Who is Paramveer Chakra Arun Khetrapal? What is the connection with Dharmendra's last film Ikkis?

Who Is Arun Khetarpal? : Agastya Nanda’s film ’21: The Untold Story of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetrapal’ has released on January 2. Apart from Agastya Nanda, the film also stars veteran actor Dharmendra Deol. The most special thing is that this was Dharmendra’s last film. The film is directed by Sriram Raghavan.

The film is based on the story of the Indo-Pak war of 1971, centering on the bravery and sacrifice of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetrapal. Arun Khetrapal was awarded the Paramvir Chakra at the youngest age. Let’s know the story of his life and heroic saga.

Second Lieutenant Arun Khetrapal was born on 14 October 1950 in Pune, Maharashtra. Service to country was in his blood. His entire family remained attached to the army, many generations sacrificed for the country. His great grandfather was in the Sikh Khalsa army and fought the war against the British. His grandfather fought against Turkey in World War I, while his father, Brigadier M.L. Khetrapal was involved in World War II and the Indo-Pak War of 1965.

Growing up in such an environment, the army uniform was everything for Arun Khetrapal. He received his early education from Lawrence School. He then went to the National Defense Academy (NDA) and then completed his training at the Indian Military Academy (IMA). On 13 June 1971, Arun Khetrapal was commissioned into the 17 Pune Horse Regiment. Six months after the commission, the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 broke out. Arun Khetrapal was only 21 years old at that time, but his courage was much older than his age.

His role in the 1971 war was seen in the Battle of Basantpur. On 15 December 1971, the Pune Horse Regiment received orders to build a bridge over the Basant River. But on December 16, Pakistan launched a major attack with its entire armored regiment. Pakistan had a large number of tanks, while the Indian Army was fighting with relatively few resources.

The conditions were extremely challenging. Meanwhile the squadron commander radioed for help and Arun Khetrapal immediately went into action mode. He marched forward with his troop and bravely faced the Pakistani attacks. There was heavy firing from all sides, but Arun Khetrapal started destroying enemy tanks one after another.

At that time Arun Khetrapal was riding the Centurion tank ‘Famagusta’. He personally destroyed 10 Pakistani tanks. Some tanks were completely destroyed, while some were captured by the Indian Army. It is said that this battle was one of the fiercest tank battles of the Indian subcontinent.

Meanwhile, a Pakistani shell bomb hit Arun Khetrapal’s tank and it turned into a ball of fire. From above he was ordered to leave the tank, but from the front came his muffled voice – “No sir, I will not leave the tank.” My gun is still working and I am not going to leave the enemy. “

These were the last words of Arun Khetrapal. He fought to the last breath and destroyed an enemy tank, but was martyred in the counter attack. At the age of just 21, Second Lieutenant Arun Khetrapal made the supreme sacrifice for the country. His unparalleled bravery resulted in India defeating Pakistan in the Battle of Basantpur and achieving a historic victory in the 1971 war. In recognition of his bravery, he was posthumously awarded the Paramvir Chakra by the Government of India.

https://timesofahmedabad.blog/who-is-paramveer-chakra-arun-khetrapal-what-is-the-connection-with-dharmendras-last-film-ikkis/

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Moment 400-pound runaway prop injures Disney employee

Footage shows the moment a worker at Walt Disney World was injured after being hit by a 400-lb (180kg) runaway fake boulder prop.

The incident took place at the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! during a live recreation of a famous scene from the film.

Video shows the boulder rolling towards the audience as a staff member jumps into its path, preventing it from reaching the crowd.

The staff member did not appear to stand up immediately, and other workers are seen running to his side. The Florida theme park said they are supporting the staff member, who is now recovering.

Read the full story on the incident at Walt Disney World here.

https://timesofahmedabad.blog/moment-400-pound-runaway-prop-injures-disney-employee/

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People kept shouting and the system kept sleeping.. Many people died due to contaminated water in Indore, read inside story

Indore borewell water deaths inside story: Two months ago, a call was received on the helpline of the Mayor of Indore. On October 15, Dinesh Bharti Verma noticed something wrong in the water in a well near a local temple in Bhagirathpura. He reported that borewell water has mixed with sewage. Visitors to the temple needed clean water.

