Queen of pop Madonna, who made a return to Coachella joining headliner Sabrina Carpenter, thanked the Expresso hitmaker for helping her bring her upcoming album Confessions II on stage.
Madonna took to Instagram, where she shared a string of images featuring her and Carpenter from their performance at Coachella, a festival that features a myriad genres of music, including rock, pop, hip-hop, and EDM, alongside multiple stages. It was founded in 1999 and takes place over two weekends in April.
India’s economy is projected to grow at 6.4 per cent in 2026 and 6.6 per cent in 2027, according to a United Nations report, indicating the country’s continued position as a key driver of growth in the Asia-Pacific region.The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), in its latest Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2026, said the region’s economies expanded by 5.4 per cent in 2025, up from 5.2 per cent in 2024, largely supported by strong performance in India.India’s growth rose to 7.4 per cent in 2025, “supported by robust consumption, especially from the rural economy along with goods and services tax rate cuts, and export frontloading ahead of the United States’ tariffs,” the report noted, according to news agency PTI.
The report flagged that economic activity in India slowed in the latter half of 2025, mainly due to a sharp 25 per cent fall in exports to the United States after Washington imposed 50 per cent tariffs in August last year. Despite this, the services sector remained a major growth engine.Inflation is expected to stay relatively stable, projected at 4.4 per cent in 2026 and 4.3 per cent in 2027, indicating a controlled price environment alongside steady expansion.
ESCAP highlighted that foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into developing Asia-Pacific economies declined by 2 per cent in 2025 amid trade tensions and geopolitical uncertainty, even as global FDI flows rose. India, however, remained among the top destinations for greenfield investments, attracting about $50 billion in the first three quarters of the year.The report also pointed to the importance of remittances in sustaining household consumption. India, the world’s largest remittance recipient with $137 billion in 2024, could face challenges after the United States imposed a 1 per cent tax on such transfers from January 2026.
ESCAP emphasised the role of clean energy transition in shaping future growth. It cited estimates showing 16.6 million green jobs globally, with India accounting for about 1.3 million. Policies like India’s production-linked incentive scheme were highlighted as key tools to boost domestic manufacturing in sectors such as solar energy, batteries and green hydrogen.“Governments can leverage the energy transition… to foster new domestic industries,” the report said, stressing the importance of targeted industrial policies.The UN outlook aligns broadly with recent projections by the International Monetary Fund, which also expects India to remain the world’s fastest-growing major economy. However, global risks remain, particularly from ongoing geopolitical tensions and trade disruptions.Despite these uncertainties, the UN report suggests India’s economic fundamentals remain strong, supported by domestic demand, policy support and its growing role in global supply chains.
Filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya has announced his next film, Yeh Prem Mol Liya, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Sharvari. The film promises to be a musical family entertainer and is set to release in theatres on November 27. Rajshri Productions, in association with Mahaveer Jain Films, is all set to light up the big screen post-Diwali with this film. After winning the National Award for Best Director for his critically acclaimed 2022 film Uunchai, Barjatya returns with a quintessential family entertainer.
On Monday, Sooraj Barjatya officially announced his upcoming film through his production house. The film will feature music by Himesh Reshammiya.
The buzz around Matka King continues to grow, with the series drawing strong appreciation not just from audiences but also from several prominent names in the film industry. Following its premiere on Amazon Prime Video on April 17, actors Aamir Khan and Vicky Kaushal, along with filmmaker Karan Johar, have shared their reactions on social media. (Also read: Matka King review: Vijay Varma hits the jackpot, but this templated Nagraj Manjule show never places a risky bet )
Taking to Instagram Stories, Aamir Khan Productions shared a note congratulating the team behind the show while highlighting its central character. In the message, Aamir revealed that Ratan Khatri is a role he would have loved to portray, adding that he has been hearing strong word-of-mouth about the series. He also mentioned that he plans to watch the show soon after the release of Ek Din.
Meanwhile, Vicky Kaushal also took to Instagram Stories to share his reaction. Calling filmmaker Nagraj Manjule one of his favourite directors, he revealed that Matka King is next on his watchlist and that he is looking forward to watching it.
