After completing a 40-day schedule for Rajeev Mendiratta’s thriller series Hotspot in Lucknow, actor Aparna Dixit says she had her “best-ever experience” so far.
Actor Aparna Dixit sporting a Chikankari suit during her visit to Lucknow
“This has been an out-of-this-world experience in Lucknow. It was like a work-cum-vacation trip. I love the city a lot because it’s close to my hometown (Agra), my best friend is from here, and I have now done three projects here. Dil tript ho gaya mera,” says the actor who was last seen in the TV series Tulsi Humari Badi Siyani (2025). Earlier, she shot for the OTT series Exit (2022) and Sabse Bada Rupaiya (2024).
“This is special as we had a long schedule, so I got the opportunity to explore the city and its food in different locations. I have left nothing—chaat, pakori, kachauri. I tried everything, and this I am saying as a pure vegetarian. The city is known for non-vegetarian food, but it has so much for us too. I guess people need to explore!”
The actor adds, “I stayed in Gomti Nagar for over 15 days, and after pack-up, I used to put on my shoes and self-explore some amazing cafes, which are in abundance. I went to the Food Valley at Gomti Riverfront, and we got such a variety of food there that I visited there five times.”
“The icing on the cake was that we had a family wedding in the city in that period, so my entire family came, and I enjoyed it a lot too after pack-up. My co-star Sanjay Gangani made me addicted to chaat, and we were literally having it every day. I am now missing chaat!”
She even did a road trip to her hometown. “This time I went to my hometown on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway, and in four hours I was there. We had a great drive. I explored many temples including Hanuman Setu, Chandrika Devi, and others. My last fortnight shoot at Scorpio Club in the forest area and the hospitality by show creator Nitin Mishra made the trip all the more memorable,” she says.
Aparna is happy exploring TV and OTT so far. “I have not done a film yet, and I’m not in a hurry! I surely want to do that, but the fact is that I have not received anything substantial so far, and when I get it, I will go for it. I just want to do good work regardless of medium,” she says on a parting note.
The children, aged from one to 14 years old, were killed in a shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, which police are describing as a “domestic disturbance”.
Babar Azam smashed a scintillating 52-ball century for Peshawar Zalmi in their PSL 2026 clash against Quetta Gladiators on Sunday, April 19, at the National Stadium in Karachi. It was his third PSL hundred, drawing him level with Rilee Rossouw, Usman Khan and Kamran Akmal for the most centuries in the tournament’s history.
It was also Babar’s fastest PSL century, but what truly stood out was the sheer control he exhibited—he played just one dot ball in the entire innings. On the final delivery of the 14th over, he ducked under a bouncer from Alzarri Joseph; apart from that, he scored off every single ball, powering Zalmi to a formidable 255 for three.
Remarkably, no batter in T20 history has faced 50 or more deliveries in an innings and registered one or fewer dot balls, making Babar’s knock even more extraordinary. In fact, he reached his fifty off 31 balls without facing a single dot ball. Babar also scored a T20 century after 67 innings.
Babar Azam in HBL PSL 2026:
7 innings 401 runs 100.25 average 144 Strike Rate
– They doubted him and forced him to change his order for frauds like Saim and Agha who average under 21 in this format. Take this Aqib Javed and Mike Hesson. pic.twitter.com/vnZ3rsCczq— Abdullah. (@Abdullahh_56) April 19, 2026
Babar has often faced criticism for his measured approach in T20 cricket, particularly on batting-friendly surfaces. His inability to consistently accelerate and questions around his strike rate have frequently come under scrutiny. There has also been a perception that he hasn’t quite adapted his game to meet the evolving demands of the format.
He endured a difficult T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, with Pakistan failing to qualify for the semi-finals. But on Sunday, Babar flipped the narrative—looking positive from the outset and playing with a freedom that underlined his intent.
HOW BABAR AZAM TOOK DOWN QUETTA
From the outset, he looked intent on keeping the scoreboard moving, rarely allowing the bowlers to settle. His innings was built on exceptional strike rotation, crisp placement and relentless running between the wickets, ensuring there was almost no pressure of dot balls.
