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66 Christmas Eve dinner recipes, from roast beef to seafood stewCome Christmas Day 2024 and I will step into my 25th year of heritage walks in Chennai. I still have vivid memories of my first walk — on Mylapore’s musical heritage. That was put together with the guidance of the great painter, musicologist, singer, and one of the early heroes of Tamil cinema — S. Rajam. My dear friend and top-ranking singer Sanjay Subrahmanyan helped and encouraged in every way and was present at the event. S. Muthiah gave his blessings, remarking that it was a first for the city. I have, in some years, managed to conduct a walk each month, but that has not always been possible. I still dream of completing and charting 100 different routes in the city, and having done 80-odd so far, I believe the goal is well within sight. However, I do find that the core city has become increasingly walking-unfriendly, and as for the suburbs, while they are my area of focus now, heritage spots there are too few and far apart to be covered on foot. However, I am still hopeful. In the initial years, projecting one’s voice to a group, above the general din and chaos, was a challenge, but then technology of late has been a big boon, though it can be a bane too — the most recent tour of mine, at the Kapaliswarar Temple, almost came a cropper as the Wi-Fi microphone failed, as did the standby. But some quick thinking by my wife saved the situation. But enough on me and my experiences. What I want to write about is my joy at the way in which heritage walks have caught on in the city. There are many others who have done so — Pradeep Chakravarthy and Sudha Umashankar in the initial years, Chithra Madhavan, Vincent DeSouza, and Padmapriya Bhaskaran who do special themed walks on occasion, Madras Inherited which does architecture-themed walks on a regular basis, and of course, Story Trails which is available on demand. And how can I forget Chennai Photo Walks? I may have omitted some others for which I may be forgiven. But of late it is Srivatsan Sankaran and Tripurasundari Sevvel who have caught my attention. Apart from being a brilliant photographer, Srivatsan works on making heritage accessible to persons with disabilities. He speaks boldly on his being hearing-challenged, and has conducted heritage walks with sign language. He has also conducted photo walks for people with such issues, especially children. Tripurasundari has been a collaborator and when she is not busy in her profession as an architect and the live wire at the Madras Literary Society, is working on making heritage accessible to those with visual, speech, and hearing impairment, and also school children. She has worked with The Hindu on many such projects and also more importantly with the Greater Chennai Corporation. I hope the civic body will listen to her and make our city heritage walk-friendly. Tripurasundari’s latest project is really innovative. During COVID-19, she came up with the idea of getting rubber stamp engravers to make moulds of heritage buildings. When she conducts walks at the relevant places, she gets these stamped on postcards and has the participating children mail them to friends and family! A post box is brought to lend verisimilitude. This December, I got her to make a rubber stamp on the Music Academy and picture postcards of the building with the sketch by Afreen Fathima, another heritage enthusiast. I plan to send them out to music-loving friends at the end of the music season. (V. Sriram is a writer and historian.) Published - December 24, 2024 10:57 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit
A MUM has been jailed for "extreme neglect" after keeping her baby in a drawer under her bed for almost three years. The tot had never seen daylight until she was found weeks before her third birthday. She was discovered at the family's Cheshire home with matted hair, deformities and rashes. The "wicked" mum hid the baby from her siblings in the drawer of her divan bed. She also kept the secret from her partner, who often stayed at the home. The woman cannot be named to protect the anonymity of her children. She has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years after admitting child cruelty at Chester Crown Court. The woman did not seek medical assistance for the baby's cleft palate . She did not give the tot enough food and water - feeding her milky Weetabix through a syringe. Sion ap Mihangel, prosecuting, said: "She was kept in a drawer in the bedroom. "She was not taken outside, not socialised, no interaction with anybody else." The child had a developmental age of nought to 10 months when she was raced to hospital. She was "significantly" malnourished and dehydrated, the court heard. The baby was left alone while the mum took her other