Filmmaker Karan Johar joined the list of admirers by sharing a poster of the series, led by Vijay Varma, on his Instagram Stories. Clearly impressed, he described the show as an unmissable watch. “What a show!!! The perfect BINGE!!!! Congratulations to the entire team of #matkaking…you can’t miss it,” he wrote.
Directed by Nagraj Manjule and created by Abhay Koranne, Matka King features an ensemble cast including Kritika Kamra, Sai Tamhankar, Siddharth Jadhav, Bhupendra Jadawat and Gulshan Grover. Since its premiere on April 17, the series has been trending across platforms.
Set between 1964 and 1975, Matka King traces the journey of Brij Bhatti, an ambitious cotton trader who teams up with a disgraced former soldier and an upper-class widow to launch a gambling game called “Matka.” What starts off as a small, underground activity gradually expands into a thriving parallel economy, offering a sense of opportunity and escape to a generation navigating the early years of independent India.
Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and her daughter Aaradhya Bachchan’s bond often melts hearts online. Recently, the actor surprised her daughter at the airport as she returned from a school trip and captured her reaction on camera. The video has surfaced online, and fans can’t stop gushing over their bond.
In the video, Aishwarya can be seen fulfilling her mum duties, waiting for her daughter alongside other parents. As soon as she spots Aaradhya exiting the airport, she pulls out her camera to capture the moment. Aaradhya is visibly overjoyed to see her mother and immediately rushes towards her for a warm hug. Aishwarya looks equally excited, cherishing the heartfelt reunion.
The actor is also seen turning photographer for her daughter, clicking pictures of Aaradhya with her friends before they head towards the car. Aishwarya looks elegant in a white shirt and blue denim, completing her chic look with sunglasses and a sling bag. Aaradhya, on the other hand, is seen in her school uniform paired with a cap.
Fans showered love on the duo. One comment read, “Best mum in the world.” Another wrote, “This looks like a regular mum duty. Best mum ever.” Another comment read, “She is so invested as a mum!! How blessed are you, Aaradhya.” A fan also wrote, “Cute mother and daughter,” while another added, “How cute, she is photographing Aaradhya with friends.”
Aaradhya is often seen by her mother’s side at high-profile events, from award shows to international platforms, quietly cheering her on and celebrating her achievements. She has also accompanied Aishwarya to the Cannes Film Festival, watching her light up the red carpet. This time, however, the roles were beautifully reversed. Instead of Aaradhya watching her mother shine, it was Aishwarya who stepped back to capture her daughter’s joyful moments.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan tied the knot in 2007 after dating for a brief period. The couple embraced parenthood in 2011 with the birth of their daughter, Aaradhya. They are often seen cheering her on at school events.
Speaking about parenting, Abhishek shared in a recent podcast with Lily Singh, “In my home, as parents, both of us try to be the best example for Aaradhya instead of telling her what is right and what is wrong. We believe in showing what to do by being that ourselves. It’s never been like, ‘Okay, I’ll teach her self-defence.’ If you’ve seen my wife, she can take care of herself. It’s never been divided like, ‘I’ll teach her self-defence, you teach her to be empathetic.’ No, it’s not that.” He added that there is no sense of competition between them as parents.
Sina* is a 28-year-old video editing assistant who fought hard to build a life in Tehran. After completing mandatory military service, he refused to return to his hometown of Neyshabur in eastern Iran, knowing opportunities for a young man with a background in film editing and independent student theatre were bleak there. Through a college friend, he found his footing at a video content creation studio in the capital, climbing from camera assistant to assistant video editor within six months, before losing his job as a result of the US-Israel war on Iran. As told to Arya Farahand.
It has been a few days since the guns fell silent, and the sliver of hope I felt when the ceasefire was announced is already fading. Out of all the resumes I sent in desperation, only one company called me for an interview. The salary they offered would not cover the bare minimum to survive. My family keeps calling from Neyshabur, repeating the same line: “Come back, there’s work for you here.” What they intend as a lifeline feels like salt in the wound.
list of 3 itemsend of list
I had stopped taking money from my father, my salary grew, and I was buying gifts for my two sisters. I was, for the first time in my life, truly independent. Now, I am sitting in my grandmother’s empty apartment in Tehran, staring at a phone with almost no internet, waiting for a job offer that’s not coming.
