INDIA’S law enforcement and economic intelligence agency Thursday (11) said it has attached assets worth Rs 247.7 million (£2.88m) of fugitive diamond jeweller Mehul Choksi in India and abroad.
Choksi is one among the accused in over Rs 130 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) loan fraud and money laundering case.
The attached properties include three commercial assets based in Dubai, a Mercedes Benz car and a number of fixed deposits in bank accounts in the country and outside, the agency Enforcement Directorate (ED) said.
The total value of the attached properties is Rs 247.7m, ED added.
Out of the total proceeds of crime worth Rs 60.98bn, the ED has attached and seized properties worth Rs 25.34bn, including this attachment, it said.
Choksi, diamantaire Nirav Modi and others are being investigated by the ED and other probe agencies in the PNB fraud case.
The fraud came to light early last year after a complaint by the PNB that they allegedly cheated it to the tune of over Rs 130bn, with the purported involvement of a few employees of the bank.
The CBI and the ED have registered two first information reports (FIRs) each to probe the case.
Both Choksi and his nephew Modi left the country before criminal cases were lodged against them.
Choksi is at present based in the Caribbean nation of Antigua. India has sought his extradition from that country and an Interpol arrest warrant has also been issued against him.
BANGLADESH’s Election Commission (EC) on Thursday released a roadmap for the general election, expected to be held in February next year.
The poll schedule will be announced at least 60 days before the voting date, officials said.
“The Chief Adviser’s Office has asked us to hold the election before Ramadan. If I am not mistaken, Ramadan will begin on February 17 or 18. From this, you can calculate the probable election date,” EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed told reporters at a press briefing.
He said the commission was targeting the first half of February for the election. The roadmap, prepared in line with the directives of interim government chief adviser Muhammad Yunus, received EC approval on Wednesday.
According to Ahmed, discussions with political parties and other stakeholders will be held by the end of September and could take “one to one and a half months” to complete.
The EC identified 24 key tasks in the roadmap, including amendments to laws such as the Representation of the People Order (RPO), the Delimitation of Constituencies Act, the Voter List Act, the Election Officers (Special Provisions) Act 1991, and the Election Commission Secretariat Act 2009. Other tasks include finalising the voter list in phases, setting policies for domestic and foreign observers and journalists, and registering new political parties.
The commission expects to announce the election schedule in the second or third week of December.
In a televised address on August 5, Yunus had said the 13th parliamentary election would be held in February before Ramadan.
The roadmap announcement came as the National Citizen Party (NCP), formed this year with apparent support from Yunus, raised objections to the planned polls.
Shortly after the EC’s briefing, the NCP said the roadmap reflected a “breach of promise” by the interim government.
“Announcing the roadmap before declaring the implementation of the ‘July Charter’ is tantamount to breaking promises,” former Students against Discrimination (SAD) leader and NCP Joint Convener Ariful Islam Adeeb told a press conference. Flanked by other leaders, Adeeb warned that this could create “future crises for which the government must bear responsibility.”
The NCP, which emerged in February as an offshoot of SAD after leading the movement that forced Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League out of power on August 5 last year, has been demanding a new constitution through a Constituent Assembly, replacing the 1972 Constitution.
Jamaat-e-Islami has separately demanded that the polls be held under a proportional representation system to secure a larger stake in parliament. Both Jamaat and NCP have also called for the trial of Hasina and leaders of her regime for their alleged role in last year’s crackdown on the uprising.
Hasina is being tried in absentia at the International Crimes Tribunal on several charges.
Former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has emerged as the largest party in the absence of Awami League, whose activities were disbanded by Yunus’s interim government.
Despite assurances by Yunus and his advisers of free and fair polls within the announced deadline, uncertainty has grown among political parties due to the stance of the NCP.
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Emma Stone at the Venice film festival where she admitted she believes in aliens
Emma Stone declares her belief in aliens during Venice promotion of Bugonia
The Oscar-winning actor cites Carl Sagan’s philosophy as her inspiration
Bugonia, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, is a remake of Korean cult hit Save the Green Planet!
