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In a heart-warming revelation that has sent social media into a frenzy, former Indian opening batter Shikhar Dhawan officially announced his engagement to his longtime partner, Sophie Shine, on Monday, January 12.
Known for his persona on the field and his infectious smile off it, Dhawan took to Instagram to share the joyous milestone with his millions of followers, marking a beautiful new beginning in his personal life.
The announcement comes after months of quiet speculation and subtle hints, confirming that the veteran cricketer has indeed found love again. Fans and the cricketing fraternity have flooded the couple’s social media pages with congratulatory messages, celebrating the union of two individuals who have remained remarkably poised amidst public curiosity.
While the engagement news feels like a sudden celebration, the relationship between Shikhar and Sophie has been a journey of steady companionship and discretion. The pair first publicly confirmed they were dating on May 1 of last year, yet they managed to keep the finer details of their bond away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi.
The initial spark of public interest ignited when Sophie uploaded a candid photo of the couple with the simple yet profound caption, “My love,” accompanied by a heart emoji. That single post served as the first official acknowledgment of their relationship, putting an end to months of rumours. Since then, Sophie has been a fixture in Dhawan’s support system. She was frequently spotted in the stands during the Indian Premier League (IPL), cheering fervently for the Punjab Kings during Shikhar’s tenure with the franchise.
Their bond became even more apparent earlier in 2025 when they were seen together in Dubai during a Champions Trophy match. Furthermore, at a recent media conclave, Dhawan spoke with a sense of renewed peace, subtly hinting that he had opened his heart to love once more. Their ability to maintain a level of privacy while navigating the high-profile world of international sports has been widely admired by their supporters.
Also READ: Shikhar Dhawan to marry his Irish girlfriend Sophie Shine on THIS date
The official engagement announcement was every bit as soulful as fans expected from Dhawan. Sharing a beautiful moment captured with Sophie, Shikhar expressed his gratitude for the life they are building together. His post radiated a sense of maturity and deep affection, moving away from the “bad boy” tropes of sports stardom toward a narrative of healing and partnership.
“From shared smiles to shared dreams. Grateful for the love, the blessings and every good wish for our engagement as we choose togetherness forever,” Dhawan wrote in his heartfelt Instagram post.
The post, which featured the couple’s hands flaunting their rings, quickly went viral, garnering hundreds of thousands of likes within the first hour. For Dhawan, who has been vocal about his personal growth and the importance of emotional well-being following his previous separation, this engagement represents more than just a ceremony – it is a testament to resilience.
Also READ: Fastest to 28,000: Here’s the breakdown of Virat Kohli’s international run
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BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the Board of Control for Cricket in India has not received any communication from the International Cricket Council (ICC) on reports suggesting a change of venue for Bangladesh’s matches in the T20 World Cup. He said the issue is between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the ICC.India and Sri Lanka are scheduled to co-host the T20 World Cup from February 7. The Bangladesh Cricket Board had written to the ICC requesting that its matches be moved to Sri Lanka, citing “security concerns” due to tensions between the two countries. The BCB also said it had received a response from the ICC, which assured them that the matter would be examined.The BCB’s apprehensions followed the release of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on the instructions of the BCCI for unspecified reasons, amid reports of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh.Meanwhile, some reports suggested that the ICC is looking at alternative venues for Bangladesh’s matches. It was reported that Bangladesh is unlikely to play in Sri Lanka, which was its preferred option, and that Chennai and Trivandrum are being considered instead of the originally scheduled venues of Kolkata and Mumbai.However, Saikia said the BCCI has not been informed of any such development.“The BCCI has not received any communication regarding the matter of shifting Bangladesh matches to Chennai or anywhere else, and it is beyond our control. It is a matter of communication between the BCB and the ICC, as the ICC is the governing body. If the ICC conveys any decision to us regarding a change of venue, the BCCI, as the host, will take the necessary steps. At present, we are not privy to any such information,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia was quoted as saying by news agency IANS.As per the existing schedule, Bangladesh are set to play three matches in Kolkata — against West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9, and England on February 14. They are then scheduled to play Nepal in Mumbai on February 17.