What stood out was how Babar blended classical strokeplay with modern T20 intent. He pierced gaps with ease, punching through covers, working the angles square of the wicket and using soft hands to turn ones into twos.
As the innings progressed, he shifted gears seamlessly. Against spin, he used his feet confidently, clearing the ropes with slog sweeps and straight hits, while against pace, he was equally assured, dispatching anything in his arc with authority.
The acceleration in the latter half was particularly striking as he took on the spin duo of Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed. Babar stitched together a 135-run stand for the second wicket with Kusal Mendis, laying the perfect platform for Zalmi. He also equalled Virat Kohli’s record for the most century partnerships in T20s (47), underlining the consistency of his brilliance.
Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma frequently grab attention with their airport outings and every time they make a public appearance. They serve goals and fans cannot stop gushing about them. On Sunday, Virat and Anushka were spotted at their airport and videos, pictures of them went viral. This marked their first public appearance together after Kohli found himself at the centre of an online controversy involving a reported ‘like’ on a photo posted by German model and influencer LizLaz. In a video that quickly made the rounds on social media, the two were spotted exiting the airport. Kohli kept it casual in a black T-shirt and blue jeans, while Anushka opted for an elegant yet relaxed look, a kurta with floral detailing, paired with palazzo pants and a green dupatta. At one point, Kohli was seen carrying Anushka’s bag, earning praise online for being a “green flag” partner. Several pictures of them went viral but one such moment was when Anushka was gazing at Virat. Soon, fans begin to share it with the caption, “Find someone who looks at you the way Anushka looks at Virat.”For those not in the know, the chatter began when social media users claimed that Kohli had liked one of LizLaz’s Instagram posts. This soon became a talking point and Lizlaz finally broke silence on the cricketer liking her picture and then unliking it. She told Hindustan Times, “I felt a bit sorry for him actually. I was so happy that he liked it, but then him unliking it, I felt a bit bad for him because I don’t even know how it became such a big story. How did people notice, how did they make it news… that was probably not his intention behind it, but still I am grateful for it and I appreciate the support from him.”This isn’t the first time Kohli has faced such speculation. Last year, he was noticed liking a post by Avneet Kaur, which quickly turned into a meme fest online. Addressing the situation at the time, Kohli clarified, “I’d like to clarify that while clearing my feed, it appears the algorithm may have mistakenly registered an interaction. There was absolutely no intent behind it. I request that no unnecessary assumptions be made.”Kohli and Anushka’s journey together dates back to 2013, when they met while filming a commercial. Though they initially kept their relationship private, they eventually tied the knot in 2017 in a close-knit ceremony in Italy. The couple welcomed their daughter, Vamika, in January 2021, followed by the birth of their son, Akaay, in February 2024.
India is set to take a major step in expanding its nuclear energy programme, with plans to invite bids for the establishment of a 220 MWe Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200), within the next three to six months. The project is considered as a major part of the country’s clean energy transition, officials told ET.Foreign companies will be allowed to participate in the bidding process, but only through tie-ups with local partners, an official said. The reactor design will be standardised, and the first unit is expected to serve as a model for future installations.“A cost of roughly Rs 30 crore per megawatt (MW) has been approved for BSMR-200 as a pilot project,” another official told the financial daily.
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The BSMR-200 is being jointly developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL). The total cost of development and construction is estimated at around Rs 5,960 crore, to be funded through the Nuclear Energy Mission. After approvals, the construction is expected to take anywhere between 60 and 72 months.Officials said that inter-ministerial consultations are currently underway to finalise the bidding details.The move follows the opening up of the nuclear sector to private investment after the enactment of the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act in December 2025.“A final call on the proposal will be taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs,” the official said, adding that domestic firms capable of executing the project on an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) basis have already been identified.The Union Budget had already alloted Rs 20,000 crore to develop at least five indigenously designed and operational small modular reactors by 2033 under the Nuclear Energy Mission.India has also set an ambitious goal of reaching 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047, alongside efforts to strengthen local manufacturing and technology development in the sector.In a recent milestone for the nuclear programme, India’s prototype fast breeder reactor reached criticality this month.