This is what the war has done to me. Not a scratch on my body, but everything else – gone.
The morning the war started, we were in a briefing meeting, drinking tea. A colleague had brought fresh croissants. Then we heard the roar of a fighter jet, a whistle, and seconds later, an explosion.
Our initial instinct wasn’t terror, but naive curiosity. Against every survival guide we had read from the previous war, we piled into the elevator and went up to the roof, mugs still in hand. Pillars of smoke were rising across the city. Then, another explosion hit, deafeningly close. We sprinted for the stairs.
Our manager sent us home. The city had seized up. My driver called to say he couldn’t get through the gridlock, so we started walking – 40 minutes under the glaring sun, past stranded people and stalled cars. At one point, a middle-aged driver lost his nerve, swerving into the bus lane against traffic. A bus appeared head-on and deadlocked the lane. Trapped, he looked ready to explode. I didn’t stick around. I just kept walking.
I went to my grandmother’s house. Hard of hearing, she hadn’t heard a single blast and was simply overjoyed to see me. I drank tea, sat in front of the television, tried to process what was happening, then ate lunch and slept.
When I woke up, I reached for my phone, only to be reminded that the internet was dead. I am someone who fills every spare moment with online gaming or Instagram. Without either, the boredom was stifling. I couldn’t smoke in front of my grandmother, and the forced abstinence only added to my agitation.
In the days that followed, the city hollowed out. Whenever I stepped into the alley – using a quick errand as a pretext to sneak a cigarette – I saw fewer and fewer people. In our building, only five of the 12 units remained occupied. I could tell by the empty spaces in the parking garage.
When my cigarette supply ran out, the corner shop didn’t have my brand and the supermarket was charging double. With no certainty that my March salary would be paid, I settled for a cheaper, unknown brand. It was like inhaling truck exhaust.
The days blurred: the unemployment anxiety, the stifling boredom, the desperate secret cigarettes. I tried buying VPNs twice. The first worked for a single day. The second – the seller blocked me the moment I transferred the money.
The true nightmare came on the night of March 5. A mild explosion jolted me awake around 4m. I walked to the kitchen for water. Then a blast ripped through the air – a sound seared into my brain for life. I froze. My grandmother stumbled out of her bedroom in terror. I pulled her into the kitchen.
Then came the barrage. More than 10 consecutive explosions, each less than 10 seconds apart. My grandmother sat on the floor beside me, arms wrapped tightly around my leg, head buried. It was the closest I have ever felt to death.
When it finally stopped, the windows held. My grandmother, shaken, recalled how during the Iran-Iraq war, sirens had warned them in time to reach shelters. What she found most painful about this war was the absolute lack of warning – no sirens, no shelters. Just sitting, waiting for the next blast. With tired legs, she climbed back into bed. I did not sleep until morning.
Through all of it, I kept telling myself, “Hold on”. Our manager had hoped this war, like the previous conflict, would end in under two weeks. Whenever my parents called, begging me to return to Neyshabur, I said no.
On March 17, we had our final online meeting. The studio’s debts were mounting, invoices unpaid, and our manager saw no end in sight – for the war or the internet blackout. For the new Iranian year, starting on March 21, only 200 resources staff would remain. The rest of us were laid off, without pay.
As the call ended, it felt like 10 different voices were screaming in my head. I couldn’t rely on my grandmother’s meagre pension. My father was already supporting a family of four. The calculation was merciless: move back to Neyshabur and work at my uncle’s supermarket. Instead of planning how to improve my life, I was plotting survival.
I packed up and left. It was a gruelling 10-hour bus ride through eerily quiet roads. What haunted me most were the final moments in Tehran. The city felt hollow, silent, swallowed by a darkness I had never seen before.
From Neyshabur, I called my manager, hoping against hope. He laid out the brutal math. During the previous war and the December protests, waiting out the shutdowns had been viable. But a relentless year of economic bleeding, capped by this blackout, had driven revenue to zero. Even if the internet were restored tomorrow and we worked nonstop for months, it wouldn’t be enough. The studio hadn’t paused. It had collapsed.
