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India.com
a day ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
Hardik Pandya And Jasmin Walia Unfollow Each Other On Instagram, Breakup Rumours Intensify Post-Divorce
India's flamboyant all-rounder Hardik Pandya and British-Indian singer Jasmin Walia have set social media abuzz after eagle-eyed fans noticed the duo no longer follow each other on Instagram. The digital snub has sparked intense breakup rumours, especially as it comes months after speculation around their alleged romance had reached fever pitch. Despite neither Hardik nor Jasmin ever officially confirming a relationship, their repeated public sightings—especially Jasmin's visible support during Hardik's matches—fueled rumours of a budding romance. With their social media activity now pointing toward a possible fallout, the internet has gone into overdrive. Romance Rumours Began After Hardik's Divorce From Natasa Stankovic The talk of a potential relationship between Pandya and Walia surfaced soon after the cricketer and actress Natasa Stankovic publicly announced the end of their four-year marriage. The couple, who share a son, Agastya, issued a heartfelt joint statement last year, emphasizing their commitment to co-parenting with mutual respect and love. Hardik's personal life, already a subject of public fascination, saw increased attention when Jasmin was spotted not only in the stands during key IPL fixtures but also inside the Mumbai Indians' team bus—an access generally reserved for close friends or family. Adding to the intrigue, the two were reportedly seen vacationing together in Greece, sharing cryptic yet parallel snapshots from the same scenic locations. Instagram Unfollow: Reddit Sparks the Fire The breakup chatter intensified after a Reddit post flagged the couple's mutual Instagram unfollowing. 'Did Hardik Pandya and Jasmin Walia unfollow each other? I saw it recently—they're not following each other anymore. What's going on?' the post read. The post quickly went viral, with fans dissecting every digital breadcrumb—from archived stories to old likes and comments. While neither party has made an official comment, the move has led many to believe the alleged relationship may have run its course. Hardik Pandya Steps Out in Style Amid Speculation Amid the social media storm, Hardik Pandya made a solo public appearance at the airport, turning heads with his effortless style. Dressed in a white tee, patterned blazer, light trousers, and crisp white sneakers, the Indian cricketer exuded calm confidence. A light-colored hat and dark sunglasses added to the suave ensemble, making it one of the most talked-about celebrity airport looks of the week. Whether intentional or coincidental, Hardik's appearance sent a clear message—he's focused, composed, and unbothered by the noise surrounding his personal life. Who Is Jasmin Walia? A Quick Look at the Star Linked to Hardik Jasmin Walia is no stranger to the spotlight. A British singer, actress, and reality TV star, she gained popularity with her hit track 'Bom Diggy' alongside Zack Knight, which later featured in the Bollywood blockbuster Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety. Walia first stepped into the limelight with The Only Way Is Essex and later became a prominent figure on social media through her bilingual music covers and original singles. Known for her glamorous persona and wide fanbase in both the UK and India, Jasmin brought an international flair to Hardik Pandya's high-profile cricketing world.
News18
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Hardik Pandya Steps Out In Style Amid Breakup Rumours With Jasmin Walia
Last Updated: Hardik Pandya made a stylish airport appearance amid breakup rumours with Jasmin Walia. India cricketer Hardik Pandya was recently seen at the airport, turning heads with his effortlessly cool and sophisticated style. This marked his first public appearance amid swirling rumours of a breakup with British-Indian singer Jasmin Walia. In a video posted on a popular paparazzo page, Hardik Pandya was seen in a smart and stylish outfit that mixed comfort with a touch of class. He wore a light-coloured hat, dark sunglasses, a patterned blazer in a neutral shade over a plain white T-shirt, paired with loose light-coloured pants and white sneakers. The overall look gave off a cool, relaxed, yet polished feel. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani) The buzz surrounding Hardik Pandya and Jasmin Walia intensified after fans noticed that the two had unfollowed each other on Instagram. While they never confirmed being in a relationship, people often guessed they were dating based on small hints and posts online. Now, since they're no longer following each other, many believe they might have broken up. However, just like their rumoured relationship, neither of them has said anything about it yet. Hardik's personal life has often been under the spotlight. He was previously married to Serbian model and actress Natasa Stankovic. The couple, who share a son named Agastya, announced their separation last year in a mutual and respectful statement. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hardik Pandya (@hardikpandya93) The joint message read, 'After four years of being together, Hardik and I have decided to mutually part ways. We tried our best together and gave it our all, and we believe this is in the best interest of both of us. This was a tough decision for us to make, given the joy, mutual respect, and companionship we enjoyed together as we built a family. We are blessed with Agastya, who will continue to be at the center of both our lives, and we will co-parent to ensure that we give him everything we can for his happiness. We sincerely request your support and understanding in granting us privacy during this difficult and sensitive time." As fans continue to speculate about the cricketer's current relationship status, Hardik Pandya remains focused on his personal journey, embracing both fatherhood and his public life with composure. First Published: July 21, 2025, 17:13 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
6 days ago
- General
- News18
Will An AI Pilot Be Made The Fall Guy Again?
