Once in a blue moon, a moment comes along that makes you believe fairytales are real, and one such story has unfolded in a small West Midlands city. Coventry City have ended their 25-year exile from the Premier League, sealing direct promotion with a hard-fought 1–1 draw at Blackburn Rovers.
Coventry, one of the founding members of the Premier League in 1992–93, had not played in the competition since their relegation in the 2000–01 season. So when centre-back Bobby Thomas scored the equaliser in the dying minutes, the 7,500 travelling fans were bound to erupt like kids—crying, going topless, and holding up signs reading, “We’re back.”
“It was an incredible moment (when Thomas scored),” Coventry City head coach Frank Lampard told Sky Sports. “We knew we were nearly there, but to finally get over the line after 25 years—wow! It’s amazing. What the fans have gone through.”
As the achievement sank in, Lampard, the former Chelsea and England midfielder, also became emotional, as this marked his first promotion as a manager.
“This is a serious football club. These boys have achieved something unique. This is right up there for me,” he said. “I was fortunate to be part of great Chelsea teams, winning league titles and Champions Leagues, but to do this—I’m very proud to be their manager.”
FINANCIAL BENEFITS?
This promotion to the top tier not only takes them back to the promised land but also brings in broadcast revenues worth around 120 million pounds. Beyond the base revenue, the club will benefit from merit payments, which are distributed based on a team’s final league position. For every place higher a team finishes in the Premier League table, they typically earn an additional 2.5m to £3 pounds in prize money.
Coventry had spent 34 consecutive seasons in England’s top flight after their promotion in 1967, surviving countless relegation battles before finally going down in 2000–01, finishing 19th in the table.
The club sealed promotion after six years in the Championship, topping the table with 86 points from 43 games—13 clear of third-placed Millwall, who can no longer catch them with three matches left to play.
Brazil’s long-standing fascination with Indian culture is back in the spotlight as clips from the Bollywood-inspired 2009 Brazilian telenovela Caminho das Índias (India – A Love Story) resurface online, leaving the internet hooked on its unmistakable desi drama.
Bollywood-inspired Caminho das Índias trends again as viewers embrace its desi elements. (Instagram)
What is Caminho das Índias about
The show, which spans over 200 episodes, tells an intercaste love story set in a fictionalised Jaipur. At its heart is Maya, played by Juliana Paes, a young woman from a wealthy merchant family whose parents are keen on arranging her marriage. But things take a turn when she falls in love with Bahuan, portrayed by Márcio Garcia, a Dalit man determined to rise through education and ambition, setting up a conflict layered with emotion, family pressure, and societal norms.
What’s making the series trend again is its full-blown embrace of Bollywood-style storytelling. From dramatic plot twists and elaborate wedding sequences to vibrant costumes and expressive performances, the show mirrors the essence of Hindi cinema. Its opening credits feature Beedi from Omkara, sung by Sunidhi Chauhan, paired with visuals of the Taj Mahal, elephants, and snakes. It also recreates iconic songs like Kajra Re from Bunty Aur Babli.
The internet is obsessed with it now
Social media users can’t get enough of the nostalgia-meets-novelty appeal. Viral edits of Maya have racked up millions of views on Instagram and X. User @DuskyPrincess shared one such edit, which garnered over 4.5 million views.
Reactions have been pouring in, with many amused and impressed by the show’s desi elements. One user wrote, “She looks so Indian,” while another, referring to the opening featuring Indian deity sculptures, commented, “How could this opening have existed?” Drawing a pop culture parallel, one user joked, “Kate and Anthony in India,” referencing Bridgerton. Another added, “Watching Indians find out about Caminho das Índias is probably going to be my biggest entertainment for the night.”
One user commented on a clip circulating on X, “Clearly it would be an incredible soap opera to be in the ‘worth watching again’ category,” while another wrote, “I loved Caminho das Índias, I used to twirl around the living room singing.”