children to school, went to work and stayed with relatives at Christmas. When her boyfriend started staying over, the mum left the baby alone in another room. The boyfriend found the baby one morning when he came back to use the toilet after the woman had left. He heard a noise and went into one of the bedrooms, where he saw the baby. The man left the home and alerted family members - with social services scrambling to the address. A social worker found the baby in the drawer of the bed and asked the mum if that was where she kept her daughter. The worker told the court: "She replied matter-of-factly, 'Yes, in the drawer'. "I was shocked the mother did not show any emotion and appeared blase about the situation. "It became an overwhelming horror that I was probably the only other face the child had seen apart from her mother's." Two hardened cops were in tears as a "truly devastating" statement from the child's foster carer was read out to the court. The carer said: "It became very apparent she did not know her own name when we called her." In an interview, the mum said she had not known she was pregnant and was "really scared" when she gave birth. She claimed she did not keep the baby in the drawer at all times and never closed it. But she told cops the baby was "not part of the family" and that she had abusive relationship with the tot's father. The woman said she did not want the man to find out about the youngster. Sentencing, Judge Steven Everett said: "To my mind, what you did totally defies belief. It was wicked beyond belief. "You starved that little girl of any love, any proper affection, any proper attention. "Any interaction with others, a proper diet, much-needed medical attention. "You attempted to control this situation as carefully as you could but by sheer chance your terrible secret was discovered. "The consequences for the child were nothing short of catastrophic - physically, psychologically and socially. "She is an intelligent little girl who is now perhaps slowly coming to life from what was almost a living death in that room." Matthew Dunford, defending, said there had been an "exceptional set of circumstances". He said the woman suffered from poor mental health and had struggled during the covid-19 lockdown. Dunford added that the woman had a volatile relationship with the child's father. The woman wiped away tears as Dunford told the court her other children no longer lived with her. She pleaded guilty last month to four counts of child cruelty. The charges reflected her failure to seek basic medical care for the child, abandonment, malnourishment and general neglect. CPS senior prosecutor Rachel Worthington said: "This child has never had a birthday present, a Christmas present or anything to recognise these days. "She's had no interaction with any of her siblings. She hadn't known daylight or fresh air." Worthington added: "She didn't respond to her own name when she was first found. "The motive behind the mother's behaviour is still not clear, but that is not the role of the Crown Prosecution Service. "Our job is to bring the person responsible to justice. That has now been done. "It is the profound hope of the CPS that the victim in this case recovers sufficiently to live as full a life as possible."
Robust Presales for HHSE Book on Trump Temporarily Shuts Down Amazon OrdersWashington: Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, passed away at the age of 100. The Carter Center announced his death, noting that he had been battling melanoma. Carter was the oldest living former president at the time of his passing. Carter, who served as president from 1977 to 1981, was known for his humanitarian efforts and his commitment to peace and democracy. He made history as the third US president to visit India, a significant diplomatic move during his tenure in 1978. Born on October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia, Carter was a peanut farmer before entering politics. His presidency was marked by significant achievements, including the Camp David Accords, which brokered peace between Egypt and Israel3. Despite facing challenges such as the Iran hostage crisis and economic difficulties, Carter’s post-presidential years were distinguished by his dedication to humanitarian causes. After leaving office, Carter founded the Carter Center, which focused on global health, democracy, and human rights. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his efforts in advancing peace and human rights worldwide. Carter’s legacy is one of integrity, compassion, and service. He remained active in public life well into his 90s, continuing his work with Habitat for Humanity and teaching Sunday school in his hometown. Tributes have poured in from around the world, with leaders and citizens alike honoring his contributions to global peace and humanitarianism. President Joe Biden described Carter as a “remarkable leader” and a “role model and friend”. Carter is survived by his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Public observances will be held in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., followed by a private interment in Plains, Georgia.THEY may be loves of my life but I’ll never forgive the grandkids for giving me Christmas shopping anxiety. Hitherto I was blessed with a late dash-and-grab approach to buying presents, leaving purchases to the last minute. Every shop assistant’s dream is the Christmas Eve late afternoon desperate bloke fresh from the pub. Occasionally, that was me and no Tiny Tim of mine ever woke on the 25th to an empty stocking. It’s a myth Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas but curbing carnal and sensual delights was a Puritan goal, replacing drunkenness and debauchery with fasting and prayer. Unremarkably, this proved unpopular with the great unwashed during an otherwise regrettably short-lived Republic of 1649-60. And who could blame common folk brightening miserable winters – thicker gruel and snogging toothless neighbours under mistletoe a more uplifting celebration than hunger and boredom. Yet in the unlikely event I was to be Cromwell’s belated successor as Lord Protector, top of my decrees would have been banning decorations, festive pub menus, playing Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody, John Lewis saccharine adverts and, particularly, shopping until the start of December. Until this year, I started seeing and acquiring gifts for Little L and Canny C from September. Santa Granda’s first inkling of change was popping into an old-school Whitley Bay hardware store and walking out with a present for Little L. I won’t spoil his surprise by disclosing what was bought but the pressies will thrill him and altered my approach, probably forever. Christmas really is about kids and grandkids, and the thought of Little L and Canny C smiling as they excitedly unwrap their gifts left under the tree is heartwarming. No way is some bearded, tubby, red-suited stranger sneaking down a chimney stealing credit for the fruits of my changed life.
Exela Technologies, Inc. to Host Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results Conference CallThis article contains spoilers for Squid Game. Netflix’s Squid Game isn’t a particularly subtle TV show. It’s a screed against capitalism and wealth inequity to the point that characters say this all out loud, in the dialogue, in the very first episode. Yet since it premiered in 2021, both viewers and even Netflix itself have been gleefully engaging with the show as a capitalist enterprise. So why does everyone keep missing the point of Squid Game? Squid Game first hit Netflix on September 17, 2021 – and it might be hard to remember now, given the show is a global sensation, but at the time at least in America, it was one of those classic “drop it on Netflix and see what happens” series that wasn’t really promoted by the streamer. No screeners for the press, no rabid red carpets full of screaming fans... And yet it caught on and grew almost immediately. On Nielsen’s report for the week of September 20-26, the show clocked 1.9 billion minutes – and that was only on TV screens, and only in the US. The next week, it garnered over 3.2 billion minutes on Nielsen’s chart , growing to become a clear viral success. The show itself didn’t seem like a likely breakout hit, given its ultra-violence and dark subject matter. Squid Game (in case you forgot over the past three years, or have yet to check out Season 2) revolves around a death game played by 456 players competing for cold, hard cash. Run by the mysterious Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), the games are framed as a way for the players to even the playing field. They can by majority vote decide to leave at any time – and even do, in Season 1, Episode 2, before promptly returning to the game – but whoever wins gets a sum of cash equal to the amount of people who died playing. Time and again, it’s clear the game is rigged for the enjoyment of the billionaire VIPs who bet on it from the safety of their cushy lounge. And in the middle of this all? The sometimes good-hearted, perhaps naive loser Seong Gi-hun ( Lee Jung-jae ), who goes on to – spoilers here – win the game, though perhaps at the cost of his basic belief in the goodness of humanity. Season 2 widens things out further . We get to see what economically drives one of the Squid Game guards to join up and become a stone-faced murderer. We see a lot more of the outside world in Korea, and how every interaction, no matter how small, is a game driven by commerce. And the Squid Game itself changes to allow a majority vote to leave after every