continued, “If I say something, I take accountability and responsibility for it. When people throw stones in the dark it’s not the same. The way I’ve been trolled, I would’ve quit Twitter long ago. I don’t care about trolls or those bringing up collections. The first people to troll me are my parents when I told them I wanted to work in films. It’s not new when someone says, what makes you think you can direct? I block or complain when they use abusive language or cross a line. I feel successful that I crossed all odds to release this film in theatres.”
Helmed by Harish Shankar and produced by Mythri Movie Makers, Ustaad Bhagat Singh is an adaptation of Atlee and Vijay’s 2016 film Theri. The film has been in production since 2023. The music and background score have been composed by Devi Sri Prasad and Thaman S. The film has not shown any growth in its collections and is yet to cross ₹100 crore after one week. It also received largely mixed response upon release.
Ustaad Bhagat Singh also features actors Ashutosh Rana, Nawab Shah, BS Avinash, R Parthiban, Gautami, and Chammak Chandra in pivotal roles. This is Harish and Pawan’s second film after their 2012 hit Gabbar Singh, a remake of the 2010 hit Dabangg.
The IPL 2026 is all set to kick off from March 28. So far, the schedule of only first 20 matches has been released due to state elections.
Ahead of the league, former Team India cricketer Irfan Pathan feels that Punjab Kings` (PBKS) pacer Arshdeep Singh needs to pay attention to his statistics with the ball and also keep an eye on his economy rate.
“Arshdeep, who was your highest wicket-taker, has been consistently taking wickets. One thing he will definitely need to focus on is how he bowls with the new ball. Because over the past year, or slightly less than a year, from what I have observed, he hasn`t been bowling much inswing with the new ball,” he said.
“His statistics, compared to before and after the Asia Cup, have slightly declined in terms of new-ball bowling. He will need to pay attention to that, and also keep an eye on his economy rate,” added Pathan.
Arshdeep Singh has been consistent for the Punjab-based franchise since his debut in the Indian Premier League in 2019. The star pacer has taken 97 wickets in 82 cash-rich league matches for the franchise with a concerning economy rate of nine.
PBKS will begin their IPL 2026 campaign by playing a clash against the Gujarat Titans (GT) on March 31 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.
IPL 2026, Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans: Full Squads
Iran US War News: IRGC claims they “successfully targeted” US F-18 fighter jet. However, US Central Command rejected the reports.
Iran US War Live Updates: US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran is participating in peace talks, but he is afraid to say so because Tehran believes he will be killed by its own people. Meanwhile, White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt said that if the Islamic Republic “fails to accept the reality of the present moment, Trump will hit Iran harder than ever.”
“Well, they’re negotiating and they want to make a deal. But they’re afraid to say it, because they think they’ll get killed by their own people,” Trump said. “They are also afraid that they will be killed by us,” he said.
The US president also reiterated that Iran is being “destroyed” in the conflict, which is now in its fourth week.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran is reviewing a US proposal sent through Pakistan the previous day to end the ongoing war in the Middle East. However, he said Iran has no intention of negotiating an end to the growing regional conflict.
Exchanging messages through intermediaries “does not mean dialogue with the United States,” Araghchi said on state TV. “He put forward views in his messages which were conveyed to top officials, and if necessary, a position will be announced by him,” he said.
Araghchi’s comments come after reports that Iran has rejected the Trump administration’s ceasefire proposal and presented its own demands to end the war.
Iran says it targeted America’s F-18 fighter jet
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed on Wednesday that they “successfully targeted” a US F-18 fighter jet. Iran’s state media, Press TV, released a video purporting to be evidence of the IRGC’s claims.
However, this claim was rejected by US Central Command, which stated that no fighter aircraft were shot down by Iran.
Central Command said in a post on
Peace talks in Pakistan ‘speculation’: White House
The White House on Thursday dismissed reports of possible peace talks between Iran and the US in Pakistan, with Press Secretary Carolyn Levitt calling them “speculation.”
He said, “I’ve seen that speculation. Nothing is official until it’s announced by the White House. We can’t get ahead of ourselves.”
White House explains JD Vance’s role
Earlier on Wednesday, there were reports that Iranian representatives had indicated to the US that they would prefer to hold talks with Vice President JD Vance rather than Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Leavitt was asked about the change in status now that Vance had become an active participant in the Iran war. He replied that the Vice President has always had active participation.