“Tony Ramos being Indian is something that should be a historical heritage,” one user joked. Another added, “And this music selection? It’s pure drama, I love it.” One user wrote, “For those who were saying they wanted to see Indians watching it, it already aired in India. Some liked it, others felt it was caricatured, but most Indians quite enjoyed it.”
How the show achieves authenticity
Juliana Paes revisited some of Maya’s iconic looks during the ‘Asoka’ TikTok trend in 2024, bringing the character back into pop culture conversations.
Brazilian broadcaster TV Globo reportedly flew a 40-member cast and crew to India for a 20-day shoot and even constructed detailed replicas of Indian cities in Brazil to capture the setting authentically.
Originally aired from January to September 2009, Caminho das Índias is now finding a new audience online. Its blend of Brazilian storytelling with Bollywood-style spectacle proves that the love for desi drama knows no borders.
A day after the Narendra Modi government’s Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill failed in the Lok Sabha – the first defeat of a government bill in 12 years – the opposition on Saturday tried to take control of the narrative, with Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra issuing a pointed public challenge to the government.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi in the Parliament complex on the last day of the three-day special session in New Delhi on Saturday. (Jitendra Gupta/ANI photo)
“They should bring the old Women’s Bill – which was passed by all parties in 2023 – immediately on Monday. Call Parliament on Monday, bring the bill and see who is anti-women. We will all vote and support you,” he told news agency ANI.
He accused the BJP-led NDA of trying to mislead voters in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, where polling is scheduled later this month, by branding the opposition parties as “anti-women”. Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK also introduced a bill to introduce quota within the current strength of 543 in the Lok Sabha. Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress said it also supports a 50% quota, if it is not linked to the 2011 census-based delimitation.
The “old bill” that Priyanka Gandhi was referring to is the Nari Shakti Vandan Act or the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act 2023, which already provides 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. In fact it was notified this week.
The reason it could not be implemented is that the BJP-led government had placed a condition requiring a fresh census and delimitation before it could be implemented – a condition the opposition says it did not want even then.
Priyanka, what did Rahul say?
At a press conference in New Delhi on Saturday, Priyanka Gandhi urged the government to act without delay: “If you want to do something concrete, bring back the bill that was passed unanimously in 2023, which was supported by all parties. If you need to make some small amendments in it, so that it can be implemented now, do it. Give women their rights now,” she said.
She also called the failure of the new bills a “black day” for the government, echoing a term used by the BJP against the Congress-led opposition: “…because for the first time they have got the blow they deserve. Today women’s problems are increasing rapidly. Women are not stupid. They see everything. That PR and media hype will not work now.”
Priyanka Gandhi reiterated that the opposition’s stand is not against women’s reservation but against linking it with delimitation and census.
The Wayanad (Kerala) MP said, “They thought that if it is passed, they will win. If it is not passed, they will become ‘saviors of women’ by branding other parties as ‘anti-women’… We know it is not easy to be a protector of women.”
His brother was opposition leader Rahul Gandhi. Meanwhile, at an election rally in Ponneri, Tamil Nadu, Where he said: “The Modi government introduced a new bill, claiming it was a women’s (quota) bill, whereas this bill has already been passed in 2023. Hidden within (the new bill) was the issue of delimitation, which was aimed at reducing the representation of Tamil Nadu and weakening the southern, smaller and north-eastern states. We defeated that.”
Letter to PM Modi
The Congress-led Bharat Bloc of non-NDA parties further announced that they will formally write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding implementation of the original 2023 law, without delimitation.
For example, Tamil Nadu’s ruling party DMK also sought to introduce a new bill to this effect, demanding immediate quota within the existing Lok Sabha member count of 543. But Parliament was adjourned sine die on the third day of the special session called specifically on the women’s quota issue.
Party leaders from across the alliance held a meeting, in which Congress Parliamentary Party President Sonia Gandhi thanked all the allies for remaining united.
