Abhishek Chaubey is known for his films like Ishqiya, Dedh Ishqiya, and Udta Punjab. The filmmaker’s last release Sonchiriya failed to make a mark at the box office but he has now started working on his next which will be a remake of Tamil film Jigarthanda.
In an interview with a daily, Chaubey confirmed the news of remaking Jigarthanda but stated that he is yet to complete the first draft of the script. He said, “I am doing a film with Sajid Bhai (Sajid Nadiadwala). I am writing this film for Sajid Bhai and I am yet to finish the first draft. As and when we have the script in our hand, we will make the announcement about it. The film will release next year.”
Jigarthanda starred Siddharth, Bobby Simha and Lakshmi Menon in the lead roles.
Chaubey also spoke about the failure of Sonchiriya in the interview. He stated, “As a filmmaker, you expect people in large numbers and if it doesn’t happen, you feel bad about it. But at the same time, I appreciate the fact that those who managed to watch the film, have mostly good things to say about it.”
“We work in a film industry which is very big. There are other factors apart from the quality of the film that determines the success of it. The only thing I can control as a filmmaker is the narrative and performances but I can’t control many other things. The fact is that at least I have some sort of satisfaction from the work that I do and I get appreciation from people. So, I am not going to think much about it. I am just going to put my head down and start working on other projects,” the filmmaker added.
Sonchiriya starred Sushant Singh Rajput and Bhumi Pednekar in the lead roles.
GLAMORGAN all-rounder Dan Douthwaite was not alone among the foreign players in being unsure what to expect when he headed to the Himalayas to take part in the inaugural Nepal Premier League (NPL) late last year.
Taking up a playing contract in the mountainous nation of 30 million was always going to be a novel challenge for the Englishman, not least because the Twenty20 league was staged at a ground some 1,350 metres above sea level.
"I thought I was going to be constantly out of breath or struggling, but it wasn't actually as bad as I thought it was going to be," the 28-year-old recalled of his time playing for the Kathmandu Gurkhas.
"I think I noticed it more so with sixes. When they got the ball it absolutely went miles. A lot of balls ... kept going and going and going.
"When you think you've hit one straight up and it's a 70-metre six."
Apart from the extra flight of the ball at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground near Kathmandu, Douthwaite's other big takeaway from the experience was the enthusiasm of the Nepali fans.
"Cricket in Nepal is probably like the Premier League in England ... there's a kind of almost Indian cricket feel about the way people appreciate and love the game," he told Reuters.
This was the third attempt by Nepal, which became an ICC associate member in 1996 and has qualified for the T20 World Cup twice, to follow in the path of the Indian Premier League (IPL) by launching its own Twenty20 league.
The NPL hopes the passion of the fans, combined with the country's unique geography and society, will carve out a niche in a landscape dominated by the likes of the IPL and Australia's Big Bash League.
"We're rich in terms of nature," said Sandesh Katwal, the chief executive of the Gurkhas, one of eight NPL franchises.
"It's a beautiful country and we're a friendly, welcoming people. The weather, the hospitality suits international players."
Former England batting all-rounder and IPL veteran Ravi Bopara, who turned out for Chitwan Rhinos, said it was a great experience, even if he turned down the offer of a helicopter trip to Everest Base Camp.
A modest budget meant the NPL could not attract the really big names in the sport.
All eight NPL franchises fetched a combined price of under $1.23 million (£884,559) at an auction held last September. Prize money for the champions, Janakpur Bolts, was around $81,000 (£58,250).
By contrast, India's Rishabh Pant, the highest-paid player in the IPL, commanded over £2m in the league's player auction for the 2025 edition.
A rushed first season also made it difficult to recruit international players, Katwal said.
"Everything happened within a one to two-month period ... most international players were already occupied. Many didn't know about this tournament," he added.
"Since Christmas was near, many overseas players were in a hurry to return. From the second season I think we can plan to start a bit earlier, October or November."
Nevertheless, the NPL proved to be an effective proving ground for Nepal's domestic talent, Bopara said.
"There was a group of players who were full of potential but lacked experience," he added.
Katwal said he hoped the NPL would provide that valuable competitive experience, as the IPL has done for young Indian talents.
"It's a dream come true for Nepali players ... sharing practice sessions with the foreign players, they definitely learned a lot. We also had coaches from India, Sri Lanka, England and elsewhere," he said.
"Since the IPL has started, you can see young players getting opportunities and it has paid off. The NPL is also an opportunity for Nepali players, a starting point."