He said, “Nothing has changed. The Vice President has always been a key member of the national security team and the President’s right-hand man. He played a key role in the 12-day war talks and ceasefire in Gaza. Any reports suggesting otherwise are false.”
Rumors about Iran’s Mohammad Ghalibaf
Multiple reports have suggested that Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, is the Trump administration’s negotiator in the ongoing ‘talks’.
Meanwhile, Ghalibaf warned that the enemy was planning a possible invasion of an Iranian island with the support of an unidentified regional country.
“Based on some intelligence reports, Iran’s enemies are preparing to capture one of the Iranian islands with the support of one of the regional states,” he said in a post on X.
oil prices today
Oil prices rose on Thursday as uncertainty over US-Iran peace talks and resulting optimism kept investors cautious.
West Texas Intermediate rose to $91 a barrel after falling 2 percent on Wednesday, while Brent crude closed above $102 a barrel.
Fee for crossing the Strait of Hormuz
Maritime trackers reported some ships were still transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s largest oil chokepoint guarded by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, each day, with most tankers transiting the Gulf.
News agency AFP, citing shipping journal Lloyd’s List, reported that a handful of ships crossing the strait daily were reportedly using a new route approved by Iran, which was being called the “Tehran Toll Booth”.
At least one of the investigated vessels reportedly paid $2 million to use the narrow waterway around Larak Island, off the coast of Iran.
…read more
“Well, they’re negotiating and they want to make a deal. But they’re afraid to say it, because they think they’ll get killed by their own people,” Trump said. “They are also afraid that they will be killed by us,” he said.
The US president also reiterated that Iran is being “destroyed” in the conflict, which is now in its fourth week.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran is reviewing a US proposal sent through Pakistan the previous day to end the ongoing war in the Middle East. However, he said Iran has no intention of negotiating an end to the growing regional conflict.
Exchanging messages through intermediaries “does not mean dialogue with the United States,” Araghchi said on state TV. “He put forward views in his messages which were conveyed to top officials, and if necessary, a position will be announced by him,” he said.
Araghchi’s comments come after reports that Iran has rejected the Trump administration’s ceasefire proposal and presented its own demands to end the war.
Iran says it targeted America’s F-18 fighter jet
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed on Wednesday that they “successfully targeted” a US F-18 fighter jet. Iran’s state media, Press TV, released a video purporting to be evidence of the IRGC’s claims.
However, this claim was rejected by US Central Command, which stated that no fighter aircraft were shot down by Iran.
Central Command said in a post on
Peace talks in Pakistan ‘speculation’: White House
The White House on Thursday dismissed reports of possible peace talks between Iran and the US in Pakistan, with Press Secretary Carolyn Levitt calling them “speculation.”
He said, “I’ve seen that speculation. Nothing is official until it’s announced by the White House. We can’t get ahead of ourselves.”
White House explains JD Vance’s role
Earlier on Wednesday, there were reports that Iranian representatives had indicated to the US that they would prefer to hold talks with Vice President JD Vance rather than Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Leavitt was asked about the change in status now that Vance had become an active participant in the Iran war. He replied that the Vice President has always had active participation.
He said, “Nothing has changed. The Vice President has always been a key member of the national security team and the President’s right-hand man. He played a key role in the 12-day war talks and ceasefire in Gaza. Any reports suggesting otherwise are false.”
Rumors about Iran’s Mohammad Ghalibaf
Multiple reports have suggested that Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, is the Trump administration’s negotiator in the ongoing ‘talks’.
Meanwhile, Ghalibaf warned that the enemy was planning a possible invasion of an Iranian island with the support of an unidentified regional country.
“Based on some intelligence reports, Iran’s enemies are preparing to capture one of the Iranian islands with the support of one of the regional states,” he said in a post on X.
oil prices today
Oil prices rose on Thursday as uncertainty over US-Iran peace talks and resulting optimism kept investors cautious.
West Texas Intermediate rose to $91 a barrel after falling 2 percent on Wednesday, while Brent crude closed above $102 a barrel.
Fee for crossing the Strait of Hormuz
Maritime trackers reported some ships were still transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s largest oil chokepoint guarded by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, each day, with most tankers transiting the Gulf.