No action was taken on this complaint, and another application for relief was made in November. This time, Shivani Thakle, another resident of Ward 11, Indore, claimed that acid was mixed in the water.

By December the situation was out of control, and people were getting sick. On December 18, residents complained of a terrible stench emanating from the Narmada water supply. On 28 December, Ganesh Parasakar and Yash Parvena reported that 90% of the people in their ward had fallen ill, complaining of vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration.

Then, on December 29, when the first death occurred due to this contaminated water, the administration was shaken. Eight people have died, and 200 have been hospitalized due to this contaminated water in Bhagirathpura.

After initial investigation, it is being said that the water was contaminated as a toilet was built on the drinking water pipeline. The administration has officially confirmed only four deaths, and 212 people are hospitalized.

Now, after examining the municipal corporation data, it has been revealed that despite numerous complaints, the administration has not taken any action, and that is why these deaths are happening. Last year, 266 complaints of contaminated water were registered in Indore.

Zone 4, which includes Bhagirathpura, received 23 complaints. Here, Assistant Engineer Yogesh Joshi received 16 complaints about contaminated water last year; Five were resolved, and the remaining seven were closed without action.

The investigation revealed that preparations were underway to lay the new Narmada water pipeline several months before the death due to this contaminated water. Officials did their own site inspection, and tenders were issued.

This file was prepared on November 12, 2024. Significantly, the program for the final phase of the project was issued on December 26, 2025, when reports of deaths began to emerge.

Corporator Kamal Vaghela has now broken his silence on the death. Bhagirathpura falls under his jurisdiction. He explains that the decision to lay the Narmada water pipeline was taken last year. A file was then prepared. However, according to Vaghela, the file was postponed for seven months.

The situation got so bad that Vaghela was forced to write a letter to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. In the letter, he explained that despite numerous complaints, officials only said that the work was still going on.

Vaghle now says that the death was not simply the result of administrative negligence, but a gross criminal negligence which knowingly endangered public health. Prima facie, this case falls under the category of gross negligence of duty, disobedience of orders and violation of public health laws.

However, Bablu Prasad, water officer of the same area, explains that what happened in Bhagirathpura is a major structural failure, an area where roads are only 10-12 feet wide. He says that when he started work in the area three years ago, the drainage system was already damaged.

He believes that the tendrils were installed, but the authorities did not act. A new pipeline was needed, but was never replaced.

Now that so many deaths are happening, officials have resorted to rhetoric. Additional Commissioner Rohit Sisonia, speaking to The Indian Express, says that it would be wrong to say that no work has been done to replace the pipeline.

There are three lines: main line, distribution line and household line. Work on the pipeline has been initiated in conjunction with the AMRUT 2.0 scheme of the central government. According to the official, the tender being questioned today was awarded several months ago.

Pipeline work is also underway under the AMRUT scheme. How can work be initiated on the tender given the possibility of financial irregularities?

Elaborating on the cause of the contaminated water, Sisonia said, “Our investigation revealed that a small police post was built above the main pipeline. A toilet was built there, but it lacked a safety tank, which allowed all the contaminated waste to accumulate in a pit.

Also Read:- Want to work from home in Dubai? You can find WFH JOB with salary of lakhs of rupees on these 6 platforms

The main water pipeline had broken under that pit, causing the water to be contaminated. We collected samples from the site, and investigation confirmed that these samples were contaminated and could cause diarrhoea.”

https://timesofahmedabad.blog/people-kept-shouting-and-the-system-kept-sleeping-many-people-died-due-to-contaminated-water-in-indore-read-inside-story/

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Iran In Turmoil: Why Massive Anti-Khamenei Protests Have Erupted | World News

Iran is experiencing its largest uprising in over three decades. What began as protests against economic hardship has rapidly escalated into a major revolt against the government of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Demonstrations have now spread to 21 provinces, causing unprecedented unrest across the country. The situation has become so volatile that the army has been deployed on the streets.

Protests began on December 28, with shopkeepers striking at Tehran’s Alaeddin Shopping Centre and Grand Bazaar over rial collapse and high prices. Strikes spread December 29-31 to Isfahan, Shiraz, etc, evolving into anti-regime chants.

