As Eid is being celebrated across the globe on Saturday, many prominent names from the television industry also shared some of their fond memories from the festival.
Actor Aasif Sheikh, who is seen as Vibhuti Narayan Mishra on the popular television show Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai 2.0, said that for him, Eid has always been a very special and emotional occasion, filled with love, gratitude, and togetherness.
Recalling how Eid used to be for him as a kid, he added, “I still cherish my childhood memories of starting the day with Namaaz, followed by seeking blessings from elders and enjoying a grand feast at home. Dishes like Sheer Khurma, Biryani, and Kebabs were always a highlight.”
He added that over the years, the celebration has grown bigger as it now includes not just his family but also close friends and colleagues.
Revealing his Eid plans for this year, Aasif shared, “This year, I am planning a small get-together with friends at home, and I am also excited to host a special Eid treat for my co-actors on the set. We spend so much time together that the set feels like a second home, and celebrating festivals there makes it even more memorable. Eid, for me, is about spreading smiles, strengthening bonds, and sharing happiness with everyone around.”
Salim Zaidi aka Tillu from Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai 2.0, added that Eid is all about joy, laughter, and being surrounded by people you love.
“As a child, I remember the excitement of wearing new clothes, collecting Eidi, and visiting friends and relatives throughout the day. One of my favourite traditions has always been meeting friends and indulging in festive delicacies like Seviyan and Sheer Khurma. Even today, I make it a point to catch up with my close friends during Eid, as it’s the perfect time to reconnect,” he remembered.
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
Wailing sirens mingling with cries for help. And people, armed and ready, rushing into the flames.
This could be the wildfires of California, 2024.
The tsunami-hit city of Alexandria in 4th century CE Egypt.
Or the cities of Mandalay and Sagaing last year, after the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar.
Across history, catastrophe has been one of humanity’s constants.
As the earth heaved and storms swept through settlements, humans learnt to rely on people who charge towards the chaos when everyone else is running the other way; dig through debris; row into a flooded and silent city, carrying supplies and medicines and looking for signs of life.
For centuries, a certain kind of person has signed up for this role. Now, the world of these first-responders is changing.
As storms, heatwaves, wildfires, floods and cold snaps intensify and become more frequent, new technology is emerging to help them on the ground: slinky robots that can slither through crevices; large ones that can ferry stretchers; drones that can map terrain.
But the aftermath for rescuers is becoming harder to navigate too. Some are reporting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder year after year, as weather-related disasters slam into their regions. Others are suffering from palpitations, nightmares and emotional detachment.
In attempts to address this, support groups are emerging in countries such as Sweden and Iceland. “Sometimes it’s as simple as a unit heading to a sauna together. Even if only one person really needs to talk, everyone will go along so the person could open up in a relaxing, supportive environment,” says Petur Gudmundsson, a firefighter from Stockholm. (Read the stories alongside for more on the new technology and the efforts at support.)
Meanwhile, a quick look back.
***
Organised disaster response is ancient. In the 1st century CE, the Roman emperor Augustus formed a group of men, the Vigiles, whose job was to patrol the streets, on the lookout for fires in Rome’s densely populated cities. They then worked together to tackle flames, using pumps, buckets, poles and hooks.
Before this, the Greek-Egyptian mathematician Ctesibius, in Alexandria, is credited with inventing the first fire pump, a hand-operated, twin-cylinder machine, in the 3rd century BCE.
By the 11th century CE, China had a professional fire brigade set up under Emperor Renzong, with personnel allotted specific duties such as extinguishing flames, maintaining law and order, salvaging precious possessions, and administering first-aid. By the 13th century, this force in modern-day Hangzhou had grown to more than 5,000, and encompassed 10 watchtowers.
In the modern era, global bodies such as the United Nations Disaster Relief Office (set up in 1971), the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Coordinator (since 1971) and the 2015 Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction have helped shape aid distribution, early-warning systems, preparedness and response.
By 1995, robots were being experimented with, amid the unstable rubble of the Oklahoma City bombing in the US and the Great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake in Kobe, Japan. Shoebox-sized variants would later be used at the twin towers after the 9/11 attacks in New York in 2001, after the Tohoku tsunami in Japan in 2011, and in the wake of the Mexico City earthquake in 2017.