Film stars Jesse Plemons alongside Stone and is set for UK release in November
Emma Stone has said she believes in aliens, making the confession while promoting her new film Bugonia at the Venice Film Festival. The Oscar-winning actor linked her belief to the philosophy of astronomer Carl Sagan, who argued it was “pretty narcissistic” to assume humans are the only intelligent beings in the universe. The subject mirrors the central theme of her latest project, which sees her play a powerful CEO accused of being an alien by two conspiracy theorists.
Emma Stone at the Venice film festival where she admitted she believes in aliens Getty Images
Why did Emma Stone say she believes in aliens?
Speaking at a press conference, the La La Land star was asked whether she believed in an “ultimate intelligence looking down on us.” Stone responded that she did not think in those terms but felt deeply influenced by Sagan’s view of the cosmos.
“One of my favourite people who ever lived is Carl Sagan,” she said. “He very deeply believed the idea that we’re alone in this vast expansive universe is a pretty narcissistic thing. So yes, I’m coming out and saying it: I believe in aliens.”
Her comments came just hours before the Venice premiere of Bugonia, a black comedy directed by long-time collaborator Yorgos Lanthimos.
In Bugonia, Stone plays Michelle Fuller, a high-profile corporate executive who is kidnapped by conspiracy theorists convinced she is an alien intent on destroying Earth. The role pushed the actor into striking new territory, with the trailer showing her character’s shaved-head transformation and tense face-offs with her captors.
The film pairs her with Jesse Plemons, who plays one of the kidnappers, and Aidan Delbis as his accomplice. Alicia Silverstone and Stavros Halkias also feature. The script is adapted by Will Tracy, co-writer of The Menu, and is an English-language remake of Jang Joon-hwan’s 2003 South Korean cult classic Save the Green Planet!.
Following its world premiere on the Lido, Bugonia will open in UK cinemas on 7 November. Focus Features has confirmed the film’s international rollout will include a Halloween-timed US release in October.
This marks Stone’s fourth collaboration with Lanthimos, after The Favourite, Poor Things and Kinds of Kindness. Their last project, Poor Things, won four Oscars earlier this year, including Best Actress for Stone.
Early reviews describe Bugonia as surreal, subversive and sharply comic. Critics praised Stone’s performance, alongside Plemons’s portrayal of a conspiracist torn between paranoia and morality. The Hollywood Reporter said the actor-director pairing continues to push boundaries, calling Stone “in top form” and commending her ability to bring depth to a character balancing satire and menace.
orgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone, Stavros Halkias, Alicia Silverstone, Aidan Delbis and Jesse Plemons attend the "Bugonia" red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film FestivalGetty Images
Lanthimos said he was “immediately blown away” by the script and insisted the story is not dystopian but reflective of the present moment. “Humanity is facing a reckoning very soon, with technology, AI, wars, and denial of reality,” he told reporters.
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The Department of Health said the rollout would reduce missed days at nursery and school, cut time parents take off work, and save the NHS about £15 million a year. (Representational image: iStock)
CHILDREN in England will be offered a free chickenpox vaccine for the first time from January 2026, the government has announced.
GP practices will give eligible children a combined vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) as part of the routine childhood vaccination schedule. Around half a million children each year are expected to be protected.
The Department of Health said the rollout would reduce missed days at nursery and school, cut time parents take off work, and save the NHS about £15 million a year. Research estimates chickenpox in childhood leads to £24 million in lost income and productivity annually.
Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock, said: “We’re giving parents the power to protect their children from chickenpox and its serious complications, while keeping them in nursery or the classroom where they belong and preventing parents from scrambling for childcare or having to miss work. This vaccine puts children’s health first and gives working families the support they deserve. As part of our Plan for Change, we want to give every child the best possible start in life, and this rollout will help to do exactly that.”
Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, Deputy Director of Immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency, said: “Most parents probably consider chickenpox to be a common and mild illness, but for some babies, young children and even adults, chickenpox can be very serious, leading to hospital admission and tragically, while rare, it can be fatal. It is excellent news that from next January we will be introducing a vaccine to protect against chickenpox into the NHS routine childhood vaccination programme – helping prevent what is for most a nasty illness and for those who develop severe symptoms, it could be a life saver.”
Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services at NHS England, said: “This is a hugely positive moment for families as the NHS gets ready to roll out a vaccine to protect children against chickenpox for the first time, adding to the arsenal of other routine jabs that safeguard against serious illness.”
The eligibility criteria will be set out in clinical guidance, and parents will be contacted by their GP surgery if their child is eligible.
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Modi is on a two-day visit to Japan from August 29 to 30. (Photo: X/@narendramodi)
Modi says India and Japan will work together to “shape the Asian Century”
Japan to announce $68 billion investment in India over 10 years
Modi to attend SCO summit in China, meet Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin
India and Japan to deepen cooperation in trade, technology and security
PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi on Thursday said India and Japan will work together to “shape the Asian Century,” as he began a two-nation visit that will also take him to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
Speaking at a business forum in Tokyo, Modi said, “India and Japan's partnership is strategic and smart. Powered by economic logic, we have turned shared interests into shared prosperity.”
“India is the springboard for Japanese businesses to the Global South. We will shape the Asian Century for stability, growth, and prosperity,” he added.
Modi is on a two-day visit to Japan from August 29 to 30. Reports said Japan will unveil 10 trillion yen ($68 billion) in investments in India over the next 10 years. Bilateral trade is currently worth more than $20 billion annually, with the balance in Japan’s favour.
Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba said, “Japan and India are strategic partners who share common values such as freedom, democracy, rule of law, having cherished friendship and trust over many years.”
“Our economic relationship is expanding rapidly as Japan's technology and India's talented human resources and its huge market are complementing each other,” Ishiba told the forum.
Trade and investments
Modi and Ishiba were expected to announce that the number of Indians with specialised skills working or studying in Japan will double to 50,000 over the next five years. Investments will target areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors and access to critical minerals.
On Saturday, the two leaders are scheduled to tour a semiconductor facility and a shinkansen bullet train factory. Japan is expected to assist India in its planned 7,000-kilometre high-speed rail network by 2047. A joint project to build the first high-speed rail link between Mumbai and Ahmedabad has faced delays and cost overruns.
Both India and Japan have also been hit by tariffs imposed by the United States. A 50 per cent levy on many Indian imports into the US took effect this week. Japan’s auto sector continues to face 25 per cent tariffs as a July trade deal reducing them is yet to come into force.
India and Japan, along with the United States and Australia, are members of the Quad alliance. The two sides are expected to upgrade their 2008 declaration on security cooperation during the visit.
Next stop: China
After Japan, Modi will travel to Tianjin in China on August 31 and September 1 to attend the SCO summit hosted by President Xi Jinping and attended by Russian president Vladimir Putin.
“From Japan, I will travel to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Tianjin, at the invitation of President Xi Jinping,” Modi said in his departure statement.
“India is an active and constructive member of SCO. During our presidency, we have introduced new ideas and initiated collaboration in the fields of innovation, health and cultural exchanges,” he said.
“I also look forward to meeting President Xi Jinping, President Putin and other leaders on the sidelines of the summit,” he added.
Focus on regional peace
The prime minister said he was confident that his visits to Japan and China would advance India’s national priorities.
“I am confident that my visits to Japan and China would further our national interests and priorities, and contribute to building fruitful cooperation in advancing regional and global peace, security, and sustainable development,” Modi said.