Movement grew nationwide by December 30-31, with bazaar closures, university joins, and clashes; Fasa governorate storming on Day 4 (Dec 31).

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Economic Crisis Fuels Protests

The protests are fueled by recession, soaring inflation, currency devaluation, deteriorating living conditions, and growing public discontent with the Islamic government. A major contributing factor is the continued decline of the Iranian currency, which has severely impacted daily life and intensified calls for political change.

Why Is Iran Struggling With Inflation?

The war with Israel and prolonged US sanctions have had a severe impact on Iran’s economy, particularly on the rial. The value of one US dollar has now reached 1.4 million Iranian rials—an all-time low—with little expectation of stabilization in the near future. By contrast, in 2015, one dollar was equivalent to just 32,000 rials, meaning the currency’s value has plummeted approximately 40 to 45 times over the past decade.

This collapse has directly fueled inflation, which had reached nearly 50 percent by December 2025. Prices of food, milk, grains, and other essential commodities have increased by more than 70 percent compared to last year.

IRGC Targeted for the First Time

For the first time, protesters are directly targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran’s most powerful military and security force, which reports directly to Supreme Leader Khamenei and had largely remained untouched during previous protests. IRGC bases are being set on fire, and slogans openly targeting Khamenei and demanding his removal from power are being chanted in the streets.

Protesters Storm Government Buildings

In the city of Fasa, protesters stormed a local government building, breaking down the gates of the Fasa Governorate office. Similar incidents have been reported in several other cities as public anger continues to mount.

Supreme Leader’s Statues Toppled

The anger toward Khamenei has reached such a level that his statues are being toppled. In Ardabil, protesters pulled down a statue of the Supreme Leader that had been erected just two days earlier.

Violence Escalates

The violence is intensifying, with at least six people killed in clashes between protesters and security forces in southwestern Iran.

Protests Involve All Ages and Classes

These are the largest protests in Iran since the hijab controversy, involving people across age groups and social classes. Demonstrators are now chanting slogans calling for the end of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s rule and even demanding the return of the monarchy.

https://timesofahmedabad.blog/iran-in-turmoil-why-massive-anti-khamenei-protests-have-erupted-world-news/

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Share Market News Live: Sensex rises 200 points, ITC shares fall over 4 percent

Share Market Today News In Gujarati : Stock market index Sensex Nifty opened positive, supported by rising Asian markets. The Sensex opened at 85,259, up 70 points from the previous close of 85,188. In the opening session itself, the Sensex jumped over 300 points and is trading above the 85500 level. The NSE Nifty opened at 26,155. Nifty has increased by 65 points and is trading above 26200 level due to the positive trend in the stock market.

ITC shares fell over 4 percent, FMCG index fell

ITC shares have fallen for the second day in a row. On Friday, ITC shares opened down 1 percent at Rs 360. The stock fell more than 4 percent on the selling pressure and touched a low of Rs 345 in the opening session itself. Shares of many FMCG companies, including ITC, have fallen following speculations of a hike in taxes on various tobacco products, including cigarettes. ITC shares tumbled 9 percent on Thursday. The BSE FMCG index fell by over 220 points or 1.1 percent today.

Jan 02, 2026 09:51 IST

ITC shares fell over 4 percent, FMCG index fell

ITC shares have fallen for the second day in a row. On Friday, ITC shares opened down 1 percent at Rs 360. The stock fell more than 4 percent on the selling pressure and touched a low of Rs 345 in the opening session itself. Shares of many FMCG companies, including ITC, have fallen following speculations of a hike in taxes on various tobacco products, including cigarettes. ITC shares tumbled 9 percent on Thursday. The BSE FMCG index fell by over 220 points or 1.1 percent today.