As protocols improve, the number of deaths from natural disasters has fallen, from over 50,000 a year in the 1970s to less than 20,000 a year in the 2010s, according to the World Meteorological Organization’s WMO Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses from Weather, Climate and Water Extremes (1970-2019). (This despite the boom in populations and urban density; global population has grown, for context, from 3.7 billion to over 7.8 billion in this time).
In a corresponding statistic that India is justifiably proud of, while about 10,000 people tragically died in the 1999 Odisha super-cyclone, the toll was just 64 in May 2019, when Fani, a rare summer cyclone and one of the fiercest on record, hit the eastern state.
“Our response forces are now called upon by other countries such as Sri Lanka (after Cyclone Ditwah, 2025) and Myanmar (after the 2025 earthquake and 2024 Typhoon Yagi),” says Anil Kumar Gupta, a strategic consultant on disaster resilience, and a professor with the Integrated Centre for Adaptation to Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction and Sustainability (ICARS) at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Roorkee.
***
We’ll have to pat ourselves on the back rather quickly and keep moving.
It will take new technology, new approaches, and even more rapid response to tackle intensifying natural disasters as their numbers climb.
From 350 to 500 medium-to-large-scale disasters a year over the past two decades, there are estimated to be 560 a year by 2030, according to the 2022 Global Assessment Report, released by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).
In Italy, a giant icebox is helping first-responders train.
In the US, France and India, new robots and drones are being built.
In California, a startup called Rain is testing AI-guided autonomous aircraft that create their own flight plans, lift their own water and aim to put out wildfires in their earliest stages.
What of the men and women at the frontlines amid all this? Read on for more on how disasters are being tackled differently, and what life is like after the flames have been put out.
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SIM CITY: TRAINING FOR EXTREMES INSIDE A CLIMATE SIMULATOR IN ITALY
Temperatures inside terraXcube can drop to -40 and rise to 60 degrees Celsius. (Eurac Research, Andrea De Giovanni)
It’s a bit like walking into a giant, noisy freezer.
Except, instead of pantry staples, one may choose between a range of life-threatening disaster scenarios: blizzards, avalanches, icy slopes, a thunderstorm and rain.
Temperatures can drop to -40 degrees Celsius and rise to 60 degrees Celsius. Snow, wind and rain can be programmed to whip through at varying speeds. The air can be engineered to have the effect, on the human body, of plodding at an altitude of 9,000 metres, complete with drops in air pressure and oxygen levels.
This is terraXcube, an extreme-climate simulation centre in Bolzano, Italy, where first-responders are training for the region’s intensifying superstorms.
The lab is the brainchild of Hermann Brugger, a physician and founder of the Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine at Eurac Research.
As a mountaineer and researcher for over 40 years, he knew how difficult it was to train for something like emergency medical care at high altitude in a super-blizzard. For years, he looked for a solution. What kind of environment would be safe and controlled but could also simulate how variable and extreme the weather in the Dolomites and Alps can now be?
Eventually, he and other engineers and researchers at Eurac Research designed and built terraXcube. The 1,270-sq-ft facility, home to six chambers of varying sizes, opened in 2019.
Wall treadmills, textured mats and portable ramps help create slopes, while audio and video projection systems complete the experience. In addition to training mountain rescuers, emergency medical personnel, engineers, pilots and anyone operating at extreme heights, the labs are also being used to test machines, materials and industrial prototypes.
Training sessions involve people or mannequins who need to be spotted, moved to safety and revived. (Eurac Research, Andrea De Giovanni)
First-responder training sessions involve people or mannequins who need to be spotted, moved to safety and revived. “Rescuers have to assess the situation, do an initial check, stabilise the patient if needed and move them, all while battling Alpine-storm conditions,” says Christian Steurer, head of operations at terraXcube. “If there is any indication of a health risk, the control room can quickly dial back the conditions and attend to the trainees.”
So far, about 100 first-responders have trained at the lab, Steurer says; the private facility is open to clients around the world, and costs the equivalent of ₹2 lakh per day for the largest chamber.