Actor Deepika Padukone gave fans a pleasant surprise as she announced her second pregnancy on Sunday. On the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, Deepika and husband Ranveer Singh shared a joint Instagram post to inform fans they are all set to embrace parenthood once again. But, pregnancy does not mean that work has stopped for Deepika. The actor, who has two big films lined up for release, is still on set and plans to continue filming through her pregnancy.
Deepika Padukone announced her second pregnancy on Sunday.
Deepika to continue shooting for Raaka through her pregnancy
Deepika has recently started filming Atlee’s upcoming pan-India actioner Raaka, which stars Allu Arjun in the lead. The film’s title and first look were recently revealed on Arjun’s birthday earlier this month. Deepika also has some portions of Shah Rukh Khan’s King left unfinished. HT Digital reached out to industry sources about how the actor plans to manage these shoot schedules around her pregnancy, and our source shares, “During her pregnancy, Deepika Padukone is shooting intense action sequences for Raaka.” Needless to say, Deepika and the makers have taken all precautions while filming. Given that both King and Raaka have announced release dates and are on tight schedules, Deepika wants to stick to it. “She will continue to shoot for the film throughout her pregnancy,” the source adds.
Deepika and Ranveer expecting second child
On Sunday, Deepika and Ranveer shared an Instagram post featuring their daughter, Dua, holding a positive pregnancy test. This adorable announcement signalled they were ready to become parents again. The post saw an outpouring of love and congratulatory messages for the Bollywood couple.
Colleagues of the two actors showered them with love in the comments. Parineeti Chopra congratulated the couple, while Samantha Ruth Prabhu showered love with red heart emojis. Fans also flooded the comments section with love and excitement over the news. Priyanka Chopra also sent her best wishes.
About Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh’s family
Deepika and Ranveer tied the knot in an intimate yet grand wedding ceremony in Italy in November 2018. The couple later hosted grand, star-studded receptions in Mumbai and Bengaluru, attended by several friends from the industry. The two actors began dating after meeting on the sets of Ram Leela.
They embraced parenthood for the first time in September 2024 with the birth of their daughter, Dua. The couple revealed they named her Dua as she is the answer to their prayers.
The Rajasthan Royals witnessed two extremes in their fielding performance against the Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Sunday. While a dropped catch of Rinku Singh eventually cost them the game in a four-wicket loss, the former had a moment of absolute brilliance that handed Rajasthan a crucial breakthrough in the middle overs — one that even left the legendary Sachin Tendulkar awestruck.
Sachin Tendulkar was awestruck by Dhruv Jurel’s brilliance
The incident happened on the fourth ball of the fifth over. KKR, having lost both their openers for ducks in the first two overs, had just begun to revive their innings, with Cameron Green smashing 27 runs off 12 balls, before a moment of magic from Dhruv Jurel disrupted the rhythm.
As Ravi Bishnoi saw Green charge down the wicket, he bowled a googly down the leg side. The ball turned further away as Green failed to make any contact. Wicketkeeper Jurel was momentarily blinded by the batter’s movement, yet he reacted brilliantly — diving to his left, collecting the ball cleanly, and reverse-cupping a one-handed throw at the stumps. Green failed to recover in time and could not make his ground as the ball hit the stumps.
Jurel himself was left in disbelief, and so were his teammates. And even as the commentators tried their best to sum up the moment, perhaps the highest praise came from Tendulkar.
Taking to social media, where he shared a screenshot of the dismissal while watching the game, he wrote: “Only one stump in sight, on the move, and done in the blink of an eye! Simply magnificent Dhruv Jurel!”
Meanwhile, former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen hailed it as the “greatest stumping ever in cricket.”
Jurel’s effort was followed by a middle-overs choke from the Rajasthan Royals spinners, with Ravindra Jadeja picking up two wickets. There could have been a third as well, had it not been for Nandre Burger making a mess of a straightforward chance to drop Rinku Singh on 8.
