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UK week wrap: 7 highlights and revelations you don't want to miss

UK week wrap: 7 highlights and revelations you don't want to miss
Missed the headlines last week? Eastern Eye presents some of the highlights from the past seven days:

1. UK opens new immigration route for graduates:

iStock 669992822 iStock image


A new immigration route opened on Thursday (1), allowing international graduates to kick-start their careers in the UK after they have finished their studies at a UK university.

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2. Abhimanyu Mishra, 12, is the new youngest grandmaster:

chess (iStock Image)

Abhimanyu Mishra, from New Jersey, on June 30 scored his third Grandmaster norm and became the youngest chess grandmaster in history. 

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3. 10 EU countries approve Indian-made AstraZeneca:

GettyImages 1324880217 (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)

10 countries in the EU said they will accept the Indian-made version of the AstraZeneca jab at their borders following anger from Britons who unknowingly received the vaccine. The countries include Greece and Spain, two of Britain’s most popular overseas holiday destinations.

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4. Virat Kohli and Priyanka Chopra Jonas are among Instagram’s world’s costliest influencers:

GettyImages 1311954167 COLLAGE (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images) and Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

India cricket team captain Virat Kohli and actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas are among the world’s top 30 costliest Instagram influencers, according to a recently released list, with footballer Cristiano Ronaldo taking the top slot.

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5. Most Indians still oppose inter-faith marriages:

iStock 474603288 Shot in a Indian wedding

Most Indians consider themselves and the country to be religiously tolerant but are against interfaith marriage, a survey conducted by Pew Research Center revealed. Nearly two-thirds of Hindus said it was very important to be Hindu to be “truly Indian”.

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6. Skipping Sikh in Royal Box at Wimbledon:

skipping sikh (Adrian Dennis / AFP via Getty Images)

Rajinder Singh or the ‘Skipping Sikh’, recently recognised with an MBE for services to health and fitness in the Queen’s birthday honours list in June, interacted with Duchess of Cambridge at Royal Box in Wimbledon on Friday (2).

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7. Manisha Tailor makes history:

LEAD Euros Manisha

Manisha TAILOR MBE became the first woman and first person of South Asian heritage to be promoted to assistant head of coaching at  Queens Park Rangers

Read more.

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Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa expecting first child, share news with sweet Instagram post

Instagram/patralekhaa

Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa announce pregnancy in joint Instagram post

Highlights:

  • Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa announced their pregnancy via a joint Instagram post on Wednesday.
  • The image showed a floral cradle with “Baby on the way” written on it, captioned simply: “Elated ❤️.”
  • Industry friends including Farah Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar, and Esha Gupta congratulated them.
  • The couple, who were together for 11 years before marrying in 2021, recently launched their production house, KAMPA Film.

Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa shared that they are expecting their first child together in a joint Instagram post on Wednesday. The announcement came with a floral-themed image featuring a cradle illustration that read, “Baby on the way,” along with their names. The couple summed up their feelings in one word: “Elated.”

 Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa smiling during a public appearance earlier this year Instagram/patralekhaa/rajkummar_rao 

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Dhurandhar teaser reveals glimpses of Sara and Ranveer’s on-screen pairing

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Sara Arjun who earned £950,000 as a child, stars opposite 40-year-old Ranveer Singh in 'Dhurandhar'

Highlights:

  • Sara Arjun, once India’s highest-paid child actor, stars opposite Ranveer Singh in Dhurandhar.
  • Started her career at 18 months old and rose to fame with Deiva Thirumagal.
  • The teaser dropped on 6 July, coinciding with Ranveer’s 40th birthday.
  • The film has sparked online criticism over the 20-year age gap between the leads.

Once a toddler in detergent ads and later the daughter of Vikram in Deiva Thirumagal, Sara Arjun is now stepping into the spotlight as the female lead in Dhurandhar, Aditya Dhar’s espionage drama starring Ranveer Singh. The teaser, released on Singh’s 40th birthday, has made waves not just for its slick visuals but also for the casting of Sara opposite the veteran star.

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Johnny Depp says Warner Bros. pushed him to ''retire'' from 'Fantastic Beasts' after libel case

Highlights:

  • Johnny Depp says Warner Bros. asked him to resign from Fantastic Beasts in 2020, but he felt they wanted him to retire.
  • The actor had just lost a libel case against The Sun, which referred to him as a “wife-beater.”
  • Depp was replaced by Mads Mikkelsen in The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022).
  • He has now returned to directing after 20 years with his new film Modì, releasing on 11 July in the UK.

Hollywood actor Johnny Depp has opened up about being removed from the Fantastic Beasts franchise, saying he felt the studio’s request for his resignation was effectively a push into retirement. Depp made the comments in a recent interview while promoting his new directorial project Modì: Three Days on the Wing of Madness.

In 2020, shortly after losing a high-profile libel case against The Sun over claims of domestic abuse during his marriage to Amber Heard, Depp was asked to step down from the Harry Potter spin-off series. Speaking about the moment, Depp said, “It literally stopped in a millisecond, like, while I was doing the movie. They said, ‘We’d like you to resign.’ But what was really in my head was, they wanted me to retire.”

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Ranbir Kapoor will play Lord Rama in Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming Ramayana

Youtube Screengrab/Sony Music India

Ranbir Kapoor tops 'Ramayana' cast fees with £14 million as Yash and Sai Pallavi secure record pay

Highlights:

 
     
  • Ranbir Kapoor is reportedly earning £14 million (₹150 crore) for playing Lord Rama in both parts of Ramayana.
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  • Yash, cast as Raavan and also producing, is expected to receive £9.3 million (₹100 crore).
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  • Sai Pallavi will reportedly take home £1.1 million (₹12 crore) as Sita.
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  • Sunny Deol is said to be charging £3.7 million (₹40 crore) for portraying Hanuman.
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The upcoming two-part film Ramayana, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, is shaping up to be one of the most expensive projects in Indian cinema history. With its Diwali 2026 and 2027 releases already confirmed, all eyes are now on the cast’s sky-high fees.

Though the production house hasn’t officially confirmed individual earnings, multiple media reports, including those from Siasat.com and Republic, have provided a breakdown of what the film's leading stars are reportedly taking home, and the numbers are staggering.

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Officially become the highest-grossing lead actor in global box office history

Getty Images

Scarlett Johansson tops blockbuster chart, overtakes Robert Downey Jr and Samuel L Jackson

Key points

  • Scarlett Johansson becomes the highest-grossing lead actor at the global box office
  • Her films have now grossed £10.7 billion worldwide
  • Johansson achieved the feat with fewer films than Jackson or Downey Jr
  • Latest success comes from Jurassic World: Rebirth, which earned $318 million in its first six days

Johansson overtakes Jackson and Downey Jr at the box office

Scarlett Johansson has officially become the highest-grossing lead actor in global box office history, following the successful release of Jurassic World: Rebirth. The milestone sees her surpass fellow Marvel actors Samuel L Jackson and Robert Downey Jr, cementing her status as one of the most bankable stars in the world.

According to box office tracker The Numbers, Johansson’s films have now earned £10.7 billion worldwide. Jackson and Downey Jr trail slightly behind, with £10.7 billion and £10.5 billion respectively.

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