I updated my resume, bought a return bus ticket, and went back to my grandmother’s apartment. There was nothing to go back to. I just needed to feel like I was doing something.
When the ceasefire was announced, I felt a sliver of hope. It lasted about a day.
My life used to be a blur of motion: the studio, independent theatres, cafes with friends, early mornings and late nights. Now, my entire existence has shrunk to four walls. The war has ended, at least for now. The internet remains largely throttled, the economy is in ruins, and the job market that existed before February 28 has not returned with the ceasefire.
Outside, people are beginning to move through the streets again. For them, perhaps, something is resuming. For me, there is nothing to resume.
I don’t know how much longer I can hold out.
*Name changed for security reasons
Scarlett Moffatt, best known for her appearances on TV shows like ‘I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’ and ‘Beauty School Cop Outs,’ recently shared big news from her personal life. The famed reality TV star opened up about her married life and revealed that she and her partner Scott Dobinson are expecting their second baby soon! Calling it a ‘miracle’, the couple shared the happy news with the world in an online post.
The 35-year-old star recently took to her social media account to share an emotional post about how, after a lot of effort, she and Scott Dobinson are expecting their second child. Moffatt has been quite open about her struggles with pregnancy and conceiving, and called this pregnancy a ‘miracle.’Her post showed her two-year-old son, Jude, holding up a newspaper clipping with the headline, “Baby Dobinson another miracle coming soon!” The couple shared the joint post, and also had their son holding up the sonogram of the pregnancy. The caption also included an emotional message that read, “We honestly can’t believe we’re writing this…After everything, we feel unbelievably lucky to be able to say… our family is growing. One little miracle gave us Jude, and now he’s going to be a big brother. And if there’s one thing we know for certain, it’s that he is going to be the most amazing big brother. We are so grateful, so excited, and still a little bit in shock…Our hearts are fuller than we ever thought possible.”
The video also included clips from her visit to the doctor’s clinic and seeing the sonogram on the big screen for the first time. The comment section of the post was filled with congratulatory messages for the expecting couple. One person commented, “Such amazing news after everything you’ve been through,” while another person shared, “Awwww such amazing news I really felt for you.when you were saying about.loosing a baby after jude an now you have more joy in your heart god bless to you all.” Many people also commented hearts under the couple’s post.
Singer and actor Joe Jonas has officially confirmed his relationship with model Tatiana Gabriela, nearly two years after his separation from actor Sophie Turner.
The Jonas Brothers member made his relationship Instagram official by sharing a series of photos from a recent trip to Puerto Rico with Gabriela. The post offered fans a glimpse into their time together, featuring moments of the couple posing closely in a photo booth, enjoying beachside sunsets, exploring scenic island views, and indulging in local food. Captioning the post, Jonas wrote, “If you’re seeing this, it means my Puerto Rico YouTube video is up now.” (Also read: Priyanka Chopra’s pool day was all about bikinis, kachi keri, video calling Malti Marie and Nick Jonas. See pics )
The confirmation comes after months of dating rumours, which first began circulating in November last year. Jonas further gave fans a more personal look into their relationship through a YouTube vlog, where the couple is seen spending relaxed time together while exploring Puerto Rico. In one of the lighter moments from the video, Gabriela is seen helping Jonas practice Spanish as they travel around the island.
“She’s helping with my Spanish,” Jonas says in the vlog, later adding, “Then we went to a waterfall, we jumped in, it was so nice,” as the couple enjoys a candid and playful day together.
The singer has often spoken about the challenges of maintaining a personal life amid a packed touring schedule. In an earlier interview, he admitted, “Five shows in a row doesn’t make it easy to meet someone for coffee,” adding that many of his modern-day connections have also come through social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
Jonas has also remained open about his co-parenting dynamic with ex-wife Sophie Turner. He has previously described it as a positive and respectful arrangement, saying, “I have a beautiful co-parenting relationship that I’m really grateful for,” while also praising Turner as “an incredible mum.”
Jonas and Turner finalised their divorce in 2024 following a custody dispute, bringing their marriage to an end.