That dropped catch came back to haunt Rajasthan, as the KKR vice-captain carved out a well-composed 53 not out to help the home team secure their first win of the season. Kolkata now sit in ninth place on the points table.
Rajasthan had the chance to go top of the table with a win, but the loss — their second this season — kept them in third spot.
Rajasthan will next play the Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on April 22.
Riyan Parag’s lean run with the bat in IPL 2026 continued as the Rajasthan Royals captain endured another disappointing outing, scoring just 12 off 14 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders. While his leadership has remained calm and measured, his inability to contribute with the bat is starting to hurt the team at crucial moments.Riyan Parag in IPL 202614* (11) vs CSK8 (4) vs GT20 (10) vs MI3 (5) vs RCB4(6) vs SRH12(14) vs KKR Across six matches this season, Parag has accumulated only 61 runs, with a highest score of 20. His average of 12.20 and strike rate of 122 underline a prolonged dip in form for a player expected to anchor the middle order. Despite that, his captaincy has not been a concern. Parag has handled the pressures of leadership well, rotating bowlers smartly and maintaining composure even when games have slipped away.
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In this contest, Rajasthan Royals actually made a strong start after being put in to bat. Yashasvi Jaiswal and young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi took full advantage of the Powerplay, racing to 63 without loss and scoring at over 10 runs per over against a largely ineffective KKR pace attack. At that stage, RR looked set for a total well beyond 180.However, the turning point came with the introduction of spin. Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine combined to completely change the course of the innings. Chakravarthy removed Sooryavanshi for 46, triggering a collapse that saw RR slip from a dominant position to 118/4.Parag walked in during this crucial phase but failed to stabilise the innings. Struggling to rotate strike and unable to counter the spin threat, he was dismissed for 12, adding to RR’s problems. Chakravarthy finished with outstanding figures of 3/14, while Narine picked up 2/26, choking the scoring in the middle overs.Rajasthan eventually limped to 155/9, a total that looked well below par after their flying start. For Parag, the bigger concern remains his batting form. While his captaincy continues to show maturity, RR will need their skipper to start delivering with the bat to revive their campaign.
The scariest horror films are not the ones with the most elaborate monsters or the most expensive special effects. They are the ones that end with the words based on a true story, because nothing the imagination can conjure is quite as disturbing as knowing that something like this actually happened to real people in the real world. Here are five horror films rooted in events that were genuinely, terrifyingly real.
Images show Israel building permanent military bases in Gaza as US-backed reconstruction plans stall.
The United States has proposed plans to rebuild Rafah, a city in southern Gaza that was flattened by two years of Israeli bombardment. It has been touted as the centrepiece of a US-Israeli vision for a post-war Gaza, but satellite images suggest the project has stalled before even breaking ground.
An Al Jazeera Digital Investigations Unit examination of Planet Labs and Sentinel Hub satellite imagery revealed that Israeli military fortifications are expanding at a relentless pace across Gaza, particularly in Rafah.
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Analysis of imagery from February 25 to March 15 confirmed that while rubble removal has essentially ceased in Beit Hanoon in the north and Rafah, Israeli forces are systematically entrenching a permanent military reality across the devastated enclave.
While civilian reconstruction has slowed, Israeli military construction has accelerated. Satellite imagery from March 10 shows extensive clearing and fortification at the strategic al-Muntar hilltop in Shujayea, a neighbourhood in Gaza City, and outposts in Khan Younis in Gaza’s south.
In central Gaza, Sentinel imagery from March 15 revealed ongoing work on a trench and dirt berm reaching as far as the Maghazi camp near Deir el-Balah. In Juhor ad-Dik, new roads now link established military sites to newly levelled areas, suggesting the creation of permanent outposts.
These findings align with a late 2025 investigation by Forensic Architecture that identified 48 Israeli military sites within Gaza – 13 of which were built after an October “ceasefire”. These sites have evolved into permanent bases with paved roads, watchtowers and constant communication links to Israel’s domestic military network.