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Rick and Morty return with fresh voices and familiar chaos
Forget reliable wormholes or predictable plotlines because Rick and Morty is back. Rick and Morty has always been the unruly cousin of animated hijinks, an acid-washed rollercoaster through infinite realities. After a year and a half of radio silence, Season 8 crash-lands on Adult Swim, and it’s every bit as unhinged, audacious, and delightfully unsettling as we’ve come to expect. Here are five reasons Season 8 proves that this family of interdimensional misfits still reigns supreme.
Trapped in charger purgatory
Remember that sinking feeling when your phone hits 1%? Rick weaponised it. The opener throws Summer and Morty into a cosmic timeout corner for nicking his charger... but this isn't just detention. It's a Matrix-meets-mundane-hell simulation stretched over seventeen soul-crushing virtual years. Morty endures war zones and brutal deaths on loop, Summer claws her way to tech tycoon status, making chargers obsolete.
New voices can be risky, but these ones nail it. Ian Cardoni’s Rick sounds more cunning than ever, always one step ahead. Harry Belden’s Morty balances nervous panic with surprising strength. And Spencer Grammer’s Summer shifts from stressed-out teenager to tough CEO. Together, they give each character fresh energy and even fans feel their new take right away.
Season 8 looks sharper and moves faster. The “death race” scene in the premiere is a heart-pounding blur of explosions and near-misses. Jerry’s ridiculous Easter-themed chaos is both hilarious and a bit gross but in the best way. From alien worlds to close-up character moments, the visuals pull you in and refuse to let go.
This time, the whole family gets their moment. Summer’s journey from powerless kid to corporate boss to defiant sister gives the episode real heart. Beth wrestles with seeing her daughter as an equal, and Jerry accidentally stumbles into some bizarre, cosmic role, complete with hidden Easter eggs. Each member’s story connects, proving the family is more than just side characters.
Unlike before, episodes in Season 8 build on what came before. The fallout from the Citadel, Rick’s shaky mental state, and Morty’s lingering fears all carry over. You don’t need to be a lore expert to enjoy it, but long-time fans will spot the callbacks and feel rewarded, nothing gets wiped clean at the end of the hour.
Sure, a few grumble about "playing it safe". But let’s be real: what other show would lock its teen stars in phone charger hell for 17 years? Season 8’s mix of gut-busting chaos, emotional gut-punches, visual fireworks, and evolving family dynamics proves Rick and Morty hasn’t lost an ounce of its dimension-shattering swagger.
As one fan perfectly nailed it: "Done in by the generation gap of calling vs. texting? Classic R&M." The wildest ride in the multiverse? Buckle up. It just dropped into a higher gear.
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The Discord community frequently shares new codes as soon as they’re available
Crystal of Atlan players have a fresh batch of codes to redeem this May, offering valuable in-game rewards for those who act quickly. The redemption process is simple but requires progressing through the early stages of the game.
To start redeeming codes, players must first download Crystal of Atlan and play through the tutorial until reaching the in-game village. While most cutscenes can be skipped, completing the necessary fights is essential to unlock access to the full menu system.
Once in the village, players should look for a small, two-tone diamond icon on the right side of the screen. Tapping this opens the main menu. From there, tap the gear icon at the bottom to access the Settings. Under the "Other" tab on the left, a "Go Redeem" button appears at the top—this is where players can enter codes.
Users can either type in a valid code or use the “Paste” button to ensure accuracy. Upon successful redemption, a notification will confirm the rewards have been sent.
Active Crystal of Atlan codes – May 2025
COAcreator2 – 150,000 Gold and 3 Matlz’s Special Injection (NEW)
COATEAMUP528 – 10 Hunting Permits (NEW)
These codes are currently active and available for all players. However, they may expire soon, so it’s advisable to redeem them as early as possible.
Expired or region-restricted codes
The following codes have either expired or may only be redeemable on servers outside Europe and North America:
COAJP527
COAJP123
COAwin1
COA1500
COAJP888
COAwin2
COA100v
COA200v
COA300v
Players on EU/NA servers may find these codes invalid, even if entered correctly.
Where to find redeemed rewards
After redeeming a code, rewards will not appear instantly in the inventory. Instead, players must return to the main screen and select the two-tone diamond icon once again. This time, click on the Mail icon to access the in-game inbox.
Each successfully redeemed code sends an in-game mail with the rewards attached. Players can claim items individually or use the "Claim All" function to collect all available rewards at once.
How to discover new codes
Although there is no fixed schedule for the release of new Crystal of Atlan codes, they typically appear during major updates, livestreams, or promotional events. Following the game on social media platforms, such as Twitter or Facebook, and subscribing to the official Discord server, increases the chances of discovering codes early.