Jan 02, 2026 09:46 IST

Sensex rose 300 points, Nifty 26200 par

Stock market index Sensex Nifty opened positive, supported by rally in Asian markets. The Sensex opened at 85,259, up 70 points from the previous close of 85,188. In the opening session itself, the Sensex jumped over 200 points and is trading above the 85400 level. The NSE Nifty opened at 26,155. Nifty has increased by 65 points and is trading above 26200 level due to the positive trend in the stock market.

https://timesofahmedabad.blog/share-market-news-live-sensex-rises-200-points-itc-shares-fall-over-4-percent/

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China's BYD set to overtake Tesla as world's top EV seller

China’s BYD is set to overtake Elon Musk’s Tesla as the world’s biggest seller of electric vehicles (EVs), marking the first time it has outpaced its American rival for annual sales.

On Thursday, World Said that sales of its battery-powered cars rose last year by almost 28% to more than 2.25 million.

Tesla, which is due to reveal its total sales for 2025 later on Friday, last week published analyst’s estimates suggesting that it had sold around 1.65 million vehicles for the year as a whole.

The US firm has faced a tough year with a mixed reception to new offeringsunease over Musk’s political activities and intensifying competition from Chinese rivals.

In October, Tesla introduced lower-priced versions of its two best-selling models in the US in a bid to boost sales. It had faced criticism that it had been slow to release new and more affordable options to stay competitive.

Musk, who is already the world’s richest manis tasked with significantly boosting Tesla’s sales and stock market value over the next decade to secure a record-breaking pay package. The deal, which was approved by shareholders in November, could see him getting a payout of as much as $1tn (£740bn).

As part of the agreement, Musk also has to sell a million humanoid robots over the next ten years. Tesla has invested heavily in its “Optimus” product and self-driving “Robotaxis”.

Tesla sales slumped in the first three months of 2025 after a backlash against Musk’s role in US President Donald Trump’s administration.

Besides Tesla, the multi-billionaire’s business interests also include the social media platform X, the rocket firm SpaceX and the Boring Company, which digs tunnels.

Those commitments, along with running Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), led some investors to suggest that Musk was not focusing enough on Tesla.

Since then Musk has pledged to “significantly” cut back his role in the US government.

Despite BYD’s rapid expansion in recent years, its sales growth slowed in 2025 to the weakest rate in five years.

The Shenzhen-based firm faces mounting competition in China, its key market, from a surge of EV makers like XPeng and Nio.

Still, BYD remains a global EV powerhouse as its prices often undercut rival carmakers.

The company’s rapid expansion – especially in Latin America, South East Asia and parts of Europe – comes despite many countries imposing steep tariffs on Chinese EVs.

In October, BYD said the UK had become its biggest market outside China. The firm said that its sales in Britain surged by 880% in the year to the end of September, driven by strong demand for the plug-in hybrid version of its Seal U sports utility vehicle (SUV).

https://timesofahmedabad.blog/chinas-byd-set-to-overtake-tesla-as-worlds-top-ev-seller/

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Roberto Carlos: Brazil legend 'recovering well' in hospital after procedure

Brazil and Real Madrid legend Roberto Carlos is “recovering well” after undergoing what he described as “a preventative medical procedure”.

The former left-back, 52, updated fans on his condition via his Instagram page, which included a picture of him smiling in a hospital bed.

He also denied rumours that he had suffered a heart attack.

“I would like to clarify recent information that has been circling,” he wrote.

“I recently underwent a preventative medical procedure, planned in advance with my medical team. The procedure was successful, and I am well. I did not suffer a heart attack.

“I am recovering well, and looking forward to returning to full fitness and resuming my professional and personal commitments soon.

“I sincerely thank everyone for the messages of support, care, and concern. I would like to reassure everyone that there is no cause for concern.

“My heartfelt thanks go to the entire medical team who took care of me.”

Carlos won four La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues across 527 appearances for Real Madrid, and lifted the World Cup with Brazil in 2002.

Renowned as a free-kick specialist, his other clubs included Palmeiras, Inter Milan, Fenerbahce and Corinthians.

https://timesofahmedabad.blog/roberto-carlos-brazil-legend-recovering-well-in-hospital-after-procedure/

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Israel's First Immigrant Family Of 2026 Comes From Australia Amid Shifts In Jewish Migration | World News

TEL AVIV: The Sachs family from Sydney, Australia – father Trevor, mother Dalit, and daughter Ashira – became Israel’s first immigrants in 2026 after arriving at Ben Gurion Airport on Thursday as trends point to rising Jewish immigration from Western countries.

