Trending

LeBron James and Isiah Thomas. Image via: Marcio Jose Sanchez/ AP | AP

With great fandom comes huge criticism, and LeBron James is no exception. James, who has received astonishing fame and accolades over the years in his glorious career in the NBA, has recently been called out by former Detroit Pistons point guard and NBA analyst, Isiah Thomas as the Lakers legend appeared shirtless in his pregame practices on the court. Thomas called the gesture unprofessional and said that the NBA should punish it.

The Los Angeles Lakers are set to face the Houston Rockets in a crucial matchup on Friday, April 11. The game is going to be quite important for both teams, with a lot at stake. James, who is available to play the highly anticipated showdown at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, has been called out by NBA legend and analyst Isiah Thomas.
James appeared shirtless on the court ahead of the game for his practice sessions, which did not go well with Thomas. “I would never let one of my player walk out on the floor looking like this. I mean, we are professional NBA league. We ain’t summer league,” Thomas said. “I totally 100% object to this.”
“I just think that the professionalism in our NBA league has diminished so much,” he continued.
Thomas went on to add, “Look I like LeBron, I’m a fan of his but to walk out on a floor before game with no shirt on, come on, man, this… Where we at? What we doing?”
“Adam Silver if you wanna fine somebody, fine that, put a fine on that,” he added, urging the Commissioner of the NBA to punish James for his shirtless appearance.

Fans online, however, are not very pleased with Thomas’ plea for LeBron James’ punishment.
“I watched him walk off the court with time left on clock, past my Bulls bench, no hand shakes, nothing. That is as UNPROFESSIONAL as I’ve ever seen. Fkn hypocrite. What a joke,” one fan wrote on X.
“I’m not even LeBron guy but this is ridiculous. Zeke has done a lot of major things wrong and is mad Bron is shooting a basketball without his shirt on,” another wrote, supporting James.
“What a farce. This league has gone downhill so much.”
One fan initially thought it was a joke, “I watched this on NBATV. Come on now, it’s pre-game warmups. I thought Isiah was messing around and going to compliment him on his physique, which led him to say that. I get that the NBA is different now, but this is LeBron. Relax.”
“This look like the warmup before the official warmup.. like before the fans even get there. Nahhh zeke. Lol”
“why are we giving screen time to Isaiah?”
Also Read: LeBron James “I love everything about that guy” explains why he’d want to play with Steph Curry
As for LeBron James, he has been in great shape and, at 40, is still playing at an elite level. James is currently averaging 24.6 points per game, 7.9 rebounds, and 8.2 assists.

Hanuman Jayanti 2025: This year, Hanuman Jayanti falls on Saturday, April 12.

