India

Suvinder Vicky broke into Bollywood at 50 after selling insurance to survive

Actor Suvinder Vicky, who co-stars in the upcoming film 'Awarapan 2', began his acting career in earnest only at the age of 50. He had arrived in Mumbai with very little money and took up insurance sales to make ends meet during his struggling years. His breakthrough came with Netflix's crime drama 'Kohrra', where his performance earned him widespread recognition. The success of 'Kohrra' opened doors for him in Bollywood, leading to his role in 'Awarapan 2'.

ED raids 10 locations in Delhi, UP in Jauhar Trust money laundering probe

Half of Maharashtra homeopathy colleges have political links

SEBI Proposes Digital NRI Onboarding to Cut Weeks-Long Account Opening Delays

India's markets regulator SEBI has put forward a proposal to make the investment account opening process fully digital for non-resident Indians. The move would remove the requirement for overseas Indians to be physically present in India to complete onboarding. It is also expected to significantly cut down on paperwork and eliminate courier-related delays. Account opening timelines could shrink from weeks or even months to just a few days under the new framework. The change is anticipated to attract greater foreign capital into Indian financial markets, and has drawn praise from industry figures including Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath.

NHRC asks Punjab govt to explain skipped I-Day events in border schools

The National Human Rights Commission has issued a notice to the Punjab government over allegations that Independence Day celebrations were not held in certain rural and border schools. The commission is examining whether students in these areas were denied equal opportunities to participate in national events. NHRC has specifically sought details regarding flag hoisting and national anthem singing at the schools in question. Punjab's chief secretary has been directed to submit a compliance report within four weeks.

Indian-Origin Man Charged with Sexual Assault at Canadian Park

A 40-year-old man of Indian origin has been arrested in Canada following an alleged groping incident in a park in British Columbia. Authorities identified the accused as Kurana, who now faces two Criminal Code charges approved by the British Columbia Prosecution Service. The charges include one count each of sexual assault and sexual interference. The alleged victim is described as a young woman. The case is currently being processed through the Canadian legal system.

Joe Root needs 79 runs to break Ponting's all-time home Test record at Headingley

England's Joe Root is on the brink of breaking Ricky Ponting's all-time home Test run-scoring record, needing just 79 more runs to surpass the Australian legend's mark. Root will get his opportunity when England face Pakistan at Headingley, with the series beginning on Wednesday. The prolific batter is also closing in on becoming England's highest run-scorer at the Leeds venue. Root is additionally approaching 12,000 international runs scored on English soil, underlining his remarkable consistency at home. The series against Pakistan marks a significant milestone moment in Root's career and in English cricket more broadly.

India News Live Updates, 19 August 2026: ED raids Jauhar Trust, university linked to Azam Khan in Uttar Pradesh

Nine Dead in Kolkata Hotel Fire, AC Blast Suspected as Cause

A fire broke out at a hotel in Kolkata, killing nine people, some of whom were Bangladeshi nationals. Initial reports indicate the blaze may have been triggered by an air-conditioner explosion, though authorities have not yet confirmed the exact cause. The incident has raised serious concerns about fire safety standards in the city's hospitality establishments. Investigations are currently underway to determine the precise origin of the fire.

Teen killed in Bhopal by gang duped by social media hoax about organ prices

A 16-year-old boy was murdered in Bhopal after a group was misled by a social media hoax falsely claiming that certain human organs fetched crores of rupees. The alleged mastermind, posing as a doctor, convinced associates to carry out the crime based on this fabricated information. Police recovered the victim's decomposed body and confirmed that body parts had been removed. Divers are currently searching two lakes in the area to retrieve the missing organs as evidence. Authorities have launched an investigation into the accused, who reportedly made multiple attempts before carrying out the killing.