Upon landing, the three were greeted by Minister of Immigration and Absorption Ofir Sofer, received their Israeli ID cards, and officially began their new lives in the country. The family’s son, Levi Sachs, had already immigrated ahead of them and enlisted in the Israel Defence Forces.

“The Sachs family’s choice to immigrate to Israel, especially when their son is serving in the IDF, is gratifying and encouraging. We are working for the aliyah [immigration] of Australian Jews to Israel and have already taken and will continue to take significant steps to that end,” Sofer said.

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The arrival of the Sachs family brings the total to nearly 22,000 immigrants to Israel in 2025. According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), approximately 21,900 people moved to Israel last year, representing only about one-third of the previous year’s total.

Signalling a shift in the global pattern of Jewish migration, Russian and Ukrainian immigration fell by half, while arrivals from the United States, United Kingdom, and France increased. Overall, North American aliyah rose by 13 per cent, and French immigration jumped 45 per cent, the CBS reported.

The change is generally attributed to rising Western antisemitism. “The changing composition of new immigrants shows how Israel continues to attract Jews from around the world,” a ministry spokesperson said. As of December 31, 2025, Israel’s population stood at 10,178,000.

https://timesofahmedabad.blog/israels-first-immigrant-family-of-2026-comes-from-australia-amid-shifts-in-jewish-migration-world-news/

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Season five draws to an epic and emotional close

Christal HayesLos Angeles

BBC

Millie Bobby Brown has starred in Stranger Things since its launch in 2016

• Warning: This article contains spoilers about the final episode of Stranger Things

Stranger Things has drawn to an epic and emotional close, with a dramatic two-hour finale that briefly jammed Netflix’s servers.

Viewers rushed to watch the final episode, which concludes the 10-year run of the sci-fi horror series, as it was released at 01:00 GMT.

Some fans also attended special cinema screenings of the finale in cities across the US and Canada, several of which were attended by the show’s stars.

Set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, Stranger Things first aired in 2016 and stars Millie Bobby Brown, Winona Ryder and David Harbour.

The dramatic two-hour series finale, titled Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up, initially overloaded Netflix servers.

Several fans said they were shown an error message as they tried to play it – something that often happens with big new releases on streaming platforms.

But the episode was soon restored and viewers were able to watch a finale that included massive battle scenes and emotional tributes that brought in all five seasons, giving closure to the characters that we’ve fallen in love with over the years.

The finale left you on the edge of your seat at moments and had you both cheering and crying in others.

Netflix

Finn Wolfhard was cheered by fans as he arrived to introduce the finale at a screening in Vancouver

A lot was riding on Netflix and The Duffer Brothers, who created the 1980s-inspired, monster-infused, inter-dimensional series. Ending any beloved series comes with both anticipation and a lot of critics.

So far this season, fans have picked apart scenes and gone through past seasons in an attempt to piece together how it all might end in the Upside Down.

Viewers have been quick to point out gaps in the story or issues they felt with the script writing, pointing out flaws in Will Byers’ coming out scene or issues such as Holly Wheeler’s jacket having a logo for Under Amour (a brand that wasn’t created until 1996) appearing on screen.

Countless theories discussed on social media only hyped up the ending of this saga.

Fans guessed about possibilities like time travel coming into play (clocks have been a major plot point for multiple seasons, after all), took bets on what main character might die and some had far-fetched thoughts on Henry Creel “Vecna” using mind control on the characters throughout this season to explain various holes in the storytelling.

In the end, some theories were spot on. Others, not one bit.

Do not read any further if you do not want to know what happens in the finale of Stranger Things.

Getty Images

Actor Brett Gelman attended a screening in Topanga as part of the multi-city finale premiere

Netflix

These fans attended a screening in Los Angeles to watch the finale on the big screen

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Actress Cara Buono attended a premiere in New York and introduced the finale from cinema stage

In the finale, we see an epic final fight that requires all the characters to finally defeat Vecna and the Mind Flayer before worlds merge and Hawkins, Indiana – and Earth as we know it – is taken over.

