Actor Neil Nitin Mukesh has shared a heartfelt note praising Ashutosh Rana for his humility and deep respect, over a video featuring the actor with his father and veteran singer Nitin Mukesh. Nitin had attended Ashutosh Rana’s stage play ‘Humare Ram,’ which features Rana in the powerful role of Raavana alongside Rahull R. Bhuchar.

In a deeply moving moment captured after the performance, Nitin joined Ashutosh on stage, where the actor bowed down to touch the veteran singer’s feet, a gesture of respect and reverence that left Neil deeply touched.Calling the moment “truly heart-touching,” Neil said the video moved him to tears as he wrote on his stories section on his account: “A must watch video. Such a beautiful video. @ashutosh_ramnarayan sir, your humility is truly heart-touching. Your love and respect for Papa are beyond words. I have always admired and respected you for your powerhouse performances, but today you truly won my heart.”Neil added: “@rahull_r_bhuchar ji, seeing you stand there holding my father’s hand as he sang brought tears to my eyes. Shree Ram, aapko mera naman.”Talking about Ashutosh, he appeared in the television serial Swabhimaan, which was followed by serials such as Farz, Sazish, Jax Kabhi, Waris. He anchored the TV show, Baazi Kiski. He has also hosted Sarkaar Ki Duniya. In 2010, he featured in the show Kaali- Ek Agnipariksha, where he played the negative role of Thakral.He gained massive recognition for his negative roles in Sangharsh and Dushman, where he played a cold blooded psychopathic killer.His latest release includes ‘One Two Cha Cha Chaa’, an action-adventure comedy film directed by Abhishek Raj and Rajneesh Thakur.Meanwhile, Neil made debut as a child artist in ‘Vijay’ in 1988 and ‘Jaisi Karni Waisi Bharnii’ in 1989. He made his full-fledged debut playing the title role in ‘Johnny Gaddaar’ in 2007.Since then, the actor has starred in ‘New York’, ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’, ‘Golmaal Again’, and ‘Saaho’. He made his Tamil film debut with Kaththi and Telugu film debut with Kavacham.On the work front, Neil’s latest release is the black comedy thriller titled ‘Ek Chatur Naar’ written by Himanshu Tripathi and directed by Umesh Shukla. It also stars Divya Khossla.The film is set against the backdrop of a quirky small-town Indian landscape, the story follows a seemingly charming woman with a naivety that masks her razor-sharp wit.Ambitious and cunning, she effortlessly outsmarts everyone around her. When a lucrative opportunity comes her way, she dives in headfirst but is tangled with unpredictable twists and darkly comedic turns that test her cunning at every step.

MUMBAI: After several rounds of talks, meetings, family gatherings and cultural exchanges, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS announced a formal alliance for the BMC and other Municipal Corporation polls including Nashik on Wednesday. The two Thackeray cousins Uddhav and Raj addressed a joint press conference to make the announcement in Worli. Both Uddhav and Raj struck an emotional chord. Uddhav said to the Marathi people that ‘If you get divided or make any mistake now, you will be completely finished.’ Uddhav said the two of them have come together as their duty towards Maharashtra. Raj said Maharashtra is bigger than any dispute or fight and that is why they have come together.

However no seat sharing formula was shared and Raj said that the list of candidates or seat sharing formula won’t be declared and candidates will directly be told to file their nominations. Raj said that there were gangs operating in Maharashtra that kidnap children and two new gangs are are kidnapping children of political parties. Raj said that the Mayor of Mumbai will be Marathi and he would be from the Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance. Before the announcements, both Uddhav and Raj, with their families, paid homage at the Bal Thackeray memorial at Shivaji Park. Aaditya Thackeray, Rashmi Thackeray, Amit Thackeray, and Sharmila Thackeray were also present. Before the announcement, Uddhav visited Raj’s Dadar home where the two cousins were given a symbolic blessing and Aarti by Raj’s mother Kunda Thackeray. Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut was present on the dais with Raj and Uddhav.“I am advising all Marathi people. If you make a mistake now, you will be finished. If you get divided now, you will be completely destroyed.. So don’t get divided, don’t split, don’t waste the Marathi pride. A Marathi person usually doesn’t follow anyone’s path. But if someone comes in his path, he doesn’t let him go back,” Uddhav said. “Whatever else I want to say, I will say in public meetings. However, I had said in an interview that Maharashtra is bigger than any dispute or fight and that is where we started coming together. We are announcing the alliance between Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS, for which Maharashtra has been waiting for for a long time,” Raj said. Uddhav said, “We have come together as our duty to stay together. Marathi people sacrificed and brought Mumbai into Maharashtra. It is natural to remember this today. Both of our grandfathers, Prabodhankar (Thackeray) were one of the first five generals in the fight for united Maharashtra. My father Balasaheb Thackeray, Raj’s father Shrikant Thackeray, that is, the entire Thackeray family was fighting for Mumbai at that time.” He added, “I will not tell you the history after that. But when Maharashtra got Mumbai, outsiders started dancing on the shoulders of Mumbai’s Marathi people and Balasaheb Thackeray had to give birth to Shiv Sena for fair rights. The intervening years passed well. But today, once again, the intentions of the two in Delhi are to break Mumbai’s resilience. If we continue to fight now, it will be an insult to the martyrs’ memorial in Mumbai. Today, we have come together as our duty and to stay together. From now on, no one will try to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra with a crooked look or deceitful intrigues on Mumbai and Maharashtra. We have taken to the field by taking an oath that those who try to separate Mumbai will not be left without being eliminated in politics,”