Consumer Commission Orders Greenline Travels to Pay Rs 73,000 After Bus Detour Costs Passenger Flight

A consumer commission has ruled against Greenline Travels after one of its buses took an unplanned route, causing a passenger to miss his flight to Delhi. The affected passenger was an M.Phil. student who needed to reach Delhi to attend his course. The commission determined that the bus company was deficient in service due to the unexplained route deviation and resulting delay. Greenline Travels has been ordered to pay Rs 73,000 to cover the cost of the missed flight, accommodation expenses, and compensation for mental distress.

Pakistan SC orders hospital transfer for Imran Khan, mandates weekly family visits

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was visited by his sister Noreen Niazi at Adiala Jail after a nine-month gap. The Supreme Court of Pakistan directed that Khan be transferred to a hospital and granted weekly meetings with his family. Khan also had an extended meeting with his wife, Bushra Bibi, during the same period. Medical assessments revealed that the jailed leader has been experiencing fluctuating blood pressure and anxiety. The court emphasized that access to family is a fundamental right and cannot be treated as a privilege.

Will Smith in talks to play villain in Allu Arjun and Atlee's 'Raaka'

Hollywood actor Will Smith is reportedly in discussions to join the upcoming sci-fi action film 'Raaka', directed by Atlee and starring Allu Arjun. Negotiations for Smith to play the lead antagonist have allegedly been ongoing for close to a year. Shah Rukh Khan is also said to be involved in an international shooting schedule planned after September. The film is reported to span two timelines, weaving together historical and contemporary settings. Deepika Padukone and Mrunal Thakur are among the actresses linked to prominent roles in the project.

Sensex and Nifty Trade Flat as Oil Prices Rise for Fourth Consecutive Day

Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty traded largely flat as rising oil prices weighed on market sentiment. Brent crude closed above $91 per barrel, while US WTI crude surpassed $85 per barrel. Oil prices have risen for four consecutive days amid an ongoing deadlock in US-Iran negotiations. The sustained rise in crude prices has introduced caution among investors in the Indian equity markets.

ED raids 10 locations linked to Azam Khan, Jauhar University across UP, Delhi

Google pays $10M for Spirit Airlines' emails, Teams chats and employee data

Google has acquired Spirit Airlines' internal data trove for $10 million through a bankruptcy auction. The purchase includes approximately 100 million emails, 500 million Microsoft Teams messages, 30 million lines of code, and records of over 175,000 employees. The defunct carrier's archives are seen as valuable because they document real workplace workflows in granular detail. Such step-by-step operational data is considered highly useful for training AI agents to navigate complex business tasks. Privacy advocates have raised concerns about how effectively the promised anonymisation of sensitive employee records will be carried out.

India to take on Pakistan in high-stakes Hockey World Cup clash

None of the current crop of Indian players has faced Pakistan in a hockey World Cup before. But they have someone in their corner who knows exactly what such a contest entails.

Angie Nixon upsets Vindman in Florida Democratic Senate primary

Angie Nixon won a surprise victory over Alexander Vindman in Florida's Democratic Senate primary. She will now face Republican Ashley Moody in the upcoming general election. In the gubernatorial race, Byron Donalds and David Jolly secured their respective party nominations. Newly redrawn congressional maps are anticipated to give Republicans a significant advantage across the state. Together, these primary results will shape the direction of Florida's political landscape heading into November.

Pant overtakes Gill to lead India's WTC run charts after Galle performance

Rishabh Pant has moved to the top of India's World Test Championship run-scoring charts, surpassing Shubman Gill after a strong showing in Galle. The wicketkeeper-batter also reached the milestone of 100 Test sixes, a historic achievement in Indian cricket. Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja follow Pant in the Indian WTC standings. England's Joe Root, however, continues to lead the overall WTC run-scoring charts across all teams.

Iran Dismisses UAE's Ballistic Missile Attack Claims as Baseless

The UAE accused Iran on Tuesday of firing two ballistic missiles at shipping vessels in the Gulf. Iran swiftly rejected the allegations, calling them baseless. The dispute emerged in the context of a trade suspension between the two countries. Tehran's denial marks a sharp escalation in diplomatic tensions between Iran and the UAE over the incident.