Meanwhile, these simulations are throwing up interesting findings that could help in unforeseen ways. The prevalence of white in medical machinery, for instance, has been found to pose an issue; these instruments can easily be lost in the snow. Brighter, neon covers are now being used locally, Steurer says. Plastic coating may also need to be reinforced on machines such as respirators, to keep them operational when temperatures dip well below zero.
The cube is offering lessons in communication too. “Rescuers operate under extreme stress. At the climate simulator, they can train for that in a safe way, experiment and establish a chain of command, factor in agitation, and repeat this again and again. That’s the coolest thing,” Steurer says.
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RAISING A ROBOT ARMY IN US, EUROPE, JAPAN
The Soft Pathfinding Robotic Observation Unit, or SPROUT, created by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT’s) Lincoln Laboratory. (Tim Briggs / MIT Lincoln Laboratory)
It looks like a cross between a balloon animal and a firefighter’s water hose.
The inflatable tube is controlled via joystick and can be sent into rubble through a narrow crack, from where it can continue to squeeze through small spaces and bend around corners, inflating and deflating as needed. One end of the tube features a camera and sensors that give operators access to a live feed.
The Soft Pathfinding Robotic Observation Unit, or SPROUT, created by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT’s) Lincoln Laboratory, could be a leap forward in rescue operations at collapsed structures.
Existing robots have, of course, been used since the early Aughts, to identify heat signatures and find survivors; deliver food, water and medicine; and offer views of what lies beneath the rubble. But all these bots need two things: access holes big enough to fit through, and clear routes within.
Rescuers can spend precious hours figuring out how to blast those access holes; and things can still go very wrong. Once inside, the bots’ movements remain restricted and cumbersome.
Sprout changes this. Its soft, tubular body can scale walls and slither. It can help rescuers figure out how to proceed by reporting on the presence of victims as well as of reinforced concrete, steel or live power lines.
The robot, developed in collaboration with researchers at University of Notre Dame, has already been tested at a Massachusetts Task Force 1 training site, says project lead Nathaniel Hanson. “In the next phase, we’re trying to make it more agile and sturdy,” he adds.
ANIMAL INSTINCTS
Sprout isn’t the only one.
A group of scientists from eight countries — UK, Greece, Austria, Ireland, France, Norway, Japan and Germany — have created the Soft Miniaturised Underground Robotic Finder, or SMURF, to serve a similar purpose. The light, two-wheeled, remote-controlled robot can navigate rubble to help operators visualise and map a disaster site.
The Smurf can scan the air for volatile organic compounds such as carbon dioxide and ammonia, emitted by human beings. (Tohoku University)
In addition to cameras, microphones and speakers, its head is also fitted with a powerful chemical sensor called the Sniffer. This lets Smurf scan the air for volatile organic compounds such as carbon dioxide and ammonia, emitted by human beings.
In doing so, it can help distinguish between living and deceased individuals, allowing first-responders to prioritise rescue, says Tiina Ristmae, a research coordinator with the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief, which coordinated the project.
In trials conducted in Japan and parts of Europe, the Sniffer provided accurate readings on trapped victims even amid smoke and rain, Ristmae adds.
“This technology is not aimed at replacing dogs or other existing protocols; it can act as an additional aid to speed up and make rescue more efficient. Dogs can further confirm Smurf findings, and the robots can be sent in again and again, even when the dogs cannot,” she says.
The ANYmal will carry small indoor drones for situational assessment and mapping, a robotic arm to open doors and turn off valves, and a set of visual and thermal cameras. (THW / Robin Ramos-Hoffman)
Some members of this team are now working on a quadrupedal robot, ANYmal, that would carry small indoor drones for situational assessment and mapping, a robotic arm to open doors and turn off valves, and a set of visual and thermal cameras.
And the team is working on Snake, a robotic device that can be used to detect signs of life in narrow spaces and voids amid rubble, equipped with multiple cameras and sensors that can monitor environmental gasses.
“The idea,” Ristmäe says, “is to create an arsenal of robots that can help first-responders assess threats in the environment, damage, and structural stability from a safe distance.”