According to Sena (UBT) functionaries, the proposed seat-sharing formula for the BMC allocates 145 to 150 seats to Sena (UBT), 65 to 70 seats to the MNS, while 10 to 12 seats are to be given to the NCP (SP). Sena (UBT) has also “left” 12 to 15 seats where it earlier had corporators for the MNS; in a majority of these wards, the former corporators have since joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.However, the alliance has triggered sharp reactions from rival Shiv Sena leaders. Expressing strong disapproval, Shiv Sena leader Raju Waghmare criticised the cousins’ visit to Balasaheb Thackeray’s memorial and accused both leaders of betraying his legacy.Shiv Sena leader Raju Waghmare said, “Raj and Uddhav Thackeray are going to go to Balasaheb Thackeray’s Shivaji Park Smriti Sthal to pay homage to him. Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray, our idol, will never forgive these two brothers because Raj Thackeray betrayed Balasaheb Thackeray and gave him a big scar. Uddhav Thackeray, on the other hand, betrayed Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideology. Balasaheb Thackeray will never forgive them; the Marathi people will never forget this. No matter what they do now, it will not help them. When it comes to seat sharing, their party workers are very nervous and angry because they have been fighting against each other for almost the last two decades, and now they have to sacrifice their seats…”Congress, which has been an ally of the Sena (UBT) at the state level, has not joined the civic poll alliance but sees political significance in the reunion of the Thackeray cousins, claiming it signals cracks within the ruling Mahayuti.Congress leader Atul Londhe said, “Today’s news is that Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar are going to come together. Does this mean that the Mahayuti has suffered a split?”The Maharashtra State Election Commission has announced elections to 29 municipal corporations, including the BMC, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). Polling will be held on January 15, with counting scheduled for January 16.Meanwhile, the ruling Mahayuti—comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP—has dominated recent local body elections across 286 municipalities and nagar panchayats. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, congratulating BJP workers, said the results were a “trailer” for the upcoming civic polls.

The return of Rohit Sharma to domestic cricket turned into a spectacle on Tuesday as fans in Jaipur welcomed the India star with thunderous chants. Rohit’s appearance at the Vijay Hazare Trophy marked his first outing in the tournament since 2018, instantly transforming Mumbai’s opening fixture into a fan-driven celebration.

Fans chant ‘Mumbai cha Raja’ for Rohit Sharma in Jaipur

The scenes unfolded at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, where Mumbai are taking on Sikkim on December 24. As Rohit arrived at the venue, hundreds of supporters gathered near the gates and practice areas. Soon, when he came near the boundary rope, supporters were heard chanting ‘Mumbai cha Raja’ for Rohit. Social media was soon flooded with clips capturing the frenzy, underlining Rohit’s unmatched popularity even at the domestic level.

Here’s the video:

“Mumbai cha Raja, Rohit Sharma” chants from the fans as Rohit came near the boundary line for fielding.🔥

The Raja of India Cricket @ImRo45 🐐 pic.twitter.com/TjIun24vVi

— 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) December 24, 2025

Notably, Rohit’s participation comes in the wake of a recent BCCI directive asking centrally contracted players to feature in domestic white-ball competitions. The move aims to strengthen the domestic structure while keeping senior players match-ready. For fans, it has delivered a rare opportunity to watch modern-day greats compete in India’s premier domestic tournaments.

Also READ: KL Rahul, Prasidh Krishna bolster Karnataka squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy defense

Rohit’s limited appearances for Mumbai

The overwhelming turnout prompted authorities to open the East Stand for free public entry. However, crowd management became a challenge on the eve of the match when fans reportedly swarmed Rohit during a practice session, forcing security personnel to step in. Officials have since tightened arrangements to ensure the smooth conduct of the game.

While the excitement is palpable, Rohit’s stint in the tournament is expected to be brief. He is likely to play only Mumbai’s first two matches — against Sikkim on December 24 and Uttarakhand on December 26 — before shifting focus back to international commitments. Mumbai are being led by Shardul Thakur, with Rohit adding invaluable experience at the top of the order.