NEW DELHI: Lauding India’s Gen Z, PM Narendra Modi on Monday said it is full of creativity as he emphasised that his govt’s reforms have opened countless opportunities for them in contrast with the stifling rules of the previous UPA govt that caught them in a web of compliances and curbed their entrepreneur spirit. Speaking at Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue to commemorate Swami Vivekananda‘s birth anniversary, he said no country can develop without self-confidence and told the largely young audience that it is their responsibility to end the “slave mindset” that afflicted a generation of Indians due to the education policy of Thomas Macaulay. His laudatory words for Gen Z, which has ruled global headlines for a while largely due to a string of anti-govt protests it has spearheaded in different countries, including in neighbouring Bangladesh, have come against the backdrop of a few opposition leaders referring to their agitations outside and seeking to coopt them in their agitation against the PM Modi govt. The Rahul Gandhi-led Congress campaign against alleged “vote chori” reached out to the young generation in its bid to “save” democracy. PM Modi said that India’s youth with its innovative ideas, energy and purpose is at the forefront of nation-building. Ruing the “slavery mindset”, he said imported products were seen as a “guarantee” of quality, while Indian goods and traditions were looked at with an inferiority complex, urging the young generation to follow Vivekananda who was open to best practices from abroad but took on the misconception spread about India’s heritage. Turning to the rich legacy of Indian storytelling, including epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, he suggested that the new crop of entrepreneurs in the gaming sector can develop mythological stories into games and take them global. “Our Hanuman ji can dominate gaming in the world,” he said, adding that it will export Indian culture in a modern way. He contrasted the opening of a string of sectors ranging from space to nuclear power and defence and easing of regulations and taxes ushered by his govt with the UPA era, which, he said, was accused of policy paralysis and its inability to implement things on ground. So many rules and restrictions existed at the time that youth had few choices, and even applying for a job or a loan from banks demanded a web of compliances, he added. He said, “As a CM and now as PM, I have put a lot of trust in the young generation, your capability and talent.” Sectors restricted to the govt have been opened to private players, PM Modi added. He praised their presentation on different themes and said, “It shows the mood of Gen Z in India. India’s Gen Z is full of creativity.” Noting the participation of a huge number of youngsters in the dialogue, he said the popular term of “think tank” can’t capture their immense size and deep research.
NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi is likely to move to his new office at the newly built Sewa Teerth complex near Vayu Bhawan in the next one week. This will be the first time since independence when the PMO moves out of the seat of power at South Block built by British architect Herbert Baker.Officials said the office housing the PMO is fully ready. They added that the new PMO will be operational any time between Jan 14 (Makar Sankranti) and Jan 23 (Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti). “Kharmas, considered inauspicious in Vedic astrology to avoid new ventures, is ending with Makar Sankranti on Wednesday. So, the shifting of PMO to the new building can happen anytime from Wednesday onwards. All preparations have been completed in the past two weeks,” said an official.South Block and North Block situated in the Raisina Hills were built in 1931. The history of PMO traces from a small PM’s Secretariat (PMS) in 1947 to provide basic administrative help to the PM. The first major structural change happened in 1964 after Lal Bahadur Shastri became PM when PMS got statutory status via Allocation of Business Rules. The authority of the office increased significantly during Indira Gandhi’s tenure and in 1977 this was officially renamed the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) during the Morarji Desai administration.The Cabinet Secretariat has shifted from Rashtrapati Bhawan to ‘Seva Teerth-2’ in September and ‘Seva Teerth-3’ is designated for the National Security Adviser’s (NSA) office. The NSA is likely to shift to the new complex in the next one week as well.The PMO and subsequently defence ministry moving out of South Block in the next few weeks will mean the country’s power centre completely shifting out of Raisina Hills, which officials said is another example of govt’s thrust on getting rid of the colonial past and “mentality of slavery”. The North Block has been vacated completely with ministries moving out of the iconic building to new Bhawans that have come up along Kartavya Path.
NEW DELHI: The former chancellor of Maulana Azad National Urdu University Firoz Bakht Ahmed has written to Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, alleging religious discrimination, administrative apathy and institutional failure at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and seeking an independent central probe into the matter. In his letter, Ahmed flagged the case of Rachana Kaushal, a widowed professor of political science at AMU, who has allegedly faced harassment and discrimination over the past decade on religious grounds. Ahmed said Kaushal, who has been serving in AMU since 1998, has repeatedly approached the VC since Sept last year, but no meaningful action has been taken on her complaint. Kaushal said, “The chairperson and the dean have been harassing me for the past few years, which I initially ignored. However, the harassment reached a point where I was compelled to approach the VC… my promotion was stalled in 2017. I was promoted only after an HC directive.” She added: “At the time, a campaign was organised against me, and I have audio recordings wherein the issue was communalised with claims that I had said I was denied promotion because I am Hindu. I never mentioned my religion in any of my representations or in my court petition…”
Mumbai: Booked on charges of abetment to suicide, Anant Garje, personal assistant of environment minister Pankaja Munde, has moved the sessions court seeking bail following his arrest in connection with the death of his wife, Gauri, a dental surgeon.The defence submitted that the suicide was a result of Gauri’s personal emotional distress rather than any specific act by Garje, submitting that “mere marital discord does not constitute abetment”.“There is no mention of instigation, threat, or provocation by the accused. No message shows the accused telling her to die, leave life, harm herself, etc. Court repeatedly holds — a person’s internal hypersensitivity cannot be equated with abetment unless the accused created a no-escape situation,” the plea said.The plea further said that the FIR is a result of an afterthought and emotional distress after the tragic incident. “Earlier, no complaint was ever lodged by the deceased or her parents…,” the plea said. The special investigation team (SIT) continues to probe allegations of domestic cruelty. Garje’s defence argued that his continued incarceration is no longer legally justified.The plea said that the legal requirements for abetment of suicide under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) have not been met. The defence submitted that for a charge of abetment to stand, there must be evidence of active instigation or a direct act that leaves the victim with no alternative. The plea further said that Gauri was the proprietor of their family business, with all income deposited directly into her accounts. This, the defence argued , contradicted the narrative of financial or dowry-related harassment.“…[A]llegations made in the FIR are vague, omnibus, and lacking specific details regarding any date, place or act that could constitute instigation or participation in any manner. The entire case against the applicant is based merely on suspicion and assumptions without any substantive facts,” the plea said.