CHENNAI: Home minister Amit Shah on Friday announced BJP and AIADMK have decided to renew their alliance for the 2026 assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. Shah, who was in Chennai, said AIADMK will lead the alliance, and he was confident of a landslide win.
The announcement came at a press conference where Shah shared the stage with AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami.
Hailing the alliance, PM Modi said it “will take TN to new heights of progress”.
Significantly, K Annamalai, who was removed as BJP state chief later on Friday and was seen as the crucial factor in the break-up of the alliance in 2024, was present during announcement of the party yet again joining hands with AIADMK. These renewed ties mark a breakthrough for BJP’s attempts to expand NDA alliance by enlisting new allies, and a calculated respect for AIADMK.
The two parties had contested together in 2019 Lok Sabha and 2021 assembly elections. For 2024 LS poll, however, they parted ways after relations strained following Annamalai’s remark that Jayalalithaa was “a corrupt politician”.
On whether BJP would be part of govt under Palaniswami, if the alliance won the election, Amit Shah, who was present in Chennai, said it would be decided after their victory. Hailing the alliance, PM Modi posted on X: “Stronger together, united towards Tamil Nadu’s progress. Glad that AIADMK joins NDA family. Together, with our other NDA partners, we will take Tamil Nadu to new heights of progress and serve the state diligently. We will ensure a govt that fulfils the vision of the great MGR & Jayalalithaa.”
Earlier, making the announcement, Shah said: “NDA at the national level will be headed by PM Narendra Modi and in TN, AIADMK will lead the alliance.” Expressing “full confidence” in the alliance’s poll prospects, he said: “Since 1998, BJP and AIADMK were in alliance. Former CM J Jayalalithaa and Modi had worked together in national politics for a considerable period. Our alliance is a natural alliance. Once, we had won 30 out of 39 LS seats. I have full confidence that our alliance will register a landslide victory in 2026 assembly election.”
“Even the number of seats will be decided at the time of the election,” he said. Asked about the conditions laid down by AIADMK to join hands with BJP, he said: “There were no pre-conditions or demands by AIADMK.” On including former AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam and AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran, both of whom head splinter groups, in the alliance, Shah said: “BJP will not interfere in the internal affairs of AIADMK.”
The renewal of ties coincides with the strident DMK camp accusing BJP of seeking to impose Hindi and marginalise the South through delimitation.
Asked whether Annamalai would be given a new post at the national level, he said the party would take a decision at the right time.
Responding to a question on differences between AIADMK and BJP on issues such as NEET and the three-language policy, Shah said the differences will be sorted out before the assembly elections and a common minimum programme will be drafted.
Earlier, Shah visited the residence of former Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundararajan to pay condolences on the death of her father and former TNCC president Kumari Ananthan.

A former Meta executive, Sarah Wynn-Williams, has come forward as a whistleblower, accusing the company of compromising US national security to establish a substantial business presence in China.

According to Wynn-Williams, Meta executives made decisions that allowed the Chinese Communist Party to access user data, including that of Americans. This testimony was given during a congressional hearing led by Senator Josh Hawley, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism.

“I saw Meta executives repeatedly undermine U.S. national security and betray American values,” Wynn-Williams said in her opening remarks per CBS News.

Wynn-Williams alleges that Meta built custom censorship tools for the Chinese government, enabling extensive control over content moderation.

Sen Hawley opened the hearing by saying that Meta had “stopped at absolutely nothing to prevent” Wednesday’s testimony by Ms Wynn-Williams. He also said, “Why is it that Facebook is so desperate to prevent this witness from telling what she knows?”

“The greatest trick Mark Zuckerberg ever pulled was wrapping the American flag around himself and calling himself a patriot and saying he didn’t offer services in China, while he spent the last decade building an $18 billion business there,” she said.

Meta disputes these claims, stating that Wynn-Williams’ testimony is “divorced from reality and riddled with false claims”. However, Wynn-Williams maintains that Meta’s actions were deliberate, citing the company’s interest in expanding its business in China.

However, the company’s spokesperson Ryan Daniels said that although Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg been public about the company’s interest in offering its services in China, “[T]he fact is this: we do not operate our services in China today.”

Wynn Williams also said that Meta worked “hand in glove” with Beijing to create censorship tools to silence critics of the Chinese Communist Party.

Wynn-Williams claims that Meta threatened her with $50,000 in punitive damages for speaking out, even if her statements are true. Meta clarifies that this amount is for each material violation of her separation agreement, not for testifying before Congress.

In her testimony, Wynn-Williams also alleged that Meta’s artificial intelligence model, Llama, was used to help Chinese AI company DeepSeek. This claim has raised further questions about Meta’s relationships with Chinese companies and its commitment to protecting user data.

In a statement last year on Llama, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone wrote, “The alleged role of a single and outdated version of an American open-source model is irrelevant when we know China is already investing over 1T to surpass the US technologically, and Chinese tech companies are releasing their own open AI models as fast, or faster, than US ones.”

The allegations against Meta come amid heightened tensions between the US and China over national security, economic interests, and technological advancements. The Trump administration has increased tariffs on Chinese goods and is pursuing the sale of TikTok to an American buyer. The House of Representatives has also established a the Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party to investigate China’s challenge to American global power.
 