We don’t see dramatic deaths in the core group of stars we’ve come to love over five seasons – though we did see the death of Kali (Eight).

What happened to Eleven, though, is up for interpretation. She is left with an impossible choice.

At first, viewers are left to believe she chose to remain behind in the Upside Down as it explodes and is demolished forever in order to eliminate the possibility of being used to create more children with powers like hers.

But later, in a lengthy epilogue scene, Mike Wheeler takes us down another possibility – Eleven using Kali’s illusion powers to make it seem as though she died before making a grand escape.

Netflix

He says he thinks she finally made it the place they talked about running off to – a land with three waterfalls.

Mike says it’s what he likes to believe – and each member of their Dungeons and Dragons party – Will, Dustin, Lucas and Max – all agree that they, too, believe.

It’s a fitting end that leaves open the possibility that Eleven, too, has a happy ending.

The epilogue takes us 18 months into the future after the Upside Down is demolished and Vecna – and the Mind Flayer – is defeated.

We see Hooper and Joyce get engaged and the older crew of teens talk about their lives in university and in their careers.

It’s a happy ending for everyone.

But even with such an epic finale, there are certainly holes in the story that weren’t fully explained in the last episode.

It’s sure to be a finale that pleases some fans and has others wanting more.

Getty Images

Several fans dressed up to attend the finale screenings – including this pair in Vancouver

Netflix

Netflix handed out merchandise such as bags, figurines and T-shirts at many of the screenings

Getty Images

Two fans in Vancouver, pictured with a special Demogorgon Crunch breakfast cereal

In the US and Canada, the finale was given a full cinematic release in theatres.

Fans in Los Angeles stood in the rain for hours outside The Egyptian Theatre along Hollywood Boulevard to watch it in one of Netflix’s very own theatres.

The streaming giant, which is currently attempting to purchase Warner Bros, renovated the historic 1922 theatre and now uses it to host premieres and special screenings of projects.

Fans, many dressed up as characters or demogorgons, took pictures in the Stranger Things – themed lobby. Netflix handed out special merchandise, such as T-shirts and figurines.

While waiting for the special screening, fans in the theatre traded theories on who might die or how it all could end. Many pointed to popular theories of Steve Harrington’s demise and clung to hope that he would survive the last battle.

Getty Images

Fans in Los Angeles braved the rain to attend a finale screening at Hollywood’s Egyptian Theatre

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Fans Liv and Alina Valdez described the ending as “an emotional roller-coaster”

Liv and Alina Valdez, dressed up as fan favourite buds Steve Harrington and Dustin Henderson, and said they couldn’t have been more pleased with how it all ended.

“It’s been basically 10 years,” Liv told BBC News, wearing Harrington’s Scoops Ahoy ice cream shop uniform outside the theatre.

“The Duffer Brothers did a good job of giving the audience what we needed, maybe not necessarily what we wanted.”

They both applauded the both happy-at-times and perhaps, bittersweet ending.

“It was an emotional roller-coaster,” Alina added, noting Eleven’s up-for-interpretation-ending was perfectly done.

“It was just a lot of emotions,” Diana Espinoza told the BBC, standing in the lobby of the theatre with a new Demogorgon plush.

“I lost control of my tears!”

She donned a lengthy mind-flayer dress to the screening and said she’d attempted in vain to steer clear of various fan theories that have been going viral on social media because she wanted to be “blown away” by the final episode.

Being in a theatre with fellow fans screaming and crying during pivotal scenes was the cherry on top.

“I loved the finale. There was no better way to end this,” she said, calling it both bittersweet, emotional and the “happy ending” that everyone deserved.

Additional reporting by Steven McIntosh.

https://timesofahmedabad.blog/season-five-draws-to-an-epic-and-emotional-close/

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Today's weather: Where will it rain in Gujarat today, the weather has increased the tension in 12 states of the country

https://timesofahmedabad.blog/todays-weather-where-will-it-rain-in-gujarat-today-the-weather-has-increased-the-tension-in-12-states-of-the-country/

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How Much Aid Has India Given Afghanistan, Will It Ever Be Recovered? | World News

New Delhi: Over the last two decades, India has provided nearly $3 billion (around Rs 25,000 crore) to Afghanistan. This support has been entirely in the form of grants, not loans. The money has been used to build roads, hospitals, schools, administrative buildings and energy projects, including the iconic Salma Dam, often called the Afghanistan-India Friendship Dam. The focus has been on strengthening infrastructure and institutional capacity, rather than earning financial returns.