challenge. That latter tweak allows Hwang Dong-hyuk, throughout the season’s seven episodes, to dig into how capitalism controls even the existence of democracy and freedom of choice, and our divides (political, gender, monetary) are exacerbated by the very existence of money dangling over our heads. In this case, literally, thanks to the omnipresent piggy bank hanging over the room where the Squid Game contestants sleep and eat. While there was some international promotion for the series when it first launched, including an appearance by the Red Light/Green Light doll in a mall in the Philippines, and a replica of the jungle gym set in a Seoul subway station, for the most part, the show traveled by word of mouth. Netflix had to play catch-up over the next few months. In an interview with the New York Times in advance of Season 2, Marian Lee, Netflix’s chief marketing officer, copped to as much. “Everything we did outside of Korea was reactive, because we didn’t know,” she said. “Even the content executives didn’t anticipate that it would be such a global phenomenon.” By the time Squid Game had become the most-watched Netflix launch in the streamer’s history a month after release (one month later, it would become the most-watched show of all time , period), there was a pop-up store in Paris , and a Red Light/Green Light game complete with actors dressed as Squid Game guards in the Netherlands . What followed was total Squid Game domination. Dalgona, the honeycomb candy at the center of one of the games in the series, began showing up at homegrown candy stores and even official Netflix pop-ups in malls everywhere, alongside costumes from the show, just in time for Halloween. The press tour eventually caught up, too, leading to the stars of the series growing to international sensations “overnight” (check with your local Korean TV and movie viewer to hear them furiously explain how many of these “overnight sensations” have been celebrities in non-US countries for years). Then came the Golden Globes wins, SAG Award wins, and 14 Emmy nominations, of which the show won five. The Funko Pop!s followed the next year, and as Netflix proudly includes in all of its press releases about Season 2 of the series, based on the footwear of the mostly deceased contestants in the show, “Vans slip-on sneakers sales increased 8,000%.” While Dong-hyuk was mulling plans for a second, and third season of the series, Netflix began referring to a Squid Game “universe” as early as January of 2022. And they paid off on that promise. Squid Game: The Challenge, a reality game show that reproduced the initial TV series without all the killing hit the service in November 2023, though it was marred by multiple safety and health issues , as well as (per the point of this article) critics pointing out it vastly missed the whole thesis of Squid Game. Similarly, the online multiplayer game Squid Game: Unleashed is a 32-player party game for Netflix subscribers (currently free for everyone in time for the release of Squid Game Season 2) which the streamer’s own press outlet, TUDUM , describes as “takes all the thrills of the hit Netflix show and puts them in your pocket.” To be clear, there is no option in the game to hang yourself in anguish and shame after you’re forced to take your wife’s life in a deadly game of marbles, so perhaps not all the thrills. Why do people keep engaging with Squid Game as something “fun?” Why is Netflix able to make a cottage industry out of products sold around the show? How are there corporate retreats where actors dress up as the Front Man and Squid Game guards and have employees run through games from the show, ostensibly for team-building purposes? There’s even an official Netflix Squid Game Experience that claims it’s perfect for “School and Camp Visits,” and if the thought of children playing the games from the hyperviolent TV show Squid Game doesn’t make you viscerally uncomfortable, you may be entirely devoid of human empathy. Part of the issue is that Squid Game, for all its cultural cache, is nothing new. Gladiatorial battles go back millennia. More to the point, everything from Battle Royale to Hunger Games thrives on the idea of people – usually children – fighting to the death for a possible prize, and rich people’s amusement. Those, too, are often misinterpreted by the public (see any of the Hunger Games theme park rides worldwide). Like how society gets dulled by repeated violence in the real world, so too are we inured to it on screen. Squid Game is perhaps not as shocking as it could be, because it’s not the first out of the gate; it’s just another death games series in a long line of series and movies. And like any genre, it has its fans, detractors, and culture that surrounds it. There’s the question of why we like to watch these things, though, with at least two major reasons. One is the broad sense of why we watch horror movies, violent action spectacles, or even ride rollercoasters: to confront our own real fear of death and overcome it. But to the point of the death game genre, it raises the question of what you would do in the situation, something that Squid Game confronts head-on. There’s a deeper, more horrifying reason why both viewers and Netflix are able to engage with Squid Game on the most surface level possible, though, and it’s that Hwang Dong-hyuk... Is right. We are under the yoke of corporations and billionaires. They inure us into thinking that capitalism is a game we can win, but it’s rigged to their benefit, and not ours. Think about how the central action of the show features humans, reduced to numbers instead of names, forced to kill each other playing children’s games. Dong-hyuk distills it down even more simply in Seong Gi-hun’s first encounter with the Squid Game in the series premiere. Penniless, defeated, and beaten up, he encounters a clean-cut man in a business suit (Gong Yoo) on the subway. The man tells Seong Gi-hun he can play a simple children’s game (called ddakji), and after losing the first round is told that if Seong Gi-hun wins, he gets money. If he loses, the businessman gets to slap him. What follows is a series of increasingly harder, more humiliating slaps as the businessman beats down Seong Gi-hun. When he finally wins, Seong Gi-hun goes to slap the businessman back – but no, the game is over. He gets paid. It’s done. In Season 2, Dong-hyuk drives this home even harder, throwing any sort of subtly out the window in a desperate attempt to get his point across to the section of the audience who saw “die for money” as too opaque a metaphor. The businessman has graduated from ddakji to giving hungry homeless people the choice between bread, and a lottery ticket. Would you rather eat, or have the chance for money you’ll likely never receive? Guess which most of them choose (and lose)? As the second season continues, in small ways and big Seong Gi-hun is as controlling of the men he sends on a treasure hunt city-wide to find that businessman as anyone running the Squid Game. There’s a major sequence early in the season set on Halloween that is clearly pointed at anyone who thinks it might be fun to dress as a Squid Game guard. Once Seong Gi-hun is back in the game, his seeming heroism turns self-centered, and his vision of bringing down the game is less about saving people than redeeming himself for his own complicated actions. It muddies the waters of the conversation, but also turns the camera towards the audience, practically screaming that if you thought you were a hero like Seong Gi-hun... Well, you’re bad, too. But what can you do about it? The game is rigged. The billionaires are in charge of it all. Netflix is able to sell you those Funko Pop!s, the Vans, and the Red Light/Green Light Mattel doll for kids because the alternative – you cannot beat the system, we will all die in here – is too horrifying to contemplate. Netflix is worth nearly $400 billion. They are the VIPS in this scenario, seeing no repercussions for their actions. While they’re not literally making us walk a glass bridge until we plummet to our deaths, they are hiding behind their golden animal masks, and reducing us to streaming numbers controlled by the algorithm. As the Front Man explains early in Season 2 when Seong Gi-hun tells him he wants to end Squid Game once and for all, the key isn’t killing one man, or even multiple men, as Seong Gi-hun has planned. It’s so much bigger than that. “If the world doesn’t change, the game doesn’t end,” the Front Man says. So how do you change the world? How can anyone? To grasp that in any fashion is to know the system is everywhere, and it’s overwhelming. That’s what the contestants in the show realize during their brief sojourn back to Seoul in Season 1, that dying playing a children’s game is essentially the same as living in society. For us here in the real world, it’s easier to giggle about the actor dressed as the Front Man telling everyone on our corporate team that the Squid Games have begun, taking selfies and eventually heading back to our safe, identical hotel rooms, than contemplate we’re all trapped in one, large Squid Game ourselves, every day of our lives.