How Taiwan is defying China

Where did the javelin go?: Kerala Tourism Minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas recently tried his hand at javelin throw. He shared a video on social media, showing him receiving posture and grip advice before attempting a throw at a youth event in Kozhikode district. Before the throw, the minister joked with bystanders, asking them to step away as he didn’t know where his throw might go. The video shows moments leading up to the throw, but notably omits the javelin’s flight. This sparked curiosity among the minister’s followers, with some commenting a desire to see what happened next | Illustrations by Jairaj T.G.

Delhi dramatics: Former Union minister Vijay Goel, though out of contention in Delhi, never misses a chance to be in the news. He recently invited former Union minister Smriti Irani to install a party name plate outside his Babur Lane house. Earlier, he had taken up Delhi’s stray dog menace, but had been met with opposition from animal lovers. He had also called for an online gaming ban. As the city prepares for assembly polls, Delhiites are gearing up for more such ‘newsy moves’.

Missing mutton samosas: Scribes and guests who relish non-vegetarian food recently faced a wee bit of disappointment at the Army chief’s customary at-home in the national capital. While there were no chicken and mutton kebabs nor fish snacks at the high tea, most missed was the delicious mutton mini samosa. This snack has been the trademark of most dos organised by the Army. Many invitees, on a frantic lookout for the snack, jokingly asked if the Indian Army had turned vegetarian. But the mutton samosa’s absence was more than made up for by delectable vegetarian fare and fluffy pastries.

Couple goals: Richa Chadha is glowing, not just as a new mother but also as a proud producer of Girls Will Be Girls. The film, which recently started streaming on Prime Video, won acclaim at several international film festivals. But the road to its release was anything but easy. Her husband and co-producer Ali Fazal talked about how they even broke their fixed deposits to fund the film. The process of filmmaking can make anyone hopeless, and Chadha said that she goes through that every six months, where she feels like giving up and starting again. To that, Fazal replied that one has to be relentless. That they are. Fazal has a slew of projects lined up, from Anurag Basu’s Metro In Dino to Rule Breakers with Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Mani Ratnam’s Thug Life. Chadha has signed a comedy film | AFP

Epic return: How do you top a movie like Oppenheimer? With an epic. Christopher Nolan’s next film will be The Odyssey, an adaptation of Homer’s epic poem. The announcement was made by Universal Pictures on X, stating that the mythic action epic will be shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology and will hit theatres on July 17, 2026. The film reportedly has a star-studded cast with Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, Tom Holland, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson | Getty Images

Acting his age, not: Anti-ageing could very well be Anil Kapoor’s middle name. He could easily pass off as the 45-year-old Air Force officer in Fighter, that too soon after playing a 65-year-old in Animal. And now, he will next be seen in Subedaar, an action thriller. Prime Video India dropped the first teaser of the Suresh Triveni directorial on Kapoor’s 68th birthday recently. And, Kapoor’s swag is on point in the teaser. All that running, cycling, lifting weights and ice baths sure are helping him look fit and young(er) | PTI

Crooning Kardashian: Kim Kardashian, ladies and gentlemen, is now a singer. She recently recorded a cover of the Christmas classic ‘Santa Baby’, produced by her brother-in-law Travis Barker’s DTA Records and her Kimsaprincess, Inc. She also released a music video of the song, which has a lo-fi quality to it. The video, directed by Nadia Lee Cohen and Charlie Denis with a cameo from Macaulay Culkin, looks more creepy than Christmassy. Like all things Kardashian, the song and the video have received mixed reactions from the public | Getty Images