CSK vs KKR Score, IPL 2025 Cricket Updates© BCCI/Sportzpics

MS Dhoni (Image credit: BCCI/IPL Photo)

NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings were dealt a major blow on Thursday as regular skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out of the IPL due to an elbow injury. The setback has paved the way for Mahendra Singh Dhoni to return as captain for the remainder of the season, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming confirmed.
Also See: IPL Live Score, CSK vs KKR
“We have an uncapped player, MS Dhoni, who will take over as captain for the remainder of the IPL,” Fleming told mediapersons ahead of Friday’s clash against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Dhoni, who captained CSK from 2008 to 2023 and led them to five IPL titles, had handed over the reins to Gaikwad ahead of the 2024 season.
Ahead of the upcoming fixture, Dhoni was seen practicing at the Chepauk nets when his former CSK teammate Dwayne Bravo—now the mentor of Kolkata Knight Riders—came over to greet him.

“The traitor is here,” Dhoni remarked.
“Life is so unfair,” Bravo responded before sharing a hug with Ravindra Jadeja and then shaking hands with Dhoni.
WATCH:
Bravo was part of Chennai Super Kings’ IPL title-winning squads in 2011, 2018, and 2021. He also served as the franchise’s bowling coach during their victorious 2023 campaign.
However, ahead of the 2025 season, Bravo parted ways with CSK’s coaching setup and took up the role of mentor with Kolkata Knight Riders.
With Gaikwad sidelined, CSK now face a selection dilemma. Rahul Tripathi could return to the top order, although his form has been far from convincing.
In the middle order, seasoned campaigner Deepak Hooda is a likely option, while the team might also look to inject fresh energy with young Delhi batter Vansh Bedi, known for his late-innings hitting ability.
CSK are also entitled to a replacement for Gaikwad, with Mumbai teenager Ayush Mhatre being considered for the slot.

NEW DELHI: Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said that India would “never negotiate at gunpoint” after US President Donald Trump hit a 90-day pause period on tariff imposition on countries including India.
“Trade talks proceed when both sides are sensitive to each other’s concerns and requirements. All our trade talks are progressing well, in the spirit of India First, and to ensure our pathway to Viksit Bharat @ 2047 in the Amrit Kaal,” Goyal said speaking on the sidelines of the Italy-India business, science and technology forum.
“We never negotiate at gunpoint. Favourable time constraints motivate us for quicker talks, but till the time we are not able to secure the interest of our country and our people, we do not hurry,” he added.
Follow live updates
Donald Trump had, on Wednesday, announced a 90-day pause period on tariff imposition including 26% on India, except China.
“Conversely, and based on the fact that more than 75 Countries have called Representatives of the United States, including the Departments of Commerce, Treasury, and the USTR, to negotiate a solution to the subjects being discussed relative to Trade, Trade Barriers, Tariffs, Currency Manipulation, and Non Monetary Tariffs, and that these Countries have not, at my strong suggestion, retaliated in any way, shape, or form against the United States, I have authorized a 90 day PAUSE, and a substantially lowered Reciprocal Tariff during this period, of 10%, also effective immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump had declared.
“Based on the lack of respect that China has shown to the World’s Markets, I am hereby raising the Tariff charged to China by the United States of America to 125%, effective immediately. At some point, hopefully in the near future, China will realize that the days of ripping off the USA., and other Countries, is no longer sustainable or acceptable,” he said, exempting China from the pause period.
Also read: Xi Jinping warns of ‘self-isolation’ in first response to Trump tariffs, calls on EU to resist US ‘bullying’
Meanwhile, external affairs minister S Jaishankar remarked that India’s trade negotiations were quite complex, noting that the United States had high expectations and the global environment has changed significantly compared to a year ago.
“This time around, we are certainly geared up for a very high degree of urgency. I mean, we see a window. We want to see stuff. So our trade deals are really challenging. And we are really, when I look at the trade deals, I mean it’s not my direct credit, but we have a lot to do with each other. I mean, these are people very much on top of their game, very ambitious about what they want to achieve,” he said.
“We talked for four years during the first Trump administration. They have their view of us, and frankly, we have our view of them. The bottom line is that they didn’t get that. So if you look at the EU, often people say we’ve been negotiating for 30 years, which is not entirely true because we had big blocks of time and nobody was even talking to each other. But they have tended to be very protracted processes,” he added.
India is taking a measured approach to the matter, with the government actively pursuing the US-India trade agreement that was announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States earlier this year. While the 26% tariff imposed on India is higher than what many experts expected, it remains lower than the rates imposed on other countries. For instance, China initially faced a combined tariff of 54% (20% plus a 34% discount), which has now been raised to 125% following its retaliatory actions.