When Emperor Ashoka crashed in 1978, a US court egregiously blamed the pilot; India must not allow that to happen again The man who miraculously survived the AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad must be wondering what he had done to be saved by this act of God. Was it something that he did in his previous life, or was he saved for a duty he must perform in this one? The former reason is impossible to gauge but Vishwaskumar Ramesh certainly stands as the main counterpoint to the familiar narrative that usually follows any air crash: that the pilots erred, not their flying machine. This time too, the initial hours after the crash saw the same pilot error story being peddled, especially by aviation experts abroad and in India. That the pilots were distracted and took catastrophically wrong decisions like retracting the flaps rather than the landing gear or shutting off a running engine rather than one that may have failed. That was accompanied by the mantra—shamefully echoed by many Indian media too—that the Boeing 787-9 is a really safe aircraft. That Boeing's formidable international PR machine could be behind this huge and touching faith in an aircraft is very probable. But what stood squarely in the way of that story taking wing is the testimony of the British-Indian national, Vishwaskumar, recorded by countless media channels. Now that the black boxes have been found their data may well corroborate that the pilots did their best. But will the big guns allow the 'safest" aircraft line to be contradicted? It is also providential that a local boy also filmed the plane going down, from an angle that was far closer than the two clips from the cameras at the airport. In his video, the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) can be seen deployed in the undercarriage, which means that the engines and/or power had shut down and the pilots had heroically tried to get emergency power to regain thrust to prevent a crash. That also supports Vishwaskumar's recollection of the flight's last moments. He recollected there was a loud bang—which is now being interpreted as proof of the RAT being deployed. He added that the plane seemed to stop and then the 'engines began to race". That was actually the high-pitched whine of the turbine. He also mentioned a green light coming on in the cabin which is proof of the RAT being deployed and the plane signalling a dire emergency. None of these point to the pilots being distracted or careless; it points squarely to the aircraft. When Air India's much-loved Emperor Ashoka Boeing 747 aircraft—AI 855— bound for Dubai crashed on January 1, 1978, in the Arabian Sea near Mumbai's Bandra Bandstand just minutes after take-off, the investigation followed a rather predictable trajectory. The disaster was blamed on the extremely experienced pilot, Madan Lal Kukar, whose colleagues in the cockpit also had many thousand flying hours to their credit. This, despite evidence of instrument failure. The cockpit voice recorder revealed that the Captain's attitude direction indicator (ADI) had 'toppled", still showing a right bank relative to the horizon when it had actually straightened out. The First Officer's ADI reply indicated his ADI had also toppled. Only the Flight Engineer's ADI showed the aircraft had levelled out. How could the pilot then be solely blamed for banking left to correct that angle when the plane's instrument had malfunctioned? But sadly, he was. In 1985, a single Federal district judge in New York rejected charges of negligence against the Boeing Company and other defendants in a suit related to the crash. Judge James M Fitzgerald ruled that the plaintiffs—families of those who died in the crash—had not proved their contention that it was primarily caused by malfunction of a cockpit instrument. He ruled that the main cause of the crash was the negligence and disorientation of Captain Kukar. He said Kukar was 'unfit to fly" as he was taking diabetes medication and had been dieting, adding that he had consumed alcohol the night before. He also said the co-pilot was 'negligent" as he had not watched the instruments and warned Kukar! Even today's rules (there were none in 1978) stipulate pilots cannot drink alcohol eight hours before a flight; if Kukar had consumed any, it was 24 hours before. Nor was it proved that he had alcohol in his system while flying. There was evidence about two previous incidents involving Boeing planes and malfunctioning ADIs, but they had not caused any accident. That belied Boeing's contention that there had never been multiple such failures on its planes and none on Emperor Ashoka either. One of the incidents