Also READ: Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26: Schedule, Broadcast and Live Streaming details

Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB), the bottling arm of Coca-Cola India, is set to lay off around 300 staffers as part of a plan to improve profitability and streamline operations.The company has approximately 5,000 employees and 15 manufacturing units, bottles and distributes brands such as Coca-Cola, Thums Up, Sprite, Minute Maid juices and Kinley water.A company spokesperson told ET, “Staying in sync with evolving business needs requires us to re-evaluate capabilities, structures, and take corrective actions where necessary.” Terming the downsizing as “minor in scale and non-disruptive to operations,” the spokesperson added, “We periodically assess business operations to stay competitive, efficient and agile.”

The reduction affects roughly 4–6% of HCCB’s workforce across functions including sales, supply chain, distribution and bottling operations at its plants, as reported by the financial daily.Hemant Rupani, formerly with Mondelez International, recently took over as HCCB’s chief executive officer, succeeding Juan Pablo Rodriguez.HCCB reported a sharp 73% decline in net profit to Rs 756.64 crore in FY25, with revenue from operations falling 9% to Rs 12,751.29 crore, according to regulatory filings.The company attributed the decline partly to the higher base in FY24, when it sold bottling operations in Rajasthan, Bihar, the north-east and parts of West Bengal.These operations were transferred to three of its largest bottlers – Moon Beverages, Kandhari Global Beverages and SLMG Beverages.Under this model, Coca-Cola sells concentrate to its bottlers, who then produce and distribute the beverages.HCCB remains India’s largest beverage company with a leadership position in the soft drinks segment. Muted demand due to unseasonal and heavy rains between March and September also affected sales. April to June is usually the peak quarter in India’s nearly Rs 60,000-crore soft drinks market.

BENGALURU: A 21-year-old woman residing at a paying guest (PG) accommodation in Jnanajyothinagar on Ullal Main Road was allegedly stalked and assaulted by a man she befriended on Instagram on Monday afternoon (December 22). Following a complaint filed by the victim, the Jnanabharathi police swung into action and arrested the accused, identified as Naveen Kumar N (29), a resident of Billamaranahalli near Yelahanka. The victim, Archana (name changed), a native of Shringeri in Chikkamagaluru district, had moved to Bengaluru nearly two years ago and was working as a tele-caller at a developer’s firm. According to her complaint filed with the Jnanabharathi police, the incident occurred between 3.20 pm and 3.40 pm. She stated that on September 30, while working as a tele-caller, she had posted an advertisement related to her firm on Instagram. Naveen Kumar saw the post and responded to it. After a few days of chatting on Instagram, they exchanged phone numbers. Thereafter, Naveen allegedly began contacting her frequently through calls and messages and later started meeting her often in Nagarabhavi. For the first three months, his behaviour was cordial. However, the woman alleged that he later began forcing her to accept his proposal of love, despite her repeatedly telling him that she was not interested. She further alleged that Naveen continued to harass and follow her whenever she stepped out of her PG or workplace, refusing to leave her alone and tracking her movements wherever she went. Unable to bear the harassment, the woman quit her job at the developer’s firm and shifted to a PG. Despite this, the accused allegedly continued to follow her to the PG premises. She alleged that he verbally abused her and physically assaulted her on several occasions. On December 22, around 3.20 pm, when she stepped out of the PG along with her friend on a scooter, Naveen allegedly intercepted them in a car and assaulted her by hitting her on the head, back, and neck. She also accused him of attempting to tear her clothes during the attack. The victim immediately alerted the police by calling the emergency helpline 112. However, by the time police personnel reached the spot, the accused had fled. Based on her complaint, the police registered a case under Sections 74 (assault or use of criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 75 (sexual harassment), 76 (assault or use of criminal force to a woman with intent to disrobe), 78 (stalking), 79 (word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), and 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The police arrested Naveen Kumar soon after. During interrogation, he claimed that after getting acquainted through Instagram, they fell in love and later developed disputes. He stated that Archana blocked his mobile number and social media accounts, which left him frustrated. He allegedly went near her PG to talk to her, and when she refused, he assaulted her in anger, a senior police officer said. Deputy commissioner of Police (South-West) Anitha B. Haddannavar said the accused was arrested within 24 hours of the case being registered and that further investigation is under way.

MI Emirates booked their place in the playoffs with a commanding eight-wicket victory over Gulf Giants at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. A disciplined bowling display set up the chase before Nicholas Pooran and Muhammad Waseem stitched an unbeaten 140-run partnership off just 89 balls to seal a fourth successive win with 21 deliveries remaining.Chasing 142, MI Emirates were reduced to 2/2 early after Mark Adair removed Jonny Bairstow and Azmatullah Omarzai dismissed Tom Banton. From 58/2 at the halfway stage, Pooran and Waseem took control, adding 84 runs in 6.3 overs. Waseem finished unbeaten on 59 off 42 balls, while Pooran smashed 69 not out off 49, striking six sixes. Moeen Ali’s 51 off 48 proved insufficient for the Giants.

