Vicky Kaushal starrer Bhoot – Part 1: The Haunted Ship has taken a decent start at the box office. The movie in two days has collected Rs 10.62 crores. Well, recently, Vicky Kaushal took to Instagram to thank the film’s director Bhanu Pratap Singh.
Vicky shared a few pictures from the set and wrote, "Thank You @bhanu.singh.91 for guiding me and directing me so well in a genre so new to me! Not many directors would want to debut with a genre like horror... I admire your courage and your commitment towards your vision. Now go and spend time with your new born baby whom you haven’t yet held in your own arms since the time she’s born 2 months ago in order to get your first Film ready and released. Lots of love brother! ?❤️ .#Bhoot #TheHauntedShip #InCinemas."
Bhoot – Part 1: The Haunted Ship also stars Bhumi Pednekar and it has received mixed reviews. Horror films do well at the box office on the weekend, but mostly fail to be steady on the weekdays. It will be interesting to see how the film performs at the box office in the upcoming days.
Talking about Vicky, the actor has some interesting projects in his kitty. He will next be seen in Sardar Udham Singh which is slated to release on 2nd October 2020. He also has movies like Takht, Ashwatthama and Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw ‘s biopic in his kitty.
Banu Mushtaq (left) will share the £50,000 prize with translator Deepa Bhasthi, who also helped select the stories in the book. (Photo credit: David Parry for the Booker Prize Foundation)
INDIAN writer, lawyer and activist Banu Mushtaq has won the International Booker Prize for her short story collection Heart Lamp.
Mushtaq, 77, is the first author writing in Kannada to win the literary prize, which recognises fiction translated into English. The announcement was made on Tuesday at a ceremony at the Tate Modern gallery in London.
"This moment feels like a thousand fire flies lighting a single sky -- brief, brilliant and utterly collective," Mushtaq said at the event. "I accept this great honour not as an individual but as a voice raised in chorus with so many others."
She will share the £50,000 prize with translator Deepa Bhasthi, who also helped select the stories in the book.
Heart Lamp brings together 12 short stories originally published between 1990 and 2023. The stories are set in Muslim communities in southern India and centre around the lives of women and girls.
Mushtaq, who lives in Karnataka, is known for her legal work and advocacy for women's rights.
The jury praised the collection for its humour, conversational tone, and its focus on patriarchy, caste and religious conservatism.
Her characters were described by the jury as "astonishing portraits of survival and resilience", including grandmothers and religious clerics.
"My stories are about women – how religion, society, and politics demand unquestioning obedience from them, and in doing so, inflict inhumane cruelty upon them, turning them into mere subordinates," Mushtaq said.
Max Porter, chair of the judges, said Heart Lamp was "something genuinely new for English readers."
"A radical translation which ruffles language, to create new textures in a plurality of Englishes. It challenges and expands our understanding of translation," he said.
Jennifer Lopez is facing a new legal battle, this time for sharing photos of herself online. The images in question? Paparazzi shots taken outside a glitzy pre-Golden Globes party in Los Angeles earlier this year.
Photographer Edwin Blanco and the photo agency Backgrid claim they own the rights to the pictures Lopez posted on her Instagram and Twitter. In the photos, the singer is seen in a white dress and faux fur coat, posing outside the Chateau Marmont. The caption read “GG Weekend Glamour”, a harmless update to most, but not in the eyes of copyright law.
Blanco and Backgrid argue that Lopez used the images to promote herself and boost her brand presence, without securing permission or paying for the content. They claim the photos helped her highlight the designers she wore and tie her look to ongoing brand partnerships. In their view, this isn’t just a case of a celebrity sharing a flattering photo, it’s a commercial move with financial value.
They’re now suing for up to £112,000 (₹1,17,60,000) per image.
JLo faces fresh legal trouble for reposting paparazzi images on social media Getty Images
It’s worth noting that just because someone appears in a photo doesn’t mean they own it. Under copyright law, ownership typically belongs to the photographer or their employer. This means celebrities must ask for permission or pay a fee if they want to post professional paparazzi photos, even if they’re the subject.
According to the legal documents, Lopez’s team was contacted and even agreed to a settlement after the pictures were posted. But reportedly, no paperwork was signed and no payment has been made.
Copyright clash erupts over images JLo posted to promote her red carpet styleGetty Images
This isn’t her first run-in with such issues. Lopez has been sued in the past in 2019 and 2020 for similar situations involving unlicensed photo sharing. And she’s not alone. Celebs like Dua Lipa, Gigi Hadid, and Khloé Kardashian have all been hit with similar copyright complaints.
While fans may think reposting a photo of themselves is harmless, the lawsuit is a reminder of the complex rules around image rights in the entertainment industry. Even global stars like JLo can land in hot water for hitting “post” without checking the fine print.
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“This book was born from the belief that no story is ever small,” she said
Banu Mushtaq has made literary history by becoming the first Kannada writer to win the International Booker Prize. The 2025 award was given for her short story collection Heart Lamp, a collaboration with translator Deepa Bhasthi, who rendered the work into English. The pair will share the £50,000 prize, which was presented at a ceremony at London’s Tate Modern on 20 May.
Published by Penguin Random House India, Heart Lamp is a collection of twelve short stories written between 1990 and 2023. It explores the lives of women in southern India, particularly in Karnataka, portraying their struggles and strength within patriarchal communities. The stories are grounded in regional oral storytelling traditions and have been praised for their wit, vividness and emotional depth.
Chair of the judging panel, Max Porter, called the book “a radical translation which ruffles language, to create new textures in a plurality of Englishes,” adding that the result is “genuinely new for English readers.”