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THROUGH THE SMOKE: LAKES IN THE AIR IN THE US
Why can’t we get to forest fires before they become the blazes that are so hard to control?
That’s a question that has haunted California-based entrepreneur Maxwell Brodie.
Finally, as the wildfires grew in frequency and intensity — the past five years have been labelled the most extreme on record, with at least 13.5 million hectares of forest area lost around the world in 2024 alone — Brodie decided to act on an idea that had been taking shape in his mind.
Rain and Sikorsky demonstrate and test autonomous wildfire suppression techniques in collaboration with firefighters from the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District. (Rain / Ted Carlson)
His startup, Rain, draws on information from the thousands of fire-detection cameras across western USA, and links them with a select set of aircraft that have been fitted with AI-based autopilot software. When the cameras detect flames, the plan is for these prepositioned aircraft take off autonomously, lift water from designated water bodies, and head to the flames to put them out.
Since 2023, Rain has worked with the US defence and aerospace manufacturer Sikorsky to demonstrate the autonomous capacity required to position such aircraft in remote areas, based on assessments of wildfire risk.
The system supports both crewed and uncrewed missions, Brodie says. The aim is to help firefighters “with new tools to address the increase in frequency and severity of these catastrophic events,” he adds.
Rain is still in the operational demonstration phase and is being tested by fire departments in the region.
RELYING ON PAM
NASA is working on something similar too.
The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration is developing airspace management technology that could allow firefighting agencies to use drones and helicopters fitted with autonomous piloting technology. The hope is that this will allow first-responders to monitor and fight wildfires even amid low-visibility, especially at night.
NASA’s Portable Airspace Management System or PAMS would act as a sort of suitcase-sized air traffic control kit, allowing unmanned craft to do the job when humans cannot, and aiding human efforts.
Each PAMS unit will consist of a flight tracker, a radio to communicate with units within the network, and a broadcast receiver for communication with other nearby craft, to avoid collisions.
Each drones or helicopter operating within the Pams network would register its flight plan, operational intent and positional data with the management system in real-time, and then get to work.
“We’ve conducted successful trials but we’re working on more,” says Min Xue, project manager of the Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO) project, under which PAMS was developed. “We’re also focusing on how to place this technology in the hands of firefighters.”
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A RHYNO, A FAUX SHARK, A RUBBLE LEADER TO THE RESCUE
India is also focusing on rescue robots and technology that can aid first-responders.
The Ryhno can help extinguish fires with a 1,000-litre-per-minute water cannon, is resistant to temperatures of up to 900 degrees Celsius, and can climb a 40-degree slope and navigate stairs. (Shark Robotics)
* Last year, the Telangana government’s disaster response department added a new member to its fleet: The Rhyno.
Standing 3.7 ft tall, the robot (shaped like a tiny military tank) can help extinguish fires with a 1,000-litre-per-minute water cannon, is resistant to temperatures of up to 900 degrees Celsius, and can climb a 40-degree slope and navigate stairs.
It can be operated by firefighters from a distance, and is fitted with thermal cameras. It can carry equipment weighing up to 100 kg, and be fitted with stretcher-carriers. It was developed by the French company Shark Robotics. Rhyno has been used in operations in Hyderabad.
Since its launch in 2023, the water drone has been used to aid rescue and relief efforts in Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh (Indian Rescue Academy)
* In Maharashtra, the Indian Rescue Academy, a privately run disaster-response training institute set up in 2014, has developed a remote-controlled water drone with a double-jet propulsion system that lets it glide through water to rescue stranded victims and tow them to safety. It can reach speeds of 20 knots, and navigate waves up to 4 ft high.
Since its launch in 2023, it has been used to aid rescue and relief efforts in Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. “It not only saves rescue time, it also helps safeguard rescuers, especially in choppy flood waters where it’s too dangerous for even a rescuer,” says PB Bharath Kumar, assistant vice-president of the Academy.
* On the excavation-rescue front, the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) has developed a real-time mapping solution called UbiqMap that uses readings from rescuers’ body cameras and radio-wave readings from their walkie-talkies to build a chart of any given indoor terrain.