Pooran accelerated after the 10th over, reaching his fifty in 43 balls, while Waseem brought up his maiden half-century of the season in just 38 deliveries. With 27 required off 30 balls, the pair wrapped up the chase comfortably, Pooran striking consecutive sixes before Waseem guided the side home.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Earlier, MI Emirates’ bowlers kept the Giants in check from the outset. Romario Shepherd struck twice in the powerplay, while Fazalhaq Farooqi and Arab Gul maintained pressure through the middle overs. Moeen Ali and Romario Shepherd struggled to break free initially before Ali and Andre Russell added late momentum. Despite Ali’s half-century and a brisk cameo from Mayers, the Giants were restricted to 141/6.

Romario Shepherd of MI Emirates bowls during Match 26 of the ILT20 between the MI Emirates and the Gulf Giants

Player of the match Muhammad Waseem said the plan was to weather the early movement before capitalising on loose deliveries. Waseem said: “We spoke in the middle about the movement early on. The focus was simply to survive the first three or four overs and build a partnership. Once we got through that phase, we were able to settle into our natural game and wait for the loose deliveries.”

Giants skipper James Vince admitted his side struggled to judge par scores after losing early wickets yet again. He said: “We were short of runs again. Batting first, we’re struggling to assess the right tempo and what a competitive total looks like. Losing early wickets really knocked the momentum out of our innings. That said, I thought we finished better than we have in recent games, but the damage was done upfront.”Brief Scores Gulf Giants: 141/6 in 20 overs (Moeen Ali 51, Kyle Mayers 28 not out; Fazalhaq Farooqi 2/17, Romario Shepherd 2/36)MI Emirates: 142/2 in 16.3 overs (Muhammad Waseem 59 not out, Nicholas Pooran 69 not out; Azmatullah Omarzai 1/20, Mark Adair 1/30)

Representative image (AI-generated)

Pakistan saw a 14% rise in foreign loans and grants during the first five months of the current fiscal year (July–November 2025), reaching $3.032 billion compared to $2.667 billion in the same period last year.Of the total inflows, foreign loans rose 46.2% to $2.521 billion, while grants fell by 43% to $54 million. In November alone, inflows amounted to $511 million, slightly higher than October’s $471 million but 46% lower than November 2024.Earlier this month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a $1.2 billion disbursement. The current inflow figures do not yet include this latest IMF release, as reported by Dawn.The government has set a target of $19.9 billion in total foreign inflows for the current fiscal year, slightly higher than last year’s $19.4 billion.The Ministry of Economic Affairs reported that of the $3.032 billion inflows, $1.157 billion was for project financing, while $1.875 billion comprised non-project inflows. Loans for budget support stood at $966 million, against an annual target of $13.5 billion. Additionally, Pakistan mobilised $500 million under the Saudi Oil facility at a planned rate of $100 million per month.

Inflows from bilateral and multilateral lenders totalled $2.066 billion in the first five months, compared to $1.73 billion in the same period last year, according to Dawn.Pakistan received $1.258 billion from multilateral lenders and $808 million from other bilateral lenders. Remittances from overseas Pakistanis also rose to $966 million, exceeding the annual target of $609 million.The IMF’s support comes amid Pakistan’s heavy reliance on external financing. The country narrowly avoided default in 2023 and is now among the Fund’s largest borrowers after Argentina and Ukraine.

Earlier this month, the IMF approved a $1.2 billion disbursement under Pakistan’s ongoing Extended Fund Facility and Resilience and Sustainability Facility programmes.This latest move lifts Pakistan’s total inflows from the IMF to roughly $3.3 billion and will be reflected in official accounts in the coming weeks.IMF officials have highlighted that Pakistan’s policy implementation has remained broadly consistent with programme goals, even after the recent monsoon floods that killed more than 1,000 people.The Fund observed that fiscal discipline, including maintaining a primary surplus of 1.3% of GDP in FY25, helped preserve macroeconomic stability. Gross reserves reached $14.5 billion at the end of FY25, up from $9.4 billion a year earlier and are expected to expand further in FY26.The Fund also stressed that Pakistan’s ongoing reform measures, including tax policy adjustments, energy sector restructuring and governance improvements, are critical to maintaining financial stability and supporting medium-term growth.

IMF imposes new conditions

As part of ongoing support, the IMF has imposed 11 new conditions on Pakistan, bringing the total to 64 over 18 months. These measures address governance flaws, corruption, tax reforms, the power sector and structural inefficiencies. Key directives include: