Preparing Bathukamma at home is an opportunity to bring family members together through flowers, colour and traditional worship. The arrangement is built in circular layers that become smaller towards the top, creating a cone-shaped floral stack. Alongside the preparation, choosing comfortable festive clothing and using natural materials can make participation easier. This guide explains the flowers commonly used, the steps involved and practical tips for the f

Bathukamma is Telangana’s floral festival, celebrated through colourful flower arrangements, traditional songs and gatherings led predominantly by women. Dedicated to Goddess Gauri, a form of Parvati, it brings together devotion, nature and cultural traditions passed down through generations. In 2026, Bathukamma runs from Saturday, October 10, to Sunday, October 18. The celebrations begin with Engili Pula Bathukamma and conclude with Saddula

Smit Machchhar recovery has shown encouraging progress, with his family saying the flydubai pilot walked 10 steps after being moved from Abu Dhabi to Dubai. India’s MEA says he is recuperating well and remains under close medical care following the cockpit attack. Smit Machchhar recovery improves as pilot begins walking Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian flydubai pilot seriously injured during an alleged mid-air cockpit attack, is show

Jacqueline Fernandez has received a Delhi court NOC allowing her to apply for renewal of her Indian work visa. The Sri Lankan actor remains involved in a ₹200 crore money-laundering case linked to Sukesh Chandrashekar, while the FRRO will decide her visa request independently. A Delhi court has granted actor Jacqueline Fernandez a no-objection certificate allowing her to apply for renewal of her employment visa in India while her money-laundering case continues.

The Smit Machchhar flydubai attack took a dramatic turn when dentist Shota Musaev spent 45 minutes controlling the injured captain’s bleeding. The dentist rescue, cockpit attack, Tabuk landing and pilot recovery have highlighted the courage shown aboard Flight FZ1073. Dentist describes 45-minute fight to save Captain Smit Machchhar An Israel-based dentist has described the tense 45 minutes in which he tried to keep flydubai Captain Smi

The Trump RAF shift came amid security concerns surrounding RAF Fairford, while the B1 move and Fairford risk remain under investigation. Trump also addressed the Russia plague reports, praised the Flavio vote result and reacted as the Brazil runoff approaches. B1 move follows threat concerns US President Donald Trump said on October 5 that American B-1 bombers had been moved from RAF Fairford in Britain after what he described as “som

A pharmaceutical facility owned by India’s Kusum Group was severely damaged in a Russian drone attack in Sumy, Ukraine. The strike reportedly killed one person and left several others injured. The main building of the plant was largely destroyed in the attack, with preliminary losses estimated at around ₹400 crore. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed condolences over the loss of life and acknowledged the damage caused by the strike. The incident

Indian captain Smit Machchhar has emerged as a central figure in the dramatic emergency aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The aircraft diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after a violent cockpit incident in which Machchhar was stabbed and the plane lost altitude rapidly. Cockpit attack The incident unfolded on September 30 while the Boeing 737 MAX was en route to Tel Aviv. Israeli officials said the co-pilot attacked Mac

A Paris court has convicted six men of manslaughter over the deadliest recorded migrant boat disaster in the English Channel, in which 31 people died in November 2021. Seven others were convicted of lesser smuggling offences, while one defendant was acquitted.  Boat sinking The migrants left northern France in an overloaded inflatable dinghy bound for the United Kingdom. Evidence presented during the trial showed the boat was unsuit

Flydubai Flight FZ1073 was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on September 30, 2026, after a violent cockpit incident on a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight. Israeli officials alleged the co-pilot stabbed the captain and tried to crash the aircraft, while Flydubai said the cause remains under investigation. Flydubai Flight FZ1073, traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, after a violent altercation inside th

A Flydubai Dubai Tel Aviv flight emergency landing became a major aviation update after flight FZ1073 diverted to Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk Airport following a reported cockpit incident. The aircraft landed safely, passengers received assistance, and officials confirmed the situation was not a hijacking. A second Flydubai flight was also diverted back to Dubai.   A Flydubai flight operating from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport i

The RAF Fairford bomb plot investigation has taken on an international dimension after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a foreign actor was involved in the suspected plan. British counter-terrorism police are examining possible state links, but no foreign government has been officially identified as responsible. Foreign actor Rubio described the incident as a serious national-security concern and said it clearly involved the hand o

Russia Ukraine attacks intensified on September 28 as Kyiv, Dnipro and several other cities came under a new wave of drone strikes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said nine people were killed and more than 80 injured across the country, while Ukraine reported fresh counterstrikes on Russian defence and energy targets. Kyiv strike A jet-pow

Four Telugu film stars feature in a reported 2026 ranking of India’s 10 wealthiest actors. Nagarjuna Akkineni takes second place, while Chiranjeevi, Venkatesh Daggubati and Ram Charan occupy the final three spots. Shah Rukh Khan leads the list with an estimated net worth of ₹10,000 crore. Nagarjuna follows at ₹5,000 crore, making him the highest-ranked Telugu actor in the ranking reported by Deccan Chronicle. The figures are estimates, however, and the re

Actor Ram Charan has undergone a planned follow-up procedure for his wrist injury at Ganga Hospital in Coimbatore. According to a September 25 report, doctors removed his cast and the rods placed in his wrist during earlier treatment. He remains under medical supervision as he moves into the next stage of recovery. The follow-up procedure was performed by Dr Praveen under the supervision of Dr Rajasekaran and Dr Sabhapathi, the report said. Ram Charan had aggra

Shah Rukh Khan remains India’s richest actor on the Hurun India Rich List 2026, even after a substantial fall in his estimated wealth. Hurun places the Bollywood star’s fortune at ₹10,000 crore, compared with ₹12,490 crore on its 2025 list. That is a year-on-year decline of ₹2,490 crore, or nearly 20%, but it has not displaced him from the top position among actors. The figure represents an estimate of Khan’s total wealth, not his annual income or a cash loss from a single film. Such assessments take into account business interests and other assets whose assigned values can change between editions of a rich list. Khan’s interests include Red Chillies Entertainment and Knight Riders Sports, which is associated with the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders. His fortune therefore extends well beyond acting fees. Shah Rukh Khan leads India’s richest actors in 2026 The gap between Khan and the next actor on the list remains wide. Amitabh Bachchan ranks second with an estimated ₹4,000 crore, followed by Salman Khan at ₹3,000 crore and Hrithik Roshan at ₹2,500 crore. On those figures, Khan’s estimated wealth is ₹6,000 crore higher than Bachchan’s, despite his own decline from last year. Bachchan has recorded a particularly large rise in Hurun’s assessment. His estimated wealth has increased from ₹1,630 crore in 2025 to ₹4,000 crore in 2026. Roshan’s figure has also moved up, from ₹2,160 crore last year to ₹2,500 crore. As with Khan, these totals reflect estimated overall wealth and should not be confused with what the actors earned from movies during the year. Khan’s 2026 India list figure also differs from an estimate published earlier this year. The Hurun Global Rich List valued him at about ₹10,800 crore. The two figures come from different assessments, so the ₹800 crore difference should not be treated on its own as a documented transaction or a fresh loss. Juhi Chawla and Karan Johar absent from latest list Two familiar entertainment names from the 2025 India list do not appear among those cited on the 2026 list: actor Juhi Chawla and filmmaker Karan Johar. Hurun had estimated Chawla’s wealth at ₹7,790 crore last year and Johar’s at ₹1,880 crore. Their absence from the latest published rankings should not be interpreted as proof that either has lost that amount; it means no comparable 2026 figure is provided for them in this account of the list. The wider entertainment business includes people whose wealth comes primarily from production and related companies. Naresh Malhotra, father of Ramayana producer Namit Malhotra, is listed with an estimated ₹16,000 crore. Producers Bhushan Kumar, Ronnie Screwvala and Kalanithi Maran also feature. Khan’s “richest actor” ranking refers specifically to performers, rather than everyone working in the film industry. For Khan, the headline from the 2026 list is both a drop and a continuing lead. His estimated fortune is ₹2,490 crore lower than it was a year ago, yet no other actor in the reported ranking is close to his ₹10,000 crore total. He is next set to appear in Siddharth Anand’s King, while his place atop Hurun’s actor rankings remains tied to the value of his film and business interests together. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of using citizens from 47 countries in its war against Ukraine, naming India, Ghana, Nepal and several other nations during an address to the United Nations General Assembly on September 23, 2026. Zelensky also focused on foreign recruitment, North Korea, expanding drone partnerships, possible winter attacks and efforts to reduce Russian war revenue. Recruitment raises concerns over foreign fighters

India survived a remarkable Japan challenge in the one-off T20I in Sano, winning by just two runs after a controversial wide-ball decision was reversed in the final over. The five-over contest ended with India defending 32, but Axar Patel’s last over turned the Suzuki Cup finish into a major talking point. Axar wide call sparks final-over drama Japan entered the final over with a realistic chance of completing a major upset. Axar Patel conceded only one run from his first two deliveries before Alexander Shirai-Patmore attempted a reverse sweep. The bowler then sent down a delivery that umpire Chris Thurgate called wide. A similar delivery followed, and the umpire again initially signalled wide. India protested the second call, leading to a discussion between the officials before it was reversed. That reversal mattered enormously. It removed the extra run and, because the delivery became legal, also denied Japan the additional ball that a wide would normally produce. Japan eventually finished on 30 for three as India escaped with a two-run victory. Reverse sweep rule explains the decision The key issue was not simply that the batter attempted a reverse sweep. Under MCC Law 22, an umpire judges whether the ball passed beyond the batter’s reach for a normal cricket stroke, while also taking the striker’s movement into account. A delivery should not be called wide if the batter’s movement brings it sufficiently within reach. That distinction is important because saying every reverse-sweep attempt automatically removes the possibility of a wide would be inaccurate. ICC regulations have long allowed greater leeway to bowlers when batters switch position or attempt unconventional strokes. Final over becomes match-defining moment The overturned decision immediately changed the equation. Japan still had an opportunity to force a tie or win, but Axar kept the remaining deliveries under control. Had the second wide stood, Japan would have received both an extra run and an extra delivery, making the closing equation significantly easier. Instead, India completed a narrow win in a match that had been reduced to five overs per side. Japan chase gives India a major scare India’s total of 32 proved far less comfortable than expected. Japan stayed in contention throughout the short chase and pushed the match to its final delivery, giving India little margin for error. The result handed India the Suzuki Cup, but the lasting discussion centered on the umpiring reversal rather than the trophy itself. The incident also showed why modern wide-ball interpretations become complicated when batters move across the crease or attempt reverse sweeps and switch hits. 

The NHS could improve patient outcomes substantially without simply relying on higher spending, according to a new Health Foundation report examining productivity across England’s health service. The study says structural problems, ageing infrastructure and administrative burdens are limiting what doctors, nurses and hospitals can achieve with existing resources. NHS red tape adds pressure on staff The Health Foundation’s NHS Productivity Commission says unnecessary regulation, reporting and compliance requirements are consuming staff time that could be used more effectively. It argues that fragmented accountability and short-term planning make it difficult for NHS organisations to sustain improvements. The report recommends creating a dedicated mechanism to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy while giving local NHS leaders greater freedom to improve services. It also stresses that managers and administrative staff play an important role in preventing additional non-clinical work from falling onto doctors and nurses. NHS AI use could improve productivity Technology is another major area where the report sees room for improvement. It says poor IT systems and uneven adoption of new tools continue to waste clinical time, even though artificial intelligence could help streamline administration, diagnostics and patient care. The commission recommends a national “test-and-learn” approach so the NHS can evaluate promising technologies, including AI, before expanding successful models across the system. Separate UK government work on healthcare AI has also highlighted its potential to help identify serious conditions earlier and reduce administrative workload, while stressing the need for safety and human oversight. Early diagnosis could prevent thousands of deaths Delayed diagnosis remains another productivity and health challenge. The report points to diseases including cancer, diabetes and other treatable conditions where earlier detection could improve survival and reduce the need for more complex treatment later. Its international analysis estimates that if England matched the outcomes of better-performing comparable health systems, there could be around 18,500 to 20,600 fewer treatable deaths each year. People could also gain an average of 2.5 to 4.5 additional years of good health. These figures are estimates based on comparisons between health systems rather than guaranteed outcomes from individual reforms. NHS bed gaps and ageing hospitals limit care Infrastructure remains a major obstacle. Ageing hospitals, maintenance needs and limited diagnostic, operating-theatre and bed capacity can slow patient movement through the health system. The Health Foundation has previously noted that England has fewer hospital beds and less diagnostic capacity than several comparable countries. More staff alone cannot solve those constraints if hospitals lack modern buildings, equipment, technology and enough capacity to diagnose and treat patients efficiently. NHS savings could reach £33 billion a year The commission estimates that sustained productivity improvements could eventually be worth around £33 billion annually, roughly equivalent to about $44 billion depending on exchange rates. The central argument is not that the NHS can simply cut spending, but that it can generate better outcomes from the resources already available. The Department of Health and Social Care said the NHS is already improving productivity through greater use of technology, reduced agency staffing and leaner back-office operations. It pointed to record numbers of appointments, tests and scans, while acknowledging that considerably more work remains under the government’s 10-Year Health Plan. 

President Donald Trump used his September 22 address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly to launch a direct attack on the International Criminal Court, while also setting out US positions on Gaza, Iran, artificial intelligence, Venezuela, Greenland and the United Nations itself. The White House described the speech as a defense of American sovereignty and national interests.