Image via Lauren Kyle/Instagram

Connor McDavid shocked everyone when he returned to the ice at the match against the St. Louis Blues. As per the head coach, the star player was not supposed to come back until Friday, but Connor McDavid insisted to play. While Connor McDavid keeps a low profile and mostly stays out of the spotlight, his wife, Lauren Kyle, recently shared what the player was up to after winning the match.

Image via Lauren Kyle/Instagram

Connor McDavid’s wife, Lauren Kyle, posted a few pictures of their home along with a heartwarming picture of her husband. In this picture, Connor McDavid was seen relaxing on a chair as he held their pet dog.
The captain of the Edmonton Oilers was dressed in a black jacket as he looked away from the camera while their pet dog posed for the camera by looking into it.
Before the Edmonton Oilers won against the St. Louis Blues, they were on a losing streak and had lost in two of the last three matches they played. This included losing against the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks,
With Connor McDavid’s return to the ice after missing several games and the win against the St. Louis Blues, fans have a lot of hope on the star player.
After the win against the St. Louis Blues, coach Kris Knoblauch spoke about Connor McDavid’s situation and said, “He was really close, day-to-day, and the plan was he was gonna start the following game on Friday. He really felt he was ready and wanted to play, especially with losing another centerman [Nugent-Hopkins].
Kris Knoblauch continued, “The medical staff also felt he was in good hands, that he was gonna be safe and not create any more damage.”
After the game against the Winnipeg Jets on 20th March, Connor McDavid was reported to be injured, even though it is still not clear what type of an injury he had sustained.
The star player focused on his recovery for a few weeks and was spotted practicing with his teammates before the game against the Vegas Golden Knights, even though he did not play on that day.
Also Read: Brad Marchand’s “scumbag” comment about Brandon Carlo raises eyebrows and sparks a debate

Sharmila Tagore revealed that she had quietly battled cancer in 2023. Fans were in a shock as the film veteran didn’t let the public know the ordeal she went through. Now, Sharmila Tagore’s daughter Soha Ali Khan opened up about that chapter of her life and shared inside details.

In a candid conversation with Nayandeep Rakshit on his YouTube channel, Soha said, “I have had loss in my family. We have been through stressful situations, as everybody does.” She continued, “With my mother, she was one of the very few people to be diagnosed with lung cancer at stage zero, and no chemotherapy, nothing. It was cut out of her and she is, touchwood, fine.”

Sharmila’s health concerns had come into public domain during her appearance on Koffee with Karan (2023), where she appeared alongside her son, Saif Ali Khan. 

Host Karan Johar revealed that Sharmila Tagore was his original choice for the role which Shabana Azmi (eventually) played in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. “I’d offered Sharmilaji the part played by Shabanaji. She was my very first choice. But because of health reasons at that time, she couldn’t say yes. It is a regret I have,” he admitted.

Sharmila Tagore replied, “It was at the height of COVID. They hadn’t really grappled with it at that time, we were not vaccinated. After my cancer… they didn’t want me to take that risk.”

Sharmila Tagore recently acted in a Bengali film titled Puratwan alongside Rituparna Sengupta, which releases today. Her previous film, Gulmohar (2023), where she starred opposite Manoj Bajpayee, received critical acclaim and went on to win three National Awards, including Best Feature Film in Hindi and Best Screenplay (Dialogues).