Satellite images captured from February 20 to March 10, 2026, reveal significant engineering and expansion work at an Israeli military outpost in eastern Gaza City [Planet Labs]
The ‘New Rafah’ illusion
At the World Economic Forum in the Swiss city of Davos in January, Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, showcased AI-generated visions of a “New Rafah” featuring skyscrapers and luxury resorts. Trump further promoted this “Middle East Riviera” through a 20-point plan, promising $10bn in funding via the Board of Peace, which he has established as a potential rival of the United Nations.
However, the Geneva-based Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has warned that the “New Rafah” plan is a mechanism for demographic re-engineering and forced displacement.
The plan involves dividing Gaza into population blocks and closed military zones. Palestinians would be confined to “cities” of residential caravans, each packing roughly 25,000 people into a single square kilometre (0.4sq miles). These “cities” are to be surrounded by fences and checkpoints, and access to essential services would be contingent upon passing Israeli-US security screenings – a model Euro-Med likened to ghettos.
Satellite images of an Israeli military site in Khan Younis show continuous development, paving and construction of fortifications in March 2026 [File: Planet Labs]
A new, permanent border
Gaza’s “yellow line” “ceasefire” boundary is being transformed into a permanent frontier. In Beit Lahiya in the north, satellite images from March 4 show the construction of a dirt berm along the “yellow line” and another running parallel to it and constructed more than 580 metres (634 yards) into what the “ceasefire” designates as land where Palestinians are supposed to live – a significant encroachment beyond the designated line.
In December, Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir defined the line as a “new border”. Defence Minister Israel Katz later declared Israel would “never leave Gaza”, promising to establish military-agricultural settlements.
Al Jazeera’s investigation further documented that Israel has secretly moved concrete boundary markers hundreds of metres deeper into areas designated for Palestinians.
Traces of Israeli military vehicles operating beyond a dirt berm on the ‘yellow line’ in northern Gaza are seen on March 10, 2026, in clear violation of ‘ceasefire’ demarcations [File: Sentinel Hub]
A bloody ‘ceasefire’
Despite the October “ceasefire”, violence persists. Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported 750 deaths and more than 2,090 injuries since the “ceasefire” began, bringing the total death toll since the October 2023 start of Israel’s genocidal war to more than 72,300. An independent study in The Lancet medical journal suggested the actual death toll could be significantly higher. It estimated more than 75,000 deaths from “direct violence” by early 2025 alone.
An Al Jazeera analysis found that Israel has launched attacks on 160 out of the 182 days of the “ceasefire”. These attacks often involve incursions aimed at levelling areas designated for Palestinian habitation.
Efforts to document these developments are facing unprecedented hurdles. This month, Planet Labs announced an “indefinite” ban on images from conflict zones after a US government request. Other providers, like Vantor, have imposed similar restrictions, severely limiting the ability of media and human rights groups to monitor the situation in Gaza.
As of this month, humanitarian assessments by aid groups, including Oxfam and Save the Children, have given the Trump reconstruction plan a failing grade, saying it has failed to “demonstrate a clear impact on conditions inside Gaza”.
The scariest horror films are not the ones with the most elaborate monsters or the most expensive special effects. They are the ones that end with the words based on a true story, because nothing the imagination can conjure is quite as disturbing as knowing that something like this actually happened to real people in the real world. Here are five horror films rooted in events that were genuinely, terrifyingly real.
![Satellite images captured between February 20 and March 10, 2026, reveal significant engineering and expansion works at an Israeli military outpost east of Gaza City. [Al Jazeera/Planet]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/INTERACTIVE-East-of-Gaza-City-1776591210.png?quality=80)
![An Israeli military site in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, shows continuous development, paving, and fortification in March 2026. [Planet laba]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/صورة-10-copy-1776587292.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C433&quality=80)
![Traces of Israeli military vehicles are seen operating beyond the designated dirt berm in northern Gaza on March 10, 2026, in clear violation of ceasefire demarcations. [Al Jazeera/Sentinel Hub]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/INTERACTIVE-Gaza-Deir-el-Balah-1776591213.png?quality=80)