The Discord community frequently shares new codes as soon as they’re available. Alternatively, checking trusted websites daily can help ensure players don’t miss out on limited-time offers.
For those who enjoy Crystal of Atlan and are looking to explore similar experiences, there are several free MMORPGs and PC RPGs worth trying.
As codes often expire within days, staying updated and redeeming them promptly is the best way to maximise in-game rewards.
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'Basically everybody agrees bigger is better. That's not true for everything in life, but it is true for pension funds. We are just putting some wind into the sails of that existing process,' pensions minister Torsten Bell said. (Photo: Getty Images)
THE UK government on Thursday said it wants many pension schemes to merge into "megafunds" with at least 25 billion pounds of assets by 2030 as part of efforts to channel more investment into the economy.
It also confirmed plans for a "backstop" power to potentially force investment firms to meet specific allocation targets for illiquid assets, such as domestic infrastructure projects.
The government said it does not expect to use this power, but some investment firms have criticised the move, saying it could lead to worse outcomes for pension savers.
The planned reforms will require pension schemes used by around 20 million Britons to merge if they are not already large enough. The aim is to follow the Australian and Canadian models, which have fewer, larger funds that can invest at scale.
"Basically everybody agrees bigger is better. That's not true for everything in life, but it is true for pension funds. We are just putting some wind into the sails of that existing process," pensions minister Torsten Bell told reporters.
The government has been pursuing a range of policies to boost domestic investment, including an agreement with 17 investment firms to invest 50 billion pounds of additional cash in UK businesses and infrastructure.
The targets could become mandatory if the government exercises its new powers.
"The government says it will create a 'sword of Damocles' power in legislation.... This essentially puts a gun to schemes' heads and will create those mandatory targets in all-but-name," said Tom Selby, director of public policy at investment platform AJ Bell.
Pensions minister Bell said the government was not directing specific investment strategies and that the proposals reflected a consensus within the pensions industry.
The Financial Conduct Authority said separately on Thursday it planned to request data from firms early next year on their asset allocations as part of the government's pension investment review.
The new changes will apply to multi-employer defined contribution schemes and local government pension schemes, the government said.
Penalties will be applied to pension funds that do not meet the 25 billion-pound assets threshold by 2030, such as losing access to auto-enrolment contributions that would be diverted into larger schemes, a government official told Reuters.
Schemes worth over 10 billion pounds that are unable to reach the minimum size by 2030 will be allowed to continue as long as they show a clear plan by 2035, the government added.
Some firms are concerned the plan could reduce competition.
"Supporting UK growth is a worthwhile goal, but fiduciary duty must remain at the heart of any reform," said Martin Willis, partner at consultancy Barnett Waddingham.
Local government pension schemes will also be given investment targets and told to combine assets that are currently split across more than 86 authorities into just six pools.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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The Beijing and Washington ties had already crashed since the trade war through Trump's tariffs
US President Donald Trump’s administration has announced it will “aggressively” revoke the visas of Chinese students studying in the United States.
"Those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields" will also be included in the revocation process, stated Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Tensions between Beijing and Washington had already deteriorated following the trade war sparked by Trump’s tariffs.
Estimates suggest that approximately 280,000 Chinese students were studying in the US last year. It remains unclear how many of them will be affected by this move.
China has strongly opposed the action and urged the US to pursue more constructive international relations.
Rubio also indicated that the increased scrutiny would apply to future visa applicants from China and Hong Kong. He has instructed US embassies worldwide to halt student visa appointments as the State Department plans to expand social media vetting for these applicants.
Although Chinese nationals previously formed the majority of international students at American universities, that trend is now shifting.
Data from the US State Department shows a decline in the number of Chinese students enrolling in American universities, largely due to deteriorating US-China relations during the pandemic era.
Currently, a significant number of foreign students are being deported, while others have had their visas revoked by the administration. Many of these actions are being challenged in court.
The US government has also frozen hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for universities. President Trump has criticised prestigious institutions such as Harvard for being overly liberal and for what he perceives as a failure to address antisemitism on campus.
Although Beijing has condemned the US in general terms, it has not issued a specific response to this visa crackdown.
Foreign students are vital to the financial health of many US universities, as they typically pay higher tuition fees.
According to the US Department of Commerce, Indian and Chinese students accounted for 54% of the international student population and contributed up to $50 billion to the US economy in 2023.
Some students have expressed regret over choosing US universities for their education.
Justin Bieber faces backlash for ‘I love you’ comment on 17-year-old star Ariana Greenblatt’s post