Aid, Not Loans

Much of India’s assistance has gone into direct development projects. These include the construction of the Afghan Parliament in Kabul, various roads and highways, hospitals, schools, scholarships and humanitarian relief. The primary objective has always been to empower Afghan institutions and people, rather than to recover money as a lender would.

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Will India Ever Get This Money Back?

Since this aid was given as grants, there is no repayment expected. Official reports confirm that India has never demanded reimbursement from Afghanistan.

Experts describe this approach as soft power diplomacy, where the priority is regional stability and trust-building rather than financial gain.

Impact Of The Taliban Takeover

After the Taliban returned to power in 2021, India suspended new development projects in Afghanistan. However, none of the previously granted assistance was converted into loans.

India continues to provide humanitarian support, including wheat, medicines and other relief supplies, without attaching any financial conditions.

India’s People-Centric Policy

India’s engagement in Afghanistan has always been people-focussed, emphasising aid for the Afghan population rather than treating the country as a borrowing client like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or the World Bank. This explains why questions of debt recovery simply do not arise.

https://timesofahmedabad.blog/how-much-aid-has-india-given-afghanistan-will-it-ever-be-recovered-world-news/

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US military says five killed in strike on alleged drug boats

The US military says it struck two boats it alleges were carrying drugs on Wednesday, killing five people on board.

US Southern Command did not say where it had carried out the latest strikes but US forces have been targeting vessels they suspect of smuggling narcotics through the Caribbean and eastern Pacific for the past three months.

Wednesday’s strike came a day after the US targeted what it said were “three narco-trafficking vessels travelling as a convoy”, killing at least three people.

The Trump administration has cast its operations as a non-international armed conflict with the alleged traffickers but legal experts say they could be in violation of the laws governing such conflict.

In total, there have been more than 30 strikes on vessels as part of the Trump administration’s “war on drugs” with more than 110 people killed since the US carried out its first attack on a boat in international waters on 2 September.

That first attack has come under particular scrutiny from lawmakers in Washington since it emerged that US forces struck the targeted boat twice.

Two people who had survived the first strike and were clinging to the hull of their boat were killed in the second.

Some lawmakers expressed concern that the “double-tap” strike breached the rules of engagement.

In its post announcing the strike on a convoy of three boats carried out on 30 December, US Southern Command said that there had been a number of survivors, without specifying how many.

It said that “the remaining narco-terrorists abandoned the other two vessels, jumping overboard and distancing themselves before follow-on engagements sank their respective vessels”.

It added that the US Coast Guard had been “immediately notified” to search for the survivors.

Reuters news agency reports that it was told by a US official who asked to remain anonymous that eight survivors were being searched for.

It is not yet clear if any of them have been found.

The US has provided no evidence that the boats it has targeted are carrying drugs but in its most recent post, Southern Command again insisted that “intelligence confirmed the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes and engaged in narco-trafficking”.

https://timesofahmedabad.blog/us-military-says-five-killed-in-strike-on-alleged-drug-boats/

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County Wicklow: Settlement find may challenge Vikings first towns theory

Cherie Edwards

Dr Dirk Brandherm was part of the research team that undertook the excavation

A recently discovered large hilltop settlement could challenge the theory that the Vikings built the first towns in Ireland, a researcher has said.

Dr Dirk Brandherm and his colleagues have identified more than 600 suspected houses in the Brusselstown Ring making it, to date, the largest nucleated settlement ever discovered in the entirety of prehistoric Britain and Ireland.

The settlement, which is thought to have emerged at about 1200 BC (the Late Bronze Age), is located within a region called the Baltinglass Hillfort Cluster in the south-western edge of the Wicklow Mountains.

It is among the 13 large hilltop enclosures spread across the mountain range where there are structures dating back to the Neolithic period and Early Bronze Age.