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anze Kopitar scored twice, Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist, and the Los Angeles Kings got their seventh straight home win by beating the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 on Sunday night. Kevin Fiala and Warren Foegele also scored for the Kings, who trailed 4-2 midway through the second period before rebounding to sweep a back-to-back after defeating recent playoff nemesis Edmonton in overtime on Saturday. David Rittich made 17 saves. Kopitar was in the right place to redirect Quinton Byfield's rebound in and tie it at 4 early in the third, before following it up by chopping in Kempe's shot during a power play at 8:55 for the 5-4 lead. Matvei Michkov had a goal and an assist for the Flyers after being benched for the third period against Anaheim on Saturday . Tyson Foerster, Scott Laughton and Joel Farabee also scored, and Aleksei Kolosov made 15 saves. Flyers: Michkov responded well after some tough coaching from John Tortorella, ending a seven-game point drought. Kings: Kopitar is 19 seasons into his Kings career but shows no signs of slowing down. He is up to 12 goals and 27 assists through 36 games. Foegele showed good composure in following up his rebound on a breakaway with 4:56 left in the second, getting the Kings back within 4-3 and setting the stage for Kopitar's final-period heroics. Los Angeles is a resilient bunch, improving to 8-7-1 when allowing the first goal. The Flyers visit San Jose on Tuesday, and the Kings host New Jersey on Wednesday. AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhlNine reasons families are flocking to Ned Kelly’s old stomping groundIn less than a couple of days 2024 will wrap its course and a new year will come knocking with its own set catalogue of movies and shows. Incidentally, for the Indian OTT landscape, this year was quite eventful with a number of good new releases and sequels to popular ones going on air. However, it is likely for one to have either missed or skipped any one of such great releases amid the everyday hustle-bustle. To help you get caught up with all the best Indian web series and TV shows this year, here is a recap list along with details of where to find them streaming: 1. Murder In Mahim (Jio Cinema) Police officer Shivajirao Jende and retired journalist Peter Fernandes team up to solve a murder in Mumbai. During their investigation, they uncover deep secrets of greed, despair, and longing. As they dig deeper, they also face the unresolved issues of their broken friendship. Starring Vijay Raaz, Ashutosh Rana, and Shivani Raghuvanshi. 2. Killer Soup (Netflix) A home chef, struggling to make ends meet, comes up with a sinister plan to swap her husband, Prabhakar, with her lover, Umesh, who is a squint-eyed doppelganger of Prabhakar. Starring Konkona Sen Sharma and Manoj Bajpayee 3. 1000 Babies (Disney+ Hotstar) In this gripping crime thriller, a retired nurse with dark secrets begins a deadly game, leaving the police racing to solve a twisted murder spree. With cryptic letters and clues, CI Aji Kurian and his team must uncover how a thousand babies fit into the chaos. Starring Neena Gupta as the enigmatic Sarah Ouseph ALSO READ: Singham Again vs Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3: After theatrical clash, Kartik Aaryan and Ajay Devgn set for OTT fight 4. Bandish Bandits Season 2 (Prime Video) Radhe Rathod takes on the challenge of leading the Rathod Gharana, balancing traditional Hindustani classical music with modern trends. Tamanna’s fame tests their bond, amid reality show drama and intense competition. Starring Sheeba Chaddha, Atul Kulkarni, Rajesh Tailang, Kunaal Roy Kapur, and Divya Dutta 5. Big Girls Don’t Cry (Prime Video) Set in an all-girls boarding school, this coming-of-age drama follows young women navigating adolescence, love, heartbreak, friendships, and dreams, while challenging societal rules. It’s a blend of rebellion and inspiration. Starring Pooja Bhatt, Mukul Chadda, Raima Sen, Zoya Hussain, and Avantika Vandanapu 6. Brinda (Sony LIV) In this gripping crime thriller, SI K. Brinda tackles deep corruption and societal issues, uncovering shocking secrets. As she pursues justice and grapples with personal dilemmas, the lines between right and wrong blur. Featuring Indrajith Sukumaran, Ravindra Vijay, and Aamani 7. Call Me Bae (Prime Video) Plot: When fashionista Bella ‘Bae’ Chowdhary gets disowned by her wealthy family after a scandal, she moves to Mumbai. Bae embarks on a journey of self-discovery, navigating life without her luxury lifestyle. Expect awkward jobs, unexpected love, and personal growth. Starring Ananya Panday 8. Citadel: Honey Bunny (Prime Video) Set in the Citadel universe, this spy action thriller follows Honey (Samantha Ruth Prabhu), a struggling actress, who gets involved in espionage due to her relationship with Bunny (Varun Dhawan), a stuntman. Years later, they must protect their daughter from danger. Starring Kay Kay Menon, Varun Dhawan, Samanta Ruth Prabhu 9. Freedom at Midnight (Sony LIV) This historical drama delves into India's 1947 partition, featuring Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. It showcases political power plays, emotional turmoil, and pivotal decisions. The series highlights the high-stakes diplomacy, revolution, and heartbreak that went beyond textbook history. Starring Siddhant Gupta, Chirag Vohra ALSO READ: Singham Again to Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3: Top 10 OTT releases this week on Netflix, Jio Cinema, Amazon Prime, & More 10. Gyaarah Gyaarah (Zee5) This fantasy thriller spans three timelines—1990, 2001, and 2016—where police inspector Yug Arya (Raghav Juyal) receives mysterious messages from Shaurya Anthwal (Dhairya Karwa) through an old walkie-talkie. These time-bending transmissions help solve cold cases and uncover hidden secrets, all at precisely 11:11 PM. Starring Kritika Kamra, Gautami Kapoor, Harsh Chhaya, and Nitesh Pandey 11. Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar (Netflix) In pre-independence India, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's grandiose drama explores Lahore’s Heera Mandi, intertwining love, betrayal, and ambition. Follow Mallikajaan, Fareedan, Bibbojaan, and Lajjo as they navigate power, politics, and societal expectations. Starring Sanjeeda Sheikh, Sharmin Segal, Taha Shah Badussha, Fardeen Khan, and Naseeruddin Shah 12. IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack (Netflix) This intense limited series dramatizes the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814, showcasing the tense seven-day hostage crisis. The hijackers, linked to Al-Qaeda, demand terrorist releases in exchange for passenger lives. Starring Vijay Varma, Naseeruddin Shah, Dia Mirza, Amrita Puri, and Pankaj Kapur. 13. Indian Police Force (Prime Video) In this thrilling cop drama, DCP Kabir Malik and Joint CP Vikram Bakshi confront bomb blasts in Delhi on Police Raising Day. It's not just about stopping terrorists; they also battle corruption, politics, and a vengeful villain, Zarar. Special Cell Chief Tara Shetty adds to the intensity. Directed by Rohit Shetty and starring Sidharth Malhotra, Shilpa Shetty 14. Inspector Rishi (Prime Video) Inspector Rishi Nandhan investigates mysterious murders in a mountain village. With his team, sub-inspectors Ayyanar and Chitra, he finds a link to Vanaratchi, a mythical forest spirit. As supernatural events unfold, Rishi’s skepticism is tested. Starring Naveen Chandra, Malini Jeevarathnam ALSO READ: 8 action-drama movies like ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ to binge on Netflix, Prime Video & other Indian OTTs 15. Kota Factory Season 3 (Netflix) Vaibhav Pandey and his friends continue to face pre-exam stress in Kota, India, with the IIT-JEE exams approaching. This season delves into the students' mental struggles and Jeetu Bhaiya’s emotional challenges after losing a student. Starring Ranjan Raj, Alam Khan, Revathi Pillai, and Ahsaas Channa. 16. Manvat Murders (Sony LIV) Set in 1970s Maharashtra, this crime drama centers on the murder of seven women, plunging the village of Manvat into fear. Ramakant Kulkarni (Ashutosh Gowariker), a determined officer, uncovers a web of superstition, ritual killings, and blurred lines between myth and reality. 17. Mirzapur Season 3 (Prime Video) Guddu Pandit and Golu Gupta navigate new enemies and underworld politics in this crime-filled series. Kaleen Bhaiya plans his return, seeking revenge after Munna’s death. The series is packed with power, drama, and bloodshed. Starring Rasika Dugal, Vijay Varma, Priyanshu Painyuli, and Anjum Sharma. 18. Mismatched Season 3 (Netflix) Dimple Ahuja (Prajakta Koli) and Rishi Singh Shekhawat (Rohit Saraf) navigate their lovable, complicated relationship with more heart and awkward moments. They balance dreams, relationship drama, and life’s hiccups, learning that trust, patience, and comedy are key. 19. Panchayat Season 3 (Prime Video) Abhishek Tripathi (Jitendra Kumar), the village secretary in Phulera, Uttar Pradesh, must decide whether to help the villagers with their dramas or pursue his dreams. With Panchayat elections approaching, new characters add to his challenges. Starring Neena Gupta, Raghubir Yadav, and Chandan Roy. 20. Poacher (Prime Video) This thrilling crime drama focuses on Neel Banerjee, a Kerala Forest Department officer, as he teams up with quirky characters to dismantle an intricate poaching network. Expect suspense, wildlife drama, twists, and a dash of humour with characters like Mala, and Alan. Starring Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Nimisha Sajayan ALSO READ: 6 Movies With ‘Most Amazing Yet Crazy’ Female Characters 21. Bad Cop (Disney+ Hotstar) Karan, a dedicated cop, confronts the formidable villain Kazbe while juggling his dangerous mission and personal relationship challenges. Starring Gulshan Devaiah, Anurag Kashyap , Harleen Sethi