News agency AFP, citing shipping journal Lloyd’s List, reported that a handful of ships crossing the strait daily were reportedly using a new route approved by Iran, which was being called the “Tehran Toll Booth”.
At least one of the investigated vessels reportedly paid $2 million to use the narrow waterway around Larak Island, off the coast of Iran.
Follow all updates here:
March 26, 2026 7:06:02 am First
Iran US war live updates: What role does JD Vance play in peace talks?
Iran US War Live Updates: There were reports on Wednesday that Iranian representatives told the US they preferred to negotiate with Vice President JD Vance rather than Trump’s special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Leavitt was asked about the change in status now that Vance had become an active participant in the Iran war. He replied that the Vice President has always had active participation.
He said, “Nothing has changed. The Vice President has always been a key member of the national security team and the President’s right-hand man. He played a key role in the 12-day war talks and ceasefire in Gaza. Any reports suggesting otherwise are false.”
March 26, 2026 6:55:56 am First
Iran US war live updates: What are oil prices today?
Iran US War Live Updates: Oil prices rose on Thursday as uncertainty over US-Iran peace talks and resulting optimism kept investors cautious.
Brent crude closed above $102 a barrel on Wednesday, while West Texas Intermediate rose 2 percent to $91 a barrel.
March 26, 2026 6:55:44 am First
Iran US war live updates: Trump says Tehran ‘afraid’ to accept deal’s willingness
Iran US war live updates: President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran was participating in peace talks but was afraid to say it because Tehran believes it will be killed by its own people.
“Well, they’re negotiating and they want to make a deal. But they’re afraid to say it, because they think they’ll get killed by their own people,” Trump said. “They are also afraid that they will be killed by us,” he said.
March 26, 2026 6:55:33 am First
Iran US War Live Updates: Will peace talks be held in Pakistan? White House gave clarification
Iran US War Live Updates: The White House on Thursday dismissed reports of possible peace talks between Iran and the US in Pakistan, with Press Secretary Carolyn Levitt terming them “speculation”.
He said, “I’ve seen that speculation. Nothing is official until it’s announced by the White House. We can’t get ahead of ourselves.”
March 26, 2026 6:50:16 am First
Iran US war live updates: Tehran says it is reviewing Trump’s peace proposal
Iran US war live updates: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that Tehran is reviewing the US proposal to end the ongoing war. However, he clarified that Iran has no intention of negotiating to reduce the growing conflict in the Middle East.
Exchanging messages through intermediaries “does not mean dialogue with the United States,” Araghchi said on state TV. “He put forward views in his messages which were conveyed to top officials, and if necessary, a position will be announced by him,” he said.
Seth Herzog, a prominent figure in comedy on ‘The Tonight Show,’ found himself in hot water after a recent episode where a poorly considered joke about North Korea sparked outrage among BTS fans. His quip was perceived as an insensitive swipe at the iconic K-pop group, leading to a flood of criticism across social media channels.
With their latest comeback, ‘ARIRANG’, BTS is already promoting the album as much as possible. This also includes a two-day episode feature on ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.’ While fans looked forward to the boys interacting with Fallon again, a recent joke made by one of the show’s cast members sparked significant online backlash. Read ahead to learn more about what happened.
During the Wednesday episode filming of the hit reality talk show, one of the cast members made a comment that did not sit well with the group’s fans, according to TMZ reports. The report cited that Seth Herzog, the show’s warm-up comic, made an insensitive joke about the idol group, which fans did not receive well.The report also cited that during the segment filming, the man allegedly joked, “Anybody here from the North? No? Nobody?”, referring to North Korea. The comment prompted many fans to feel it was a direct jab at the international sensation group. This resulted in many audience members calling out Herzog’s behaviour on social media.This prompted strong reactions from fans, which then led to Herzog directly apologizing to the ‘SWIM’ singers. Additionally, officials from the network that hosts ‘The Tonight Show’ reportedly discussed the sensitive matter with the comedian.
About ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon’
‘The Tonight Show’ is currently one of the most popular and most-watched reality comedy shows on TV. Fallon is the main host who invites celebrities and guests on his show for a talk, to joke around, interact with the audience, and engage in fun and challenging tasks. BTS and Jimmy Fallon’s friendship is notorious amongst the fandom, as the group has already appeared multiple times on the American reality TV show. The two episodes will be available on various streaming platforms such as Hulu and Peacock, and will air on March 25 and March 26, at 11:35 PM, European Time.
NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Finance Bill, with 32 amendments moved by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, including specifying that in case of buyback of shares, additional income tax on capital gains made by promoters will face a 12% surcharge.The Finance Bill had proposed to replace dividend tax applicable to buybacks and had reintroduced capital gains tax. It had provided for an additional capital gains tax applicable in a case where the buyback of shares was from a promoter, where the amendment will now apply.“The Finance Bill 2026 shifts buyback taxation to the shareholder level, but the applicable surcharge was initially unclear, especially for promoters and high-income taxpayers. The amendment now suggests that surcharge on buyback income will be taxed at 12%, which would reduce the effective tax burden,” said Amit Maheshwari, managing partner at consulting firm AKM Global.Besides, there are changes related to tax holiday for startups too which applies to those with turnover up to Rs 100 crore.“The threshold has been increased to Rs 300 crore, with the result that an eligible start-up with turnover up to Rs 300 crore can now qualify for the tax holiday from financial year 2026-27,” said Pranav Sayta, partner and national leader for international tax and transaction services at consulting firm EY India. “Most of the amendments are largely to bring about greater clarity and ensure that the language is in line with the intent of provisions,” he added.He also pointed out that currently, there is no stipulated minimum time for a taxpayer to file an income tax return in response to notice for reopening or reassessment. “Now the amendments specifically provide that the taxpayer must be given a minimum time of 30 days for filing such a return in response to a notice for reopening/reassessments,” Sayta added.Replying to the debate in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said that the budget has taken several “facilitative” steps for the middle class and small businesses. She also said there is a trust-based tax administration, that is being improved by reducing unnecessary hardship for honest taxpayers. FM said India is riding on the “reform express” with reforms not happening out of compulsion, but out of conviction, clarity, confidence and commitment.
NEW DELHI: Ishan Kishan is living his dream at the moment. He waited for his chance, and when it came, he grabbed it with both hands. He performed and is now reaping the rewards of his hard work. Ishan won the 2026 T20 World Cup, bagged two ‘Player of the Match’ awards, and was rewarded with the captaincy of Sunrisers Hyderabad.SRH will kick off their IPL 2026 campaign against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 28.
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RCB’s big changes ahead of IPL: New rules, tribute & squad update
SRH on Wednesday shared a video in which Ishan spoke about his new challenge — leading the side.“I am very overwhelmed, and I am very happy that I got this opportunity to lead this team. And, to be very honest, I am going to just keep it simple, not to do so much because when players come for IPL, I think they are all very good players. You just need to make sure that they are on the right track,” Ishan said.“And their mindset does not change after a few innings, going here and there. And the rest is, you know, it is going to be a good season, I guess, and we will just do it together. I think there is lots and lots and lots of learning in this season because I will tell you, in the last few years, I have understood one thing, the most important thing for a cricketer is to be in a very good headspace throughout the season,” he added.“So, mostly this season, we will make sure we just stay in the present, we just keep it simple and do as much hard work as we can before the match starts. But in the match, we are just going to enjoy the game and take one match at a time,” he added.Ishan had a stellar 2026 T20 World Cup, scoring 317 runs at an average of 35.22, with a strike rate of over 193.“It was, I feel, the best few days of my life because, you know, joining the team suddenly and winning the World Cup with the team, so it was one of the best moments. Because, you know, there was a lot of hard work going on. Players were, a few of them were not in form, but when the time was there, when it was needed the most, everyone played the best possible cricket. And we just tried to play the best role in the team, and I think we all achieved greatness with that this season,” he said.Ishan also spoke about the power of manifestation, saying he always believed he would make a big comeback.“When I was not in the team, there was no–I mean, how do I explain it? There was always this feeling that I would make it to the team anyhow, because I knew that the amount of hard work I would do would be the most important thing. And you know, you always need to believe in yourself,” he said.It was the domestic grind that helped Ishan build his path to the biggest prize in T20I cricket, as he led Jharkhand to its maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) title last year, topping the charts with 517 runs in 10 innings, including two centuries and two fifties.“This will be a message to I feel so many guys, whoever is losing track or whoever is not believing in themselves, and they should know that they are supposed to believe and just keep on working hard. Things will change,” he signed off.