Mushtaq, who is also known for her work as a lawyer and activist, reflected on the significance of the award during her acceptance speech. “This book was born from the belief that no story is ever small,” she said. “In a world that often tries to divide us, literature remains one of the lost sacred spaces where we can live inside each other's minds, if only for a few pages.”
Bhasthi’s translation has been praised for preserving the multilingual and musical essence of the original Kannada text. She chose to retain Kannada, Urdu and Arabic words in the English version, aiming to reflect the region’s everyday speech patterns. Speaking at a recent event at Champaca Bookstore in Bengaluru, she said, “None of us speaks ‘proper English’ in Karnataka… I wanted Indian readers to hear the deliberate Kannada hum behind it.”
In an earlier interview with The New Indian Express, Mushtaq addressed the personal dimensions of her writing. “I was asked to write about my contexts, and so I did. But at the same time, I didn’t want to be confined within the identity of the ‘Muslim woman’,” she said.
Heart Lamp is the first short story collection to win the International Booker Prize and only the second Indian title overall, following Geetanjali Shree’s Tomb of Sand, which won in 2022.
Fiammetta Rocco, Administrator of the prize, described the book as “a testament to the enduring fight for women's rights, translated with sympathy and ingenuity,” encouraging readers of all backgrounds to engage with its themes.
The 2025 shortlist featured works translated from Danish, French, Japanese and Italian. Each shortlisted book received £5,000, divided between the author and translator.
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Security personnel guard along a street near the site of a school bus bombing in the Khuzdar district of Balochistan province on May 21, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)
AT LEAST six people, including four children, were killed on Wednesday when a school bus was targeted in a bombing in Khuzdar district of Balochistan province in southwestern Pakistan. The bus was on its way to a school attended by children of army personnel and civilians.
The dead included the bus driver and his assistant.
Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif accused India of supporting the militants behind the attack. “Terrorists operating under Indian patronage attacking innocent children on a school bus is clear evidence of their hostility,” his statement said.
The military also alleged that the attack was “planned and orchestrated” by India.
Earlier this month, a ceasefire agreement was reached between India and Pakistan after their most serious conflict in decades. The recent violence comes almost two weeks after that agreement.
The two countries often accuse each other of backing militant groups operating in their respective territories.
The recent escalation followed an attack on tourists in Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, which India blamed on Pakistan. India later retaliated. Pakistan denied involvement in that incident.
'Probe suggests suicide bombing'
No group has claimed responsibility for Wednesday's attack so far.
Balochistan chief minister Sarfraz Bugti said the dead included four children, the bus driver and his assistant.
“A bus carrying children of the APS (Army Public School) was targeted with a bomb, the nature of which is still being determined,” Yasir Iqbal Dashti, a senior government official in Khuzdar, told AFP. “The initial probe suggests it was a suicide bombing,” he added.
A senior police official confirmed the death toll to AFP on condition of anonymity, saying over two dozen people were injured.
Earlier, the military had said in a statement that five people had been killed, including three children.
Images circulated on social media showed the wreckage of the school bus and scattered school bags.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) is known to be active in the region and has been responsible for several recent attacks, mostly targeting security forces and outsiders.
In March, the BLA seized a train carrying hundreds of passengers, leading to the deaths of dozens of militants and off-duty security personnel.
In 2014, the Army Public School in Peshawar was attacked by Pakistan Taliban gunmen who killed more than 150 people, mostly students. That attack led to a large-scale crackdown on militancy in the border areas.
London is gearing up for a night of side-splitting comedy as the brilliant and unapologetically honest Prashasti Singh returns to the UK with her latest stand-up special, Divine Feminine. Taking place on Sunday, 25 May at the iconic Camden Club, this much-anticipated show promises a mix of hilarity, introspection, and the trademark observational humour that has made Singh a beloved name in comedy circles across India and beyond.
Prashasti Singh is not just another comic—she’s a refreshing voice in a comedy landscape that’s long overdue for female-led narratives. With a background in engineering and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, Singh made an unconventional leap into comedy, quickly carving out a niche for herself with her bold storytelling, satirical takes on Indian society, and candid reflections on singlehood, career confusion, and gender expectations.
Her breakout came through popular stand-up platforms like Amazon Prime Video’s Comicstaan, where her performances resonated deeply with audiences for their relatability and fearless honesty. Since then, Singh has performed sold-out shows across India, as well as in the United States and the UK, earning a reputation as one of the most intelligent and hilarious voices in contemporary Indian comedy.
In Divine Feminine, Singh turns the spotlight inward—but not without hilariously dragging the people around her along for the ride. The show explores her personal life decisions, career detours, and the absurd expectations placed on women by society, family, and even themselves. But rather than blaming herself, Singh cleverly distributes the guilt to parents, friends, and even pop culture influences—creating a show that is not only hilarious but deeply human.
Audiences can expect an evening filled with laughter, sarcasm, and soul-searching observations as Singh unpacks everything from dating in your 30s and societal pressure to be “sorted,” to finding spiritual peace in a world that demands perfection.
Her storytelling is intelligent, emotionally resonant, and above all, funny—making her a standout figure among a new generation of comedians using humour to explore identity, feminism, and modern life.
Located at 72-73 Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8AN, The Camden Club is known for hosting intimate and engaging live performances. With its rich atmosphere and vibrant cultural calendar, it offers the perfect setting for a personal and interactive show like Divine Feminine.
Whether you’re a long-time fan of Prashasti Singh or new to her work, this is an opportunity to catch a rising global talent live, up close, and in her element.
Tickets for Divine Feminine are available now via www.thecamdenclub.co.uk. Given Singh’s popularity and the limited seating, early booking is highly recommended.