For the record, several Indian block parties held simultaneous press conferences to state that they support women’s reservation, but not in the guise of delimitation exercise, as they believe. Designed to redraw India’s electoral map in favor of BJP.
DMK’s big step, Tharoor’s taunt!
It was also challenged legislatively by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) as a party MP from Tamil Nadu introduced a private member’s Constitution Amendment Bill in the Rajya Sabha, proposing 33% women’s reservation in the existing 543-seat Lok Sabha from the next election – without any census, without any delimitation or expansion of the House.
Contrary to the government’s 2023 law, dmk bill There were even calls for making the reservation permanent instead of limiting it to 15 years.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, Who spoke out vocally against delimitation-caveat On Friday, she took a dig at the government online in her own style on Saturday regarding women’s reservation in the Lok Sabha.
She posted a photo on Instagram with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, which she described as “attractive”. He said Rijiju explained why he and his party BJP were calling the opposition “anti-women”.
Tharoor wrote, “He was told that no one could ever call me an anti-woman! He agreed.”
“Let’s face it, women are by far the better half of the species. They are better models: Humans 2.0. They deserve representation in Parliament and every institution. Just don’t conflate their progress with a mischievous and potentially dangerous delineation that could devastate our democracy,” he said.
government position
BJP’s message has been sent after not getting the approval of two-thirds majority in Parliament. well coordinated. Home Minister Amit Shah accused Congress, TMC, DMK and Samajwadi Party of stopping the historic reform.
He said, “The opposition will have to face the anger of women not only in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, but at every level, in every election… This insult to women power will not stop here, it will go far.”
So far, the government has not explained why the 2023 law cannot be amended to remove the census-delimitation condition, and instead it can be applied to existing seats.
Amit Shah argued in Parliament that increasing the seats by 50% would mean that no state would lose its proportionate share. This was one of the major concerns in the southern states where population-control measures have been implemented better than in North India, where the BJP has its core base.
Amit Shah said the expansion would give Tamil Nadu 59 seats with 20 reserved for women instead of 13 reserved seats out of the current 39. This will protect the positions of existing leaders while giving more space to women, the BJP has essentially argued.
Congress’s KC Venugopal clearly marked a contradiction in the Lok Sabha. He said, “You yourself made the provision that there will be a census, after that there will be delimitation, then there will be reservation. We never said this. We had said at that time itself that we want women’s reservation till the 2024 elections.”
Sonia Gandhi had said the same in a newspaper article on April 13, three days before the start of the special session: “Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge had strongly demanded that the reservation provision be implemented from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections itself. The government itself did not agree to this for well-known reasons. Why did it take 30 months for the Prime Minister to take his U-turn?”
The question never goes away
But one issue remains clear – and even passage of the 2023 bill won’t resolve it.
The Nari Shakti Vandan Act provides for reservation within the existing SC and ST quota: one-third of the seats already reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will go to women from those communities.
It does not provide any equivalent facility for women belonging to other backward classes. OBC has no political reservation In Parliament or State Assemblies. The Constitution reserves SC and ST seats under Articles 330 and 332. No equivalent provision exists for OBCs.
OBC sub-quota within women’s reservation is constitutionally impossible without first creating OBC political reservation – which itself requires a separate constitutional amendment.
This is why parties like Samajwadi Party and RJD voted in favor of the 2023 bill, while also raising objections to it.
This week too, Akhilesh Yadav raised the demand in Parliament, “What if they do not count OBCs and Muslims among half the population, i.e. women? We want that Muslims and OBC women should get reservation – this is our demand.”
The 2026 caste census – the first nationwide caste census since 1931 – is expected to generate the data needed to operationalize this demand. State surveys in Bihar and Telangana have shown that backward classes constitute about 60% of the population. A national figure in that category would create virtually irresistible political pressure for OBC political reservation.
The government was reportedly trying to sidestep that question by demanding delimitation based on the 2011 census, before caste data was available. “Moving ahead with delimitation first could be seen as a way to lock in structural benefits before new data reshapes expectations, alliances and claims to political power across states and social groups,” RJD Rajya Sabha member Manoj Kumar Jha told PTI earlier this week.
