Actor Prateik Babbar recently adopted his late mother Smita Patil's surname, a decision that sparked widespread attention. When questioned about the change, he dismissed any notion of controversy and emphasized the natural choice of honoring his mother. The actor excluded his paternal relatives from his February wedding to Priya Banerjee, prompting his half-brother Aaryan Babbar to express the family's pain over the growing distance.
Prateik attributes his mother's enduring legacy to her extraordinary emotional connection with characters. He describes her performances as authentic expressions that transcended mere acting. Despite never meeting Smita Patil, who died shortly after his birth, Prateik experiences her artistry through her...
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways announced on Saturday that commuters without functional FASTags must pay 1.25 times the standard toll fee when using Unified Payment Interface payments at National Highway plazas starting on Nov. 15. The government amended the National Highways Fee Rules of 2008 to reduce cash transactions and promote digital payments at user fee plazas.
Vehicles entering toll plazas without valid FASTags face charges of twice the applicable fee for cash payments, but users selecting UPI payment methods receive reduced rates. A vehicle owing 100 rupees through FASTag would pay 200 rupees in cash or 125 rupees via UPI under the revised structure.
The ministry stated the amendments strengthen fee collection...
Anne Hathaway and Adam Driver will star in Ron Howard's war drama Alone at Dawn, which chronicles Air Force Combat Controller John Chapman's heroic final stand on an Afghan mountain peak. Driver portrays Chapman, and Hathaway plays an intelligence officer who campaigned for his Medal of Honor recognition. The film adapts Dan Schilling and Lori Longfritz's 2019 book detailing the March 4, 2002, battle where Chapman fought Al Qaeda forces after his team retreated.
Chapman regained consciousness after sustaining grave injuries, then defended his position against two dozen fighters to protect an incoming rescue squad. His actions earned him the Medal of Honor, making him the first airman to receive the distinction in nearly 50 years...
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met multiple international business leaders on Saturday to highlight investment prospects in India. Goyal discussed cross-border capital flows with Jim Coulter of Texas Pacific Group and explored manufacturing infrastructure partnerships with Gautam Banerjee of Blackstone Singapore. The minister met Nags Sankaranarayanan of Nomura Asia Pacific Holdings to examine India-focused investment channels, and conversed with Loh Chin Hua of Keppel about waste-to-energy projects and data centers.
Goyal addressed an India-Singapore@60 business session earlier on Saturday and emphasized balanced economic cooperation between both nations. The minister showcased renewable energy achievements while meeting...
Forty senior Sri Lankan civil servants completed a capacity-building program at India's National Centre for Good Governance from Sept. 22 through Oct. 3, and the Indian High Commission announced the results on Saturday. The training focused on urban transformation practices under the theme Clean Cities, Better Future: Transforming Urban Sri Lanka with Regional Practices. Officials designed the curriculum to support President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's Clean Sri Lanka initiative, announced in January 2025, while aligning with India's Swachhata Hi Seva 2025 campaign.
Participants attended sessions on urban planning, municipal governance, public-private partnerships, solid waste management, plastic waste recycling, digital transformation...
The International Monetary Fund warned Zimbabwe on Thursday to explain its plan for eliminating the United States dollar by 2030 while noting the ZiG currency has failed to gain public acceptance since its April 2024 introduction. The ZiG monetary base surged 215 percent from April through September 2024 despite Reserve Bank efforts to restrict money supply, and dollarization exceeds 80 percent of transactions. The government accumulated nearly 600 million dollars in unpaid domestic obligations in 2024, and the IMF projected economic growth at 6 percent this year before slowing to 3.5 percent without fiscal reforms.
The Fund urged authorities to strengthen governance of the Mutapa Investment Fund, rationalize tax incentives, and...
The iPhone 17 Pro Max outlasted the Galaxy S25 Ultra and Pixel 10 Pro XL in a battery drain test conducted by PhoneBuff on Saturday. Apple's flagship achieved a total runtime of 29 hours and 5 minutes, surpassing Samsung's device by 1 hour and 15 minutes and Google's model by 2 hours and 20 minutes.
The Pixel 10 Pro XL depleted first despite having the largest battery capacity among the three smartphones. The Galaxy S25 Ultra demonstrated superior efficiency in web browsing tests, but the iPhone 17 Pro Max maintained advantages in display power consumption and overall endurance.
All three devices feature LTPO OLED screens with adaptive refresh rates ranging from 1Hz to 120Hz. The Snapchat portion proved most demanding on system...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributed appointment letters to more than 4,000 Bihar government recruits on Saturday, and recipients expressed appreciation for employment opportunities. The appointees stated that the positions enable financial independence and community service. One candidate securing an Industrial Training Institute role credited Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for empowerment initiatives.
Modi launched youth-focused programs valued at 62,000 crore rupees at the Kaushal Deekshant Samaroh in New Delhi before virtually addressing Bihar students. The fourth National Skill Convocation recognized 46 national ITI performers under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Modi emphasized societal respect...
Actress Sonam recalled her first film shoot on Saturday, posting a beach scene from Vijay, directed by Yash Chopra. The performer shared that her introduction sequence was inspired by Bo Derek's beach run from the film 10, and she felt unexpectedly comfortable performing in beachwear. Chopra and actor Rishi Kapoor instructed the hairstylist to ensure her comfort between takes, creating a professional atmosphere on set.
The actress developed an affinity for Five Star chocolate bars after consuming multiple pieces throughout the production day. She considered the confection fortunate for subsequent projects. Chopra later approached Sonam for Aaina two years after Vijay, but she declined, as she was preparing for marriage at 18 and had...