A reduction in radio signal power, for instance, is analysed to determine whether the obstruction causing it is made of wood or concrete or steel, says Ayon Chakraborty, assistant professor of computer science and engineering at IIT-M. “This can help first-responders more quickly plan their next course of action.”
As cameras and radios carried by multiple rescuers yield readings, the centralised system can update the map in real time. “We are currently in the process of prototyping a wearable version of the technology to prepare for field trials,” Chakraborty says.
United States President Donald Trump says he is considering “winding down” the military operations in Iran even as his administration deploys 2,500 additional marines to the region and asks Congress for more money to fund the war.
In a social media post on Friday, Trump said the US was “getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East”.
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The mixed messages from Trump came after another climb in oil prices plunged the US stock markets. His administration also announced that it was lifting sanctions on Iranian oil already loaded on ships, a move aimed at wrangling the soaring fuel prices.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, in a post on X shortly after Trump’s message, said “the President and the Pentagon predicted it would take approximately 4-6 weeks to achieve this mission.
“Tomorrow [Saturday] marks week 3 – and the US Armed Forces are doing an exceptional job,” Leavitt wrote. “Day by day, the Iranian Regime is being crippled, and their ability to threaten the United States and our allies is being significantly weakened.”
Al Jazeera’s Rosiland Jordan, reporting from Washington, said four to six weeks is “the new number coming from the Trump administration about when Operation Epic Fury could possibly end”.
“The White House has never been clear since the war began on February 28 about just how long the war was going to take, how many different platforms it would be fought on, and what would be the final metric for the US deciding to declare victory,” she said.
But the three-week-old war has shown no signs of abating, with the US-Israeli forces attacking the Iranian capital, Tehran, and nearby areas as the country welcomed the first day of the Persian new year, Nowruz. At least two people were killed by shelling on a residential area in the village of Dastak in northern Iran’s Kiashahr, Gilan province’s governor said.
Meanwhile, Iran fired two ballistic missiles at the Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean, run jointly by the US and the United Kingdom, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Saturday.
Israel said Iranian forces continued to fire missiles at it early on Saturday, while Saudi Arabia said it downed 20 drones in just a couple of hours in the country’s eastern region – home to major oil installations.
US near completion of goals: Trump
The US and Israel have offered shifting rationales for the war at different times, from hoping to foment an uprising that topples Iran’s leadership to eliminating its nuclear and missile programmes.
While Trump claimed the US is “very close” to meeting the war’s objectives, his administration is moving to bolster its firepower in the region and request another $200bn from Congress to fund the war.
Earlier this week, the US redirected another group of amphibious assault ships carrying 2,500 marines from the Pacific to the Middle East. The marines will join more than 50,000 US troops already in the region.
Trump has said he has no plans to send ground forces into Iran, but has also asserted that he retains all options.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Friday said Iran has dealt “a dizzying blow” to its enemies and that the US-Israeli war on his country was a “gross miscalculation”.
In a written statement read on Iranian television to mark Nowruz, Khamenei praised the Iranians’ steadfastness in the face of war. Khamenei has not been seen in public since he became the supreme leader following the Israeli strikes that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and reportedly wounded him.
More than 1,400 people have been killed in Iran during the war, according to the authorities, while Israeli bombing has killed more than 1,000 people in Lebanon. In Israel, at least 18 people have been killed by Iranian missiles, while at least 13 US soldiers have died so far, according to officials.
Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali got himself into a fix when he forgot his bag at one of the shops at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. As he had already come out of the airport, he was unable to go back. However, Mumbai Police came to his rescue and helped retrieve his bag.
Imtiaz Ali thanks Mumbai Police for retrieving his bag
Expressing his gratitude towards Mumbai Police for helping him get his lost bag, the Laila Majnu maker took to the Stories section of his official Instagram handle and shared a photo of himself with the officer who came to his assistance. He shared a thank you note saying, “Forgot my bag at a shop inside and came out of the airport and into a fix!! couldn`t enter back!! But mumbaipolice was there to help. Mr Nazim Pathan went out of his way for me. Thank you sir, Jao Hind! (sic).”
Imtiaz Ali`s work front
Work-wise, Imtiaz is currently awaiting the release of his forthcoming period romantic entertainer, Main Vaapas Aaunga. The cast includes Diljit Dosanjh, Vedang Raina, Sharvari Wagh, and Naseeruddin Shah, along with others.