JABALPUR: Madhya Pradesh high court ordered Monday removal of 102 social media links that misused live-streamed court proceedings, giving platforms 48 hours to take down clips circulating as memes, reels and sensational videos. A division bench of Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf passed the direction while hearing a petition warning that edited excerpts from open court hearings were being selectively circulated on YouTube and Instagram, distorting judicial proceedings and eroding institutional dignity. The case will be heard again on March 24. Petitioners – advocates Arihant Tiwari and Vidit Shah, along with Dr Vijay Bajaj of Jabalpur – said short videos lifted from live streams sensationalised judicial remarks and courtroom exchanges, amounting to contempt of court. They sought tighter monitoring of live-streamed hearings and a move away from open platforms such as YouTube to a secure, Webex-based system overseen by the HC’s registrar (IT). During earlier proceedings, the high court had asked Meta to identify objectionable content. Meta told the bench it would act once specific URLs were provided. Acting on that direction, petitioners had submitted a list of 102 links. Tiwari said in court the clips included selective portrayals of judges’ exchanges during hearings. One video showed Justice Vivek Agarwal revoking bail after an accused jumped bail, followed by a clip of the accused’s daughter pleading in court. Other videos highlighted sharp remarks by judges toward advocates over non-appearance or lack of preparedness, and observations made by Justice Rohit Arya during hearings in Gwalior.
Saudi Arabia has launched a major nationwide operation to tighten its borders and regulate its labor market. In just seven days, between January 1 and January 7, 2026, security forces arrested a staggering 18,836 individuals for various legal violations. This massive sweep is part of a coordinated effort between the Ministry of Interior and various government agencies to ensure that residency and labor laws are strictly followed across the Kingdom.
The arrests were not random but targeted specific legal breaches that impact the stability of the local job market and national safety. The vast majority of those detained were found to be in violation of the Residency Law, totaling 11,710 people. Another 4,239 individuals were held for breaching border security regulations, while 2,887 were caught for labor-related offenses.
Currently, the government is processing nearly 30,000 expatriates, including over 1,600 women, through formal legal channels. This meticulous process ensures that each case is handled according to the law before final decisions on regularisation or deportation are made.The crackdown is as much about resolution as it is about enforcement. During this single week, Saudi authorities successfully deported 10,195 individuals to their home countries. The process is a massive logistical undertaking: over 20,900 violators were referred to their respective diplomatic missions to secure travel documents, while another 5,200 are currently finalizing their flight reservations. This swift action aims to reduce the burden on detention centers and ensure that the Kingdom’s residency laws are respected by all.
| Category | Nationality | Approximate Number | Percentage |
| Infiltrators | Ethiopian | 1,045 | 60% |
| Infiltrators | Yemeni | 679 | 39% |
| Infiltrators | Other Nationalities | 17 | 1% |
| Total Intercepted | Mixed | 1,741 | 100% |
A key focus of the week’s operations was the prevention of illegal entry into the Kingdom. Security forces intercepted 1,741 people attempting to cross the border through unofficial channels. While the total number of arrests (18,836) includes a wide variety of nationalities from across Asia and Africa, the specific breakdown of those caught at the borders reveals a clear pattern.
The Ministry of Interior has issued a stern reminder to the public: helping an illegal resident is a major crime. During the raids, 19 people were arrested for providing transportation, shelter, or jobs to those in violation of the law.The consequences for “facilitators” are among the toughest in the region:
To keep the momentum going, the Ministry urges citizens to report any suspicious activity via the dedicated hotlines: 911 (Makkah, Riyadh, and Eastern Province) or 999/996 for the rest of the Kingdom.Saudi Arabia’s first-week crackdown of 2026 marks another chapter in its long-running efforts to tighten immigration and compliance rules. With tens of thousands arrested, deported, or undergoing legal processing, the Kingdom is clearly reinforcing its laws around residency status, labour participation, and border security.