was then shown to have 'contradictory" evidence and the judge was not convinced that the other one made a difference to the main issues of the AI-855 crash case. So, the judge decided anyway the ADI had not failed and hence there were no alarms and that the pilot was to blame! No wonder Boeing issued a statement saying it was 'pleased with the court's decision." As were the Lear Siegler who made the ADIs and the Collins Radio division of Rockwell International Corporation, makers of the backup warning system. But why did India not protest against this blatant whitewashing of US companies by a US court? Interestingly, the then government-owned Air India was not party to the case as out-of-court settlements limited its liability in crashes to $20,000 per passenger on international flights. Between 1978 (the crash) and 1985 (the verdict), eight ministers handled civil aviation including two PMs, Morarji Desai and Rajiv Gandhi. Also, in 1985, US courts dismissed the Indian government's $3.3 billion claim against Union Carbide Company for the Bhopal gas disaster. A fake document purported to be a 'preliminary finding" of India's Air Accident Investigation Bureau claimed that Captain Sumeet Sabharwal's seat slid back at takeoff leading to his body falling on the thrust gears, resulting in engines stalling and crashing! But the black boxes have been sent to US's National Transportation Safety Board for deciphering so how could AAIB report that the data pins the crash on a faulty seat and pilot error? Disinformation has begun. top videos View all What next for AI-171? Vishwaskumar's testimony backs the pilots. But Boeing has a brimming order book, as does the engine maker GE. A lot of money is at stake. So, the next target will probably be Air India itself. Will the presence of the airline, the aircraft maker, the engine-supplier and international and national accident probe agencies in the investigations ensure that none of them will be able to exert pressure to exonerate themselves or diminish culpability? The author is a freelance writer. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 20, 2025, 15:11 IST News opinion Opinion | Will An AI Pilot Be Made The Fall Guy Again? Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Farhan Akhtar Recalls Emotional Meeting Between Milkha Singh And Fauja Singh: 'He Hugged Him'
Farhan Akhtar and Rakeysh Mehra remember the day Fauja Singh hugged Milkha Singh at a London gurdwara, calling it a beautiful and unforgettable moment. As Bhaag Milkha Bhaag gears up for its theatrical re-release on August 8, 2025, actor Farhan Akhtar and director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra are revisiting some of the most emotional and defining moments connected to the film—including a heartwarming encounter with another legendary athlete, the late Fauja Singh. Fauja Singh, often dubbed the 'Turbaned Tornado," passed away on July 14 in a tragic hit-and-run accident in his birthplace, Bias Pind near Jalandhar, at the age of 114. A global icon and the world's oldest British-Indian marathon runner, Singh's untimely death has cast a sombre shadow over the celebrations surrounding Bhaag Milkha Bhaag's re-release. Speaking to NDTV, Farhan Akhtar expressed deep grief over Singh's passing. 'Yes, Fauja Singh was here in London. I remember meeting him. However, at that time, all of us were so caught up in the Bhaag Milkha Bhaag promotional junket that we didn't have the opportunity to spend much time with him. But I'm, of course, very familiar with him. I'm familiar with all his achievements. It is truly tragic how he died." Director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra vividly recalled the emotional meeting between Fauja Singh and Milkha Singh at the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara in Southall, London, in July 2013. 'We went to South London. We were at the gurdwara, where we offered our prayers, and Fauja Singh was also there. Milkha Sir and he hugged each other. It was so great to see them like that. Unfortunately, he died in an accident. He would have lived forever. It's just sad the way life took him away from us." Fauja Singh's death occurred when he was struck by a speeding vehicle while crossing a road in his village. He sustained a severe head injury and succumbed to it during treatment. Punjab Police acted swiftly, arresting the driver, Canada-based Amritpal Singh Dhillon, within 30 hours. Harvinder Singh Virk, Senior Superintendent of Police, Jalandhar Rural, confirmed the arrest and praised the investigative team. The chance meeting between Milkha Singh and Fauja Singh, two titans of Indian athleticism, now carries even deeper significance. Their embrace at the gurdwara remains etched in the memories of those who witnessed it—a symbol of mutual respect, shared legacy, and unyielding spirit. With Bhaag Milkha Bhaag returning to the big screen, audiences will be reminded not only of Milkha Singh's inspiring journey from refugee to Olympian but also of the quiet strength of another Sikh icon who defied age and limits. As Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra put it, 'He would have lived forever. It's just sad the way life took him away from us." First Published: July 17, 2025, 14:14 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Sky News AU