The question of delimitation itself has remained unresolved for 50 years. This was last done in the 1970s and then extended twice by 25 years. Now this will happen after 2026 anyhow. Apart from the demand for OBC quota, there are other fundamental questions which remain unresolved. Southern states fear that they will lose proportionate share in the long run if only population is used as the basis for delimitation.
Amit Shah said the straight increase of 50% would not change the state-wise share, and at the last minute he even promised to write it into law.
Obviously by that time it was too late. Parties want more discussion on delimitation. Congress, TMC and DMK have said that the women’s quota can be implemented even before that.
It’s no secret that legendary sprinter Usain Bolt, 39, has been an avid cricket fan since his childhood, as he grew up watching the mighty West Indies. However, it now appears he has found a new team to cheer for — IPL’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
The eight-time Olympic gold-medal winner Instagrammed a picture of himself sporting the RCB jersey and captioned the post: “Namaskara. Puma sent me the fit. So I had to represent.” His post received nearly six lakh ‘likes’.
New Delhi, German hard rock band Scorpions, known for hit tracks such as “Wind of Change” and “Blackout”, has cancelled its shows in India due to “unforeseen medical circumstances affecting the band members”.
Scorpions’ ‘Coming Home’ India tour cancelled due to medical concerns, tickets to be refunded
The band, which was founded in Hanover in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, was set to perform in Shillong on April 21 at JN Stadium, followed by stops at Delhi-NCR on April 24 at HUDA Grounds, Bengaluru on April 26 at NICE Grounds and Mumbai on April 30 at Jio Gardens, BKC.
The “Coming Home” India Tour was produced and promoted by BookMyShow Live.
The organisers shared an Instagram post announcing the cancellation of the shows on Saturday.
“We regret to inform you that the Scorpions ‘Coming Home’ India Tour scheduled in Shillong on April 21st, Delhi-NCR on April 24th, Bengaluru on April 26th and Mumbai on April 30th, stands cancelled due to unforeseen medical circumstances affecting the band members,” read the note in the post.
“We apologise for the inconvenience and disappointment caused to fans. The band are very keen to perform in India when possible and within their schedule. All the tickets purchased on bookmyshow will be automatically refunded within 7-10 working days,” it added.
Besides Schenker, the members of the band include guitarist Matthias Jabs, vocalist Klaus Meine, bassist Paweł Mąciwoda and drummer Mikkey Dee.
Scorpions last performed in India during the 2000s, touring the country as part of their “Acoustica Live Tour” in August 2001 with a concert in Bengaluru, and later during the “Humanity World Tour” in December 2007, when they played shows in Shillong, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
Ahead of their “Coming Home” tour, the band had shared their excitement about returning to India and reminisced about their previous visits.
“We have great memories from playing in India almost 20 years ago. We played in Shillong, Mumbai… and we’re going to play again in those cities this time around. The audience is fantastic, it’s a rock audience and we have best memories. And now, since it’s such a long time ago, we expect to play to a new generation also because it’s almost 20 years ago and it’s time for us to come back now,” Jabs told PTI.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Eyewitnesses captured the moment a burning fuel tanker drove through the centre of Hasakah, Syria, leaving a trail of fire behind it.
The fuel truck reportedly caught fire at a gas station. The tanker driver then attempted to drive the burning vehicle towards a fire station to contain the blaze, according to Syria’s state news agency SANA.
Seven people were injured, and 11 vehicles and a bus were destroyed in the incident, SANA reported, citing the Hasakah Health Directorate.
Dylan Sprouse, known for starring in the Disney series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, recently encountered a terrifying situation. Dylan Sprouse reportedly confronted an alleged intruder at his Hollywood Hills home in the early hours of Friday, holding him down until police arrived. While the probe is underway, the incident has left the actor shaken.
Dylan Sprouse tackles trespasser
As reported by TMZ, the actor sprang into action when an alleged trespasser entered his Hollywood Hills property early Friday morning.
Law enforcement sources told the portal that they received a 911 call from Dylan’s wife, Barbara Palvin, around 12:30 AM on Friday, reporting an attempted burglary at their home. The portal added, “Dylan confronted the alleged intruder and held him down until the cops showed.”
A source close to Dylan told TMZ, “The actor is OK, but obviously very shaken up. What’s worse, we hear this is not the first time someone has tried to get into the couple’s home uninvited.” Fortunately, no injuries were reported during the incident.
Footage that surfaced online showed officers placing the unidentified man in handcuffs near a police vehicle outside the property. The video also shows a skateboard propped up by the actor’s gate.
Officers were told that Dylan had a gun and, at one point, he put it back in his holster and behind the front gate of his home. He held the man at gunpoint prior to tackling him.
About Dylan and Barbara Sprouse
The couple met at a party in 2017, and by the fall of 2018, Palvin told Vogue that she was “very much in love.”
“I feel like I found the perfect guy,” she said of Sprouse. “He’s very kind and gentle.”
The couple tied the knot in the summer of 2023. In 2024, Palvin walked in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and, during a backstage interview, said that Sprouse always has something up his sleeve to surprise her.
Meanwhile, Dylan Sprouse spoke about his wife, Barbara Palvin, in an earlier interview, sharing what he has learned from her, as reported by E! News.
“In general, marriage has taught me a lot of patience and communication,” he said earlier this month. “Obviously, that’s the cliché that people say—communication is key—but it really is. It’s also just understanding that you’re both human and you both make mistakes.”
On his 34th birthday on Saturday, model and actress Athiya Shetty penned a mushy note for her cricketer husband KL Rahul, whom she tagged as “my person” and said that she loves him “so much.”
Athiya Shetty pens birthday wish for KL Rahul
Athiya took to Instagram, where she shared a handful of candid and unseen glimpses from their journey, starting from marriage to parenthood, and even shared some memorable moments like getting matching heart tattoos together.
“Happy birthday my person, love you so much, (red heart emoji)” Athiya wrote as the caption.
Rahul and Athiya first crossed paths in January 2019 through a mutual friend, and they immediately hit it off. Over the years, their bond grew stronger, leading to a relationship that flourished. After dating for several years, the couple tied the knot in 2023. Their wedding took place at Athiya’s father, actor Suniel Shetty’s, farmhouse in Khandala.
They welcomed their daughter last year and named her Evaarah, which means “Gift of God”. The two revealed the name of their daughter on Rahul`s 33rd birthday on Friday. They also shared a beautiful picture of the cricketer holding the baby while Athiya looked at her lovingly.
“Our baby girl, our everything. Evaarah ~ Gift of God,” read the caption. The couple took to their Instagram story section and shared that their daughter has been named Evaarah, V.R. (Evaarah Vipula Rahul).” The post further read: “Evaarah, meaning Gift of God. Vipula, in honour of her great nani and protector. Rahul, her papa.”
Athiya`s Bollywood career
Athiya made her Bollywood debut in 2015 with the film Hero opposite Sooraj Pancholi. She was then seen in the comedy of errors, Mubarakan, starring Arjun Kapoor.
She was last seen in Motichoor Chaknachoor, directed by debutante Debamitra Biswal. The film also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Vibha Chibber, Navni Parihar, Vivek Mishra, Karuna Pandey, Sanjeev Vats, Abhishek Rawat, Sapna Sand and Usha Nagar.
It follows the story of a 36-year-old man, Pushpinder Tyagi, working abroad in Dubai, trying to find a wife back home in Bhopal meets his much younger neighbor, Anita “Ani” Awasthi, who wants to marry someone settled abroad.