The recently released teaser of the drama shows Diljit as the voice behind a beautiful pre-partition love story featuring Vedang and Sharvari. However, their simple romance ends up facing socio-political obstacles. Towards the end of the clip, Vedang is heard declaring, “Main vaapas aaunga, (I will come back)”.
Main Vaapas Aaunga is expected to release in the cinema halls on 12th June. In January, the makers shared the release date for the highly anticipated drama with a social media post. They wrote, “Imtiaz Ali’s next, a charming story of love and longing to release in cinemas on 12th June, 2026. Applause Entertainment Presents, A Window Seat Films Production. Starring: Diljit Dosanjh, Vedang Raina, Sharvari, Naseeruddin Shah Directed by Imtiaz Ali Music by A.R. Rahman Lyrics by Irshad Kamil Produced by: Applause Entertainment, Window Seat Films, Mohit Choudhary.”
Produced by Applause Entertainment, Window Seat Films, and Mohit Choudhary, the film also marks the reunion of Imtiaz with the Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman and lyricist Irshad Kamil.
Prior to their white-ball assignment in England, reigning world champions India will play two Twenty20 Internationals in Ireland on June 26 and June 28, respectively, the BCCI announced on Saturday. For the first time since 2007, the Indian team will play both games at Belfast.
“Team India (Senior Men) will travel to Ireland for a two-match T20I series in June 2026.” BCCI statement said.
“Having toured Ireland three times in the past eight years (2018, 2022 and 2023). This tour will mark India`s return to Belfast for the first time since 2007,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a statement.
The BCCI statement was released two days after Graham West, Ireland`s director of high performance, announced Paul Stirling`s resignation as their T20I captain and confirmed the series.
India will go to England for five Twenty20 Internationals and three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) from July 1–19 after hosting Afghanistan for a single Test and a three-match ODI series that ends on June 20.
In the last seven years, India has made three trips to Ireland, drawing sizable crowds to Malahide on the outskirts of Dublin.
INDIA`S TOUR OF IRELAND 2026: FULL SCHEDULE:
1st T20I – Friday, June 26 Time: 3:00 PM Local (7:30 PM IST) Venue: Belfast
2nd T20I – Sunday, June 28 Time: 3:00 PM Local (7:30 PM IST) Venue: Belfast
India to play T20 and ODIs in England after Ireland tour
The Indian men`s cricket team is scheduled to tour England in July 2026 for a white-ball series consisting of five T20 Internationals (T20Is) and three One Day Internationals (ODIs) between July 1 and July 19, 2026. Venues include Durham, Manchester, Nottingham, Bristol, Southampton, Cardiff, and Lord`s.
India, the current T20 World champions, have won back-to-back World Cups. The series is expected to draw huge crowds as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli may tour England for the final time, having announced their retirement from Tests and T20Is.
India will have one eye on the ODI World Cup 2027 as they get ready for the marquee event in South Africa. India will start as one of the favourites for the tournament, having ended up as runner-up in the 2023 edition.