6 days ago
- General
- Sky News AU
Aviation expert Byron Bailey makes chilling claim about Air India crash after report finds fuel control switches turned off
Australian aviation expert Captain Byron Bailey has given his analysis on the deadly Air India crash, claiming the latest findings indicate the captain must have intentionally turned off the fuel control switches. Only one person survived when Air India Flight 171, carrying 242 passengers and crew members, crashed into a building in the city of Ahmedabad just moments after take-off on June 12. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was bound for London's Gatwick Airport when the plane came down in a densely populated neighbourhood, killing a further 19 people on the ground. British-Indian national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was the sole survivor, miraculously only suffering minor injuries after he managed to flee the fiery wreck. A preliminary report into the crash conducted by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau found the plane's fuel control switches were switched off three seconds after take-off. The plane then began to lose thrust as fuel was not reaching the engines. While the switches were turned back on, and power was restored to one engine the plane crashed not long afterwards, according to the findings. An analysis of black box data suggests pilot-in-command Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, 56, placed the switches into the "cut-off" position, The Wall Street Journal has reported. The black box voice recording further revealed a back-and-forth unfolded between the two pilots, with first officer Clive Kunder - who was flying the aircraft - questioning the captain's move. The revelations have cast a spotlight on the actions of the captain, as aviation experts claim cutting off the fuel supply could not have been done by accident. Speaking to Sky News Australia on Thursday about the developments, Captain Bailey was of the view the pilot-in-command deliberately flicked off the fuel switches. "To us aviation people ... we believe straight away that the only way this could have happened is if the captain turned off the fuel control switches," he told Sky News Chief Anchor Kieran Gilbert. "The first one, which is right by his right hand, three seconds up and lift off - and the second one, one second later." Captain Bailey claimed the co-pilot, also known as a first officer, would have had his "hands full" flying the aircraft. "Both hands would have been on the yoke (control wheel) during this period, so he could not have reached down and turned the fuel cut off switches," Captain Bailey said. "They're mechanical, they're not worked by electricity, and they require absolute physical effort to lift the switch up, raise it over the gate and back down. "So it had to be done by one of the pilots. But since the co-pilot was the one flying, then of course, the captain was one under suspicion." In his view, Captain Bailey claimed the crash was "suicide by the captain". The official report did not outline how the fuel switches could have transitioned to the cut-off position. Asked if airline companies should implement a "fail-safe" measure to prevent similar incidents occurring, Captain Bailey said a video-recording mechanism is needed in the cockpit. "There should be a camera, a closed-loop thing that only lasts for 30 minutes, but of course, the final 30 minutes of any flight," the pilot with more than 25,000 flying hours said. In a statement after the initial report was released, Air India said it continues to "mourn the loss" of all lives lost in the crash and is "committed to providing support during this difficult time". The company said it also acknowledges "receipt" of the preliminary report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. "Air India is working closely with stakeholders, including regulators. We continue to fully cooperate with the AAIB and other authorities as their investigation progresses," it said.