Cherie Edwards

Between 23 August and 4 September, a three-person team comprised of PhD researcher Cherie Edwards (left), her primary supervisor Dr Brandherm and research fellow Dr Linda Boutoille undertook an excavation at the site

The findings were recently published within Antiquitya peer-reviewed journal of world archaeology.

The study states: “Given its exceptional size, density of occupation and architectural complexity, Brusselstown Ring represents a unique case within both the Baltinglass hillfort cluster and more widely within the Atlantic Archipelago.”

Survey work has been conducted over the last two decades but researchers believed critical questions about “the date, development and function of both the enclosing elements and the internal settlement remain unanswered”.

Therefore, researchers initiated test excavations in 2024.

“The available evidence indicates their occupation mainly during the Late Bronze Age, with continued use or reuse of some house platforms in the Early Iron Age.

“This makes Brusselstown Ring the largest nucleated settlement agglomeration by far in prehistoric Ireland and Britain,” the study highlighted.

What makes it significant?

Fergal Flannery

Dr Dirk Brandherm and his colleagues have identified more than 600 suspected houses in the Brusselstown Ring

Dr Brandherm, a reader in prehistoric archaeology at Queen’s University Belfast, said the Brusselstown Ring is significant due to “the large number and the concentration of roundhouses” in one spot.

The image archaeologists had is that during the Bronze Age the settlement structure was based on small hamlets (one to five dwellings) and there were no villages or towns.

In 2002, about 74 roundhouses dating back to the Bronze Age were discovered during the Corrstown excavation in Northern Ireland.

The researcher said Corrstown was the first village from that era, but the Brusselstown Ring is “a different ball game altogether”.

The Brusselstown Ring discovery questions the idea that the first towns on the island of Ireland were founded by the Vikings, according to the researcher.

“Because if you’ve got more than 600 roundhouses, and potentially a large stone built cistern, that’s no longer a village,” Dr Brandherm told BBC News NI.

“We’re talking a proto-town of sorts, and that’s 2000 years before the Vikings.”

James O’Driscoll

More than 600 suspected house platforms have been identified

There are two widely spaced ramparts (defensive walls) encompassing the enclosure.

These ramparts do not only enclose its own summit but also that of the nearby Spinas Hill One – meaning it is one of the very few hillforts in Europe to span more than a single hill

Through the use of aerial surveys and photogrammetry mapping, it is suspected that 98 of the house platforms were inside the inner enclosure and more than 500 were located between the two ramparts.

Dr Brandherm said: “Based on the data that we presently have all the house platforms would appear to date to the same period.”

Cistern ‘a first in Ireland’

A stone-lined, flat-floored chamber was also discovered near one of the trenches at the site.

Dr Brandherm described it as being “boat-shaped” and “slightly larger than a round house”.

It appeared to have been fed by a stream from a outcrop uphill, and archaeologists believe it may have been a water cistern to store fresh water.

Further samples in the coming months will determine if the cistern dates back to the same period as the roundhouses.

He said, if confirmed, the discovery is a “first in Ireland”, as there are similar structures from the Bronze Age and the Iron Age in France and Spain.

Excavation process

Cherie Edwards

Four test excavations were completed by archaeologists to understand the site’s occupation

Four test excavations were completed by archaeologists to understand the site’s occupation.

The tests ranged from six-to-12m in diameter to represent house platforms of different sizes.

The idea was to investigate whether architectural differences in the platforms would signify if there were social or economic stratification within the community.

Dr Brandherm said the smaller houses were about four to five metres in diameter, with the larger ones being 11-12m in diameter.

“But the fact that we do have different sizes it you know it begs the question if there is some social differentiation sitting behind that,” he said.

However, based on the current data, Dr Brandherm said it cannot be confirmed whether there was a social hierarchy in the settlement.

Before this, the largest cluster of ancient settlements was in Mullaghfarna in County Sligo which is thought to have contained more than 150 houses during the middle Stone Age period of 3300-2900 BC and in the later Bronze Age between 1200-900 BC.

The research stated that future work at Brusselstown will “focus on confirming the nature and the date of the potential cistern, identifying structural features of the prehistoric roundhouses and establishing the nature and chronology of the enclosing elements”.

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