MUMBAI: HDFC Bank has terminated three employees, including senior executives, after an internal probe into the alleged mis-selling of Credit Suisse AT-1 bonds to NRI clients at its UAE operations. The action follows regulatory scrutiny and investor complaints. Shares of the bank closed down 2.4%, continuing Thursday’s decline following the sudden resignation of the bank’s chairman Atanu Chakraborty.The employees dismissed include Sampath Kumar, group head of branch banking, Harsh Gupta, EVP for Middle East, Africa and NRI business, and Payal Mandhyan, SVP, for their roles in selling high-risk AT-1 bonds through the bank’s Dubai branch, in an episode that began in Jan 2025 and has since drawn attention to persistent concerns around such instruments after the Credit Suisse collapse.In response to a query, HDFC bank said, “The bank identified certain gaps in client onboarding requirements at its DIFC branch in the UAE and has completed a detailed and objective review of the matter. “Appropriate remedial actions have been taken in line with internal policies. Personnel changes have been undertaken along with appropriate action as per the bank’s conduct regulation.”AT-1 bonds are debt instruments with equity-like features. They offer higher yields but do not appreciate like equity, and the issuer’s liabilities can be extinguished if the bank’s net worth is impaired. In the event of bankruptcy, these instruments rank lowest among fixed income securities for repayment priority.According to allegations, staff in the Dubai and Bahrain branches persuaded NRI clients to shift FCNR deposits from India to Bahrain by presenting the bonds as fixed-maturity products with assured returns. Investors were asked to sign blank documents, and key disclosures on the perpetual nature and high risk of AT-1 bonds were omitted.These bonds were later written off during the UBS-led bailout of Credit Suisse, leading to losses for investors. The probe began in Jan 2025 after complaints from NRI investors and led to the suspension of Harsh Gupta and Payal Mandhyan. The bank’s internal investigation, conducted amid restrictions imposed by the Dubai Financial Services Authority, concluded on March 18 resulting in the terminations. The Dubai regulator barred the bank from onboarding new clients in the emirate, and the lender faces investor lawsuits.
Filmmaker SS Rajamouli has praised Dhurandhar: The Revenge, calling it better than the first film and highlighting its scale, writing, and emotional depth. He described the film’s technical aspects and direction as “flawless,” while noting that its emotional stakes keep the narrative grounded. He also commended the performances, particularly Ranveer Singh’s, and acknowledged Aditya Dhar for taking the risk of making a four-hour-long film.
Director Aditya Dhar’s spy thriller received high praise from SS. Rajamouli for its emotional depth and technical execution, especially Ranveer Singh’s dual performance.
Rajamouli shared his Dhurandhar review
Calling the film an upgrade over its predecessor, Rajamouli wrote, “I loved Dhurandhar-1, but The Revenge surpassed the original in both scale and soul.” He went on to describe the film’s writing, casting, technical execution, music, world design, and direction as “flawless,” adding that it is ultimately the emotional depth that anchors the spectacle.
Calling the film an upgrade over its predecessor, Rajamouli wrote, “I loved Dhurandhar-1, but The Revenge surpassed the original in both scale and soul.” He went on to describe the film’s writing, casting, technical execution, music, world design, and direction as “flawless,” adding that it is ultimately the emotional depth that anchors the spectacle.
The director also singled out Ranveer Singh for his performance, calling it a standout. “What a performance, man… The sequence with the sister in the shed is a masterclass in acting. From that beginning to the heart-wrenching climax, you mesmerised us both as Hamza and Jaskirat,” he wrote.
He further praised R. Madhavan, noting that the actor “carried the helplessness and frustration of a nation so well that we felt your success as ours.” Concluding his note, Rajamouli congratulated the entire team for what he termed a “resounding success.”
About Dhurandhar: The Revenge
Dhurandhar: The Revenge features an ensemble cast including Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Rakesh Bedi and others. The film, directed by Aditya Dhar, is a spy-action thriller that follows a high-stakes narrative of revenge, with Ranveer Singh portraying Hamza, alias Jaskirat, as the story unfolds amid geopolitical tensions and personal conflict.
At the box office, the film has delivered a massive start. After collecting around ₹43 crore in paid previews and over ₹100 crore on its opening day, Dhurandhar 2 has now crossed approximately ₹240–269 crore globally within just two days of release, underlining its blockbuster trajectory.
NEW DELHI: With a strong squad at their disposal, the Gujarat Titans face a tricky task in finalising their playing combination for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The Shubman Gill-led side will have to take a key call on two versatile all-rounders — Shahrukh Khan and Rahul Tewatia — both of whom bring valuable finishing ability in the death overs.Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Game Plan – Know Your Team’, JioStar expert Sanjay Bangar shared his assessment of how GT could approach their combinations this season.