Gujarat Titans are not ready for elections. The fact that an all-rounder jason holderPlayers of their potential could not even find a place in the playing eleven which tells a lot about the depth of the team. The former West Indies captain has grown in stature over the years and is aging like a fine wine. At 34, he remains one of the most experienced players in the setup, and it may only be a matter of time before he gets his chance, especially considering the recent tremendous returns of Glenn Phillips, Shah Rukh Khan and Rahul Tewatia.
Holder, who has played 69 Tests, 138 ODIs and 96 T20Is, was recently part of West Indies’ T20 World Cup squad, returning with 10 wickets and 141 runs. His best performance with the ball came against Nepal, where he took four wickets, while he also scored 49 runs against South Africa in the Super 8.
However, these performances were not enough for Holder to make it into Gujarat Titans’ playing eleven at the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Shubman GillThe team led by him slipped to sixth position on Monday after losing to five-time champions Mumbai Indians.
Ahead of Gujarat Titans’ clash against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Friday, The Hindustan Times Digital spoke to Holder. He talked about the current season, the game’s growing bias towards batsmen, what makes Gill an effective leader and why active coaches love him. Ashish Nehra It is the need of the hour.
Look, like any normal season, any part of life, this season too has had its ups and downs. Look, in tough defeats, you obviously take them very harshly. As individuals, we just need to understand how we can be better. And if everybody understands how they can get at least one percent, you know, that adds to the collectivity. This increases our overall performance. Yes, we had a bad fall last night. But it’s not the end of the world. We haven’t even reached the halfway point of the tournament yet. But for us, we know what we need to do to improve. And I’m sure everyone is scratching their heads and putting their hands and heads together to get better and do better for the team.
In fact it has been like this for a long time. One thing I really appreciate the IPL for is having a second short ball for the seamers. But even when you look at the second short ball, you look at the score, you have to ask yourself whether it is really helping the bowlers. But at least the bowlers have another option, you know. Very often, when you bowl to good players, and you bowl a short ball at the beginning of the over, they literally camp on the front foot, knowing that you cannot bowl the second ball. So at least now, you know, you can bowl at the front end of the over. You can tuck one of the sleeves up for the back end of the over. But when you look at the scores and the way the game has gone, no boundary is too big for anyone these days. So now it is a matter of the bowlers becoming even more accurate, even more efficient in executing the harder balls.
We would love bigger limits. And I don’t think it would be crazy, very crazy. But when you look at some of the grounds we play on and the way the ball moves in the air, it is quite difficult. Lots of mistakes, lots of top edges, inside edges, they find their way to the boundary very quickly. And then especially in India you have amazing outfields. So many times when the ball holes through the gap, it is half-chased because the outfield is very fast. And you have virtually no chance.
This is a good place for batting. You get value for your shots. It is not that you feel that you have to overhit or dominate the ball to get it to the boundary. But yes, it is a tough task for the bowlers. But as a bowler, I look at and feel motivated in these conditions because these are the toughest conditions. So I think if I can perform really well here, then yes, I will perform even in difficult conditions.
I just remember it was tough, especially during the World Cup. But in a way, finding a way has always been my mantra. When you get success in such conditions as a bowler, you have to take that with you.
Leading by example is one of his greatest attributes. You see how he runs his business. He is very professional. I have been watching him for some time now. How does he do all his preparation? He is very structured. And yes, it’s no secret where he got so much success from. So I think his biggest characteristic as a leader is leading by example. Obviously, players can see how he plays cricket and emulate it. And I think that’s really important.
One thing I have always said when I have captained teams in the past is that it is difficult to ask players to do something when you have not done anything yourself. So you have to lead by example and make sure that you kind of set the right mantra, so that people can follow and learn to follow.
I will not even say that only in T20 cricket. I think my experience is from international cricket. I think that’s where the head coach’s job really is. Head coaches are now seen more as managers, managers in a sense. And then you have your specific skills trainers. And I think that’s probably where the game is going overall. It is also important that trainers still deliver training.
Especially I am a part of this team, which is led by Ashish Nehra. He is also quite skilled especially due to his expertise in bowling. It’s really great to see, because it takes a coach. You need to feel his presence. He radiates a great energy through body language. I call him the energy god. He is one of those people who can prepare you for the challenge and give you good advice. He is also very knowledgeable about sports. So I think he has really good qualities as a coach.