A ceasefire deal that could end more than a year of cross-border fighting between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group has won the backing of Israeli leaders, raising hopes and renewing difficult questions in a region gripped by conflict. Hezbollah leaders also signalled tentative backing for the US-brokered deal, which offers both sides an off-ramp from hostilities that have driven more than 1.2 million Lebanese and 50,000 Israelis from their homes. An intense bombing campaign by Israel has killed more than 3,700 people, many of them civilians, Lebanese officials say. But while the deal, set to take effect early Wednesday, could significantly calm the tensions that have inflamed the region, it does little directly to resolve the much deadlier war that has raged in Gaza since the Hamas attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that killed 1,200 people. Hezbollah, which began firing scores of rockets into Israel the following day in support of Hamas, has previously said it would keep fighting until there was a stop to the fighting in Gaza. Here’s what to know about the tentative ceasefire agreement and its potential implications: The agreement reportedly calls for a 60-day halt in fighting that would see Israeli troops retreat to their side of the border while requiring Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swathe of southern Lebanon. Us President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that the deal is set to take effect at 4am local time on Wednesday. Under the deal, thousands of Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers are to deploy to the region south of the Litani River. An international panel lead by the US would monitor compliance by all sides. Mr Biden said the deal “was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” Israel has demanded the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations. Lebanese officials have rejected writing that into the proposal. Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, insisted on Tuesday that the military would strike Hezbollah if the UN peacekeeping force, known as Unifil, does not provide “effective enforcement” of the deal. A Hezbollah leader said the group’s support for the deal hinged on clarity that Israel would not renew its attacks. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Qatari satellite news network Al Jazeera. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state” of Lebanon, he said. The European Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said on Tuesday that Israel’s security concerns had been addressed in the deal also brokered by France. After months of cross-border bombings, Israel can claim major victories, including the killing of Hezbollah’s top leader, Hassan Nasrallah, most of his senior commanders and the destruction of extensive militant infrastructure. A complex attack in September involving the explosion of hundreds of walkie-talkies and pagers used by Hezbollah was widely attributed to Israel, signalling a remarkable penetration of the militant group. The damage inflicted on Hezbollah has come not only in its ranks, but to the reputation it built by fighting Israel to a stalemate in the 2006 war. Still, its fighters managed to put up heavy resistance on the ground, slowing Israel’s advance while continuing to fire scores of rockets, missiles and drones across the border each day. The ceasefire offers relief to both sides, giving Israel’s overstretched army a break and allowing Hezbollah leaders to tout the group’s effectiveness in holding their ground despite Israel’s massive advantage in weaponry. But the group is likely to face a reckoning, with many Lebanese accusing it of tying their country’s fate to Gaza’s at the service of key ally Iran, inflicting great damage on a Lebanese economy that was already in a grave condition. Until now, Hezbollah has insisted that it would only halt its attacks on Israel when it agreed to stop fighting in Gaza. Some in the region are likely to view a deal between the Lebanon-based group and Israel as a capitulation. In Gaza, where officials say the war has killed more than 44,000 Palestinians, Israel’s attacks have inflicted a heavy toll on Hamas, including the killing of the group’s top leaders. But Hamas fighters continue to hold scores of Israeli hostages, giving the militant group a bargaining chip if indirect ceasefire negotiations resume. Hamas is likely to continue to demand a lasting truce and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in any such deal. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas offered a pointed reminder on Tuesday of the intractability of the war, demanding urgent international intervention. “The only way to halt the dangerous escalation we are witnessing in the region, and maintain regional and international stability, security and peace, is to resolve the question of Palestine,” he said in a speech to the UN read by his ambassador.