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Shashi Tharoor & Samson’s Redemption Story: From Setbacks to Glory
“One thing GT have done is persist with the players they selected in the first place. They have stuck with Shahrukh Khan and Rahul Tewatia. Washington Sundar has been given a role in T20 cricket for them. Not necessarily with the ball, but he comes in to bat in important positions, maybe at number four. I see a similar role for Washington Sundar, more with the bat. We hope Shahrukh Khan repays the faith shown by the GT management in him. He showed signs of improvement last season, scoring runs at crucial times. If both Tewatia and Shahrukh play, one could be used as an impact player. If they contribute lower down the order, that will help GT a lot because most runs came from the top order last time,” said Bangar.Bangar also highlighted that adding Glenn Phillips to the playing XI could significantly boost Gujarat’s batting firepower.He further analysed why Rashid Khan’s mystery factor appears to have reduced in T20 cricket.“Rashid Khan’s mystery factor fading away can be a combination of multiple factors. There is now broad familiarity among batters on how to play him. Batsmen have had enough look-ins because Rashid plays in all major franchise T20 leagues. He is a franchise king. Players all around the world get opportunities to play against him. The more you face a bowler, the more your mind starts finding methods to deal with him. The pitch at Narendra Modi Stadium is not on the slower side. A major part of his game was to hit the pads or get bowled dismissals by keeping the stumps in play. That goes away a little bit.“The injury he had, he has come back from it. It may be taking a toll in terms of the pace at which he is bowling. These are factors that may have diminished his returns a little. But he is still a bowler who picks up two or three wickets and bowls with an economy rate of under eight an over,” said Bangar, who has previously coached the Punjab Kings.
BTS has smashed records with the release of their fifth full album, Arirang, which sold a staggering 3.98 million copies on its first day, according to Big Hit Music, the HYBE-owned label. According to the label, the album’s debut sets a new benchmark in K-pop, surpassing the group’s previous first-week sales record. Fans around the world have embraced the album, propelling it to the top of multiple international charts and highlighting BTS’ global influence. The overwhelming response centres on the group’s first full-group comeback in nearly 4 years.
BTS’s upcoming concert, The Comeback Live: Arirang, marks their first full-group performance in nearly four years, streamed live on Netflix.
Arirang is dominating charts in 88 countries
Arirang has dominated the iTunes Top Albums chart in 88 countries, including Italy, Mexico, and Sweden. Its lead track, Swim, has also topped iTunes Top Songs charts in 90 countries, including the US, UK, Japan, Germany, and France. In South Korea, Swim quickly rose to No. 1 on real-time charts like Melon and Bugs, with all tracks from the album entering Melon’s Top 100. The song maintained its top position for hours, underscoring its instant popularity.
The music video for Swim has had a major global impact, trending at No. 1 in 70 countries, including the US, UK, Mexico, and France. With striking visuals, high-energy choreography, and the group’s signature storytelling, the video has captivated fans worldwide. Produced under the guidance of Bang Si-hyuk, Arirang explores BTS’s identity, the challenges they have faced, and the universal emotions of growth, perseverance, and resilience. Swim embodies the idea of pushing forward despite life’s obstacles, resonating deeply with listeners.
The album’s record-breaking sales surpass BTS’s previous first-week milestone of 3.37 million copies set by Map of the Soul: 7 in February 2020, achieved in a fraction of the time. This remarkable achievement demonstrates the group’s continued global appeal and the loyalty of their fanbase, known as ARMY, which spans continents and generations.
About BTS comeback concert
BTS is set to hold their highly anticipated BTS The Comeback Live: Arirang concert at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, marking the group’s first full-group performance in nearly four years. The event will be streamed live globally on Netflix, giving fans worldwide a chance to watch the performance in real time. The band is expected to perform tracks from their new album Arirang, including the lead single Swim, blending high-energy choreography with emotionally resonant moments. Anticipation is high as fans eagerly await what promises to be a historic milestone in BTS’s comeback journey. Fans in India can watch BTS’s The Comeback Live: ARIRANG concert live on Netflix at 4:30 PM IST on March 21, 2026
Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo put out a heartfelt post on the occasion of Father’s Day in Portugal on Thursday, March 19. He Instagrammed this picture, enjoying the occasion on a yacht, surrounded by fiancé Georgina Rodriguez and children Cristiano Jr, Eva, Matteo, Alana, and Bella. He captioned the post: “Where I come from and who I live for. Happy Father’s Day.” The post received 10.1 million ‘likes.’
“How lucky our children are to have you as their father,” replied Georgina.