This will be Modi’s first visit to China since 2018. India and China, the two most populous nations, remain rivals competing for influence in South Asia and fought a deadly border clash in 2020. A thaw began in October last year when Modi and Xi met in Russia for the first time in five years.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Guru Randhawa criticised for Azul music video accused of sexualising schoolgirls
Guru Randhawa’s Azul video has sparked outrage for depicting schoolgirls in a sexualised manner
Sonam Kapoor and others reacted after a viral post highlighted the issue
The singer has also been summoned by a Samrala court over separate objectionable lyrics
Randhawa has restricted Instagram comments amid growing criticism
Punjabi pop star Guru Randhawa is facing widespread criticism after his latest release Azul was accused of sexualising schoolgirls. The glossy music video, in which Randhawa plays a photographer visiting an all-girls school, has been slammed as “problematic” and “pornographic” by critics and social media users. The backlash coincides with a separate case where the singer has been summoned by a Samrala court for allegedly promoting drug use through his lyrics in Sirra, intensifying the storm around him.
Guru Randhawa criticised for Azul music video accused of sexualising schoolgirls Instagram/gururandhawa
Why is Guru Randhawa’s Azul music video controversial?
The controversy centres on the concept of Azul, released earlier this month. In the video, Guru Randhawa plays a photographer tasked with clicking a class photo at a girls’ school. What could have been a lighthearted scenario instead portrays female dancers in school uniforms, which viewers say crosses the line into the sexualisation of minors.
A widely circulated Instagram post accused Randhawa of not only depicting schoolgirls in a sexualised way but also comparing them with alcohol brands. The post caught the attention of actor Sonam Kapoor, who ‘liked’ it, signalling support for the criticism.
Many social media users argue that even though the women in the video are adults, their portrayal as underage school students is disturbing and normalises harassment. “It’s 2025, and we are still seeing content that romanticises predatory behaviour. Young people are consuming this message online,” one user wrote.
How have fans and celebrities reacted to Guru Randhawa’s song Azul ?
The reaction online has been intense, with many calling the video socially dangerous. “Objectification of women is not music. Paedophilia is not art,” wrote one X user, reflecting the dominant sentiment across platforms. Others pointed out that artists with huge followings should understand the cultural impact of such portrayals.
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Actors Mrunal Thakur and Varun Dhawan were among those who liked Guru Randhawa’s celebratory posts about the song’s release, though there is no indication they watched the full video. This drew further debate online, with users questioning whether celebrities should engage with content without knowing its context.
The backlash has forced Randhawa to restrict comments on his Instagram, a move interpreted as an attempt to manage the criticism rather than address it.
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What is the court case against Guru Randhawa over Sirra ?
Separately, Guru Randhawa has been summoned by a Samrala court to appear on 2 September over allegedly offensive lyrics in his song Sirra. The controversial line, “Jamia nu gudti ch mildi afeem hai” (Newborns are given opium in their cradle), has been deemed objectionable.
Petitioner Rajdeep Singh Mann, through advocate Gurvir Singh Dhillon, argued that the lyric disrespects Sikh religious sentiments, as the word gudhti carries spiritual significance in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. The court has directed Randhawa to respond to the complaint, adding legal pressure alongside the social backlash over Azul.
This is not the first time Punjabi pop music has been scrutinised for lyrics. Honey Singh and Karan Aujla previously faced inquiries from the Punjab Women’s Commission over songs deemed derogatory or harmful.
Randhawa, known for chart-topping hits like Lahore and High Rated Gabru, now finds himself at the centre of two major controversies. While Azul has been criticised for sexualising schoolgirls, Sirra has brought legal action for allegedly promoting drugs.
So far, the singer has not issued a public statement addressing either issue. His silence, coupled with restricted social media engagement, has only intensified calls for accountability. Critics argue that as a leading figure in Punjabi and Bollywood music, Randhawa must take responsibility for how his work influences youth culture.
Guru Randhawa restricts Instagram comments after Azul music video backlashInstagram/gururandhawa
With debates around morality, censorship, and creative freedom reignited, the controversies could prove a turning point in how mainstream Indian pop music is held accountable for its messaging.