NEW DELHI: Shaheen Shah Afridi was seen visibly angry and frustrated after his dismissal during the PSL 2026 clash between Lahore Qalandars and Quetta Gladiators at the National Stadium in Karachi. Leading Lahore this season, Afridi lost his temper after being dismissed for a duck by Usman Tariq.Afridi was caught at mid-on off Tariq’s delivery, leaving Lahore in a tricky situation. As he walked back, the skipper appeared furious – his face showing clear frustration. In an unusual outburst, he slammed his bat against the sidescreen tyre and then struck it on the staircase while heading towards the dressing room.The defending champions, Lahore Qalandars, have endured an inconsistent campaign so far. With their playoff hopes hanging in the balance, every game has become crucial, and Afridi’s reaction reflected the pressure within the camp.Meanwhile, the PSL 2026 points table offers a clear snapshot of the competition. Peshawar Zalmi are firmly at the top, having played seven matches, winning six, losing none, with one no result. They lead with 13 points and an outstanding net run rate of +2.404.Islamabad United are second with seven matches, four wins, two defeats and one no result, collecting nine points with a strong NRR of +1.481. Multan Sultans sit third, winning four of their six matches, with eight points and an NRR of +0.527.In the mid-table, Quetta Gladiators are fourth with three wins and four losses from seven games, earning six points and an NRR of +0.483. Hyderabad Kingsmen also have six points from seven matches but a negative NRR of -0.470, placing them fifth.Karachi Kings occupy sixth place with three wins and three defeats from six games, also on six points, but with a poor NRR of -1.501.Lahore Qalandars are seventh, managing just two wins from six matches, with four losses, four points and an NRR of -1.020. At the bottom are Rawalpindiz, still searching for their first win after six matches, with zero points and an NRR of -1.821.With the league stage intensifying, Lahore will need a quick turnaround to stay in the playoff race.
Actor Elli AvrRam, who has worked across Tamil, Kannada and Hindi cinema, has opened up about the stark contrasts between working in Bollywood and the South. Reflecting on her journey, Elli revealed that while both industries have given her valuable experiences, she found the working environment on South film sets to be far calmer, more organised and respectful.
Elli AvrRam talked about the difference in experience in working in Bollywood and South films. (Instagram/@elliavrram)
Elly AvrRam talks about South film sets being more peaceful than Bollywood
In a recent interview with Bollywood Bubble, Elli clarified that she has had positive experiences in both industries, but noted a clear difference in their working styles. She said, “I have had good experiences in both the South and Bollywood. But I have found it more peaceful on set in the South. In Bollywood, it’s more hurried. In the South, they prefer to use walkie-talkies instead of shouting and screaming. My experience in Bollywood has been that even if you are eating, you are told your shot is ready. It’s like, we don’t care if you’ve eaten or if you faint, the shot is ready.”
However, the actor was quick to point out that such experiences can vary depending on the team one is working with. She shared that she recently worked on a Netflix project where the crew ensured that all actors were well-fed, comfortable and properly looked after, describing it as a “beautiful experience”.
Elli also highlighted differences in storytelling, particularly when it comes to opportunities for female actors. She said, “I definitely feel the South has more opportunities for content-driven films for female actors than Bollywood. In Bollywood, it’s still more about being typecast. That’s why I am grateful I was cast in Malang, because that was the first time I was portrayed in a different way. A lot of filmmakers were surprised to know that Elli is a serious actor and enjoys roles like these.”
About Elli AvrRam
Elli made her Bollywood debut opposite Maniesh Paul in the 2013 film Mickey Virus. The same year, she participated in Salman Khan’s reality show Bigg Boss 7, where her charming personality and interactions with the host grabbed attention. She later gained wider recognition for her role in Kapil Sharma’s Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon (2015), a box-office success.
Over the years, she has appeared in films such as Malang, Naane Varuvean alongside Dhanush, Goodbye with Amitabh Bachchan, Ganapath and Conjuring Kannappan. She was last seen in a special appearance in Be Happy, starring Abhishek Bachchan and Nora Fatehi.