Very controversial, impact player rules. This is one of them which has its own advantages and disadvantages. Suppose you see a situation last night where it is Tilak Verma. He got 100 points and spent a lot of time on his feet. He also got injured in his waist while batting. Sometimes, it is tough to be forced to field like that in that situation. But with the impact player rule, you can pretty much put your feet up, and someone else can come in and take his place. But when you look at the overall game and especially the performance of the all-rounders, I would not say that it is killing the all-rounders. I think I completely disagree with this because I think if you are a quality all-rounder, you will stay in the game regardless.
What the impact player rule has probably done is differentiate, like, basically genuine all-rounders from players who will either bowl a few overs as an all-round option or come back and hit a few balls as an all-round option. For me personally one of the things that the Impact Player has done and the Impact Player rule has done is really made me better in my skills to make sure that I’m not one of those players who is sitting there as an Impact Player because one of my skills maybe doesn’t match the other.
This is a case where I think all-rounders have to get better to be able to occupy that spot as both a back-up and a bowler. There has been much debate about the impact player rule. And it’s one of those where, yes, there are days when you say, yes, I like it. And there are days when you say, no, I don’t really like this. But I guess that’s how life generally works.
I would be naive to say that a player doesn’t think about price sometimes. On the other hand, how you cope with it is important. When you look at IPL, there are not many leagues that conduct auctions. Obviously, there are a hundred people who have just been auctioned. I think the SA20 was auctioned. And I think ILT was auctioned last year. But almost all the rest are drafts. Oh, there was PSL auction this year. But yes, I think it is good for the players.
But maybe we can move away from auction-style altogether and go to football-style, where, you know, you set your price based on your value. And you’ll be able to negotiate how much a team can pay. And there is almost no limit to it. I think, in the NBA, you’ve got a huge salary cap. Football, I’m not sure if there’s a salary cap. But in the NBA, you pay the player, or you negotiate with the player to get what you think is the right price.
It is possible that cricket will reach this path. And if teams can afford it within the salary range, you manage your budget and your papers based on what you think they’re worth. But I have no problem with the auction system. But as a player you need to understand that this is beyond your control. So whether you bought for Rs 1 crore or you bought for Rs 25 crore, it is out of your control. For you, it’s mainly about focusing on what you need to do to make your next 25 crores, your next one crore, or take your one crore from one to three, or your 25 from 25 to 27.
Who knows? But that’s just what you have to deal with. And as a player, we can only deal with our performance and our skills. So ultimately, if you focus on that, you’re more likely to stay switched on and dialed in.
Actress Christina Applegate has broken her silence on the recent reports of her hospitalisation amid her ongoing battle with multiple sclerosis, reassuring fans that she is recovering and “getting stronger and better every day.”
On Monday, 20 April, Christina took to Instagram to reassure her fans after reports had emerged of her hospitalisation last week.
The Friends star took to her Instagram account and shared a picture of a coffee mug and the words ‘Kissy Kissy’ written on it, placed on top of her new memoir You With the Sad Eyes, which was published last month.
She wrote in the caption: “Thank you for the outpouring of love and well wishes. Health issues are a constant for me, but I’m a strong chick and I’m getting stronger and better every day. I’m taking a moment to focus on my health, but I’ll be back with more to say soon enough.”
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The update comes after TMZ had reported on April 16 that the actress had been hospitalised in Los Angeles since March.
According to TMZ, Christina Applegate was admitted in late March. However, the exact reason for her hospital stay has not been made public. It is also not clear if the hospitalisation is connected to her MS condition.
Reacting to the reports, Applegate`s representative told TMZ, “I have no comment whether she is in the hospital or what her medical treatments are. She`s had a long history of complicated medical conditions that she has been refreshingly open about, as evidenced in her memoir and on her podcast.”
The update comes shortly after Applegate`s podcast co-host Jamie-Lynn Sigler shared on March 31 that their podcast MeSsy would be taking a short break while both hosts were busy with book tours. Sigler herself has been living with relapsing MS for more than two decades.
Applegate was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in June 2021. Since then, she has openly spoken about the physical and emotional struggles that come with the disease.
