Bengaluru/Delhi/Mumbai: Before Parle Products could understand what was happening, the shelves started emptying. By Wednesday evening, searches on Mumbai-based biscuits and confectionery maker’s caramel toffee, Melody, had increased by more than 190 times on Google, while search strings like ‘Melody Modi’, ‘Meloni Melody’ all had ‘breakout’ tags on the search platform. It didn’t take long for ecommerce and quick commerce platforms to see a surge in orders. Mayank Shah, vice president and chief marketing officer, Parle Products, told TOI that by 3 pm, searches for Melody Toffee on these platforms increased by almost 50 times. The hike came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted a pack of Melody to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a diplomatic meeting. The video of that moment quickly became one of the favorite moments of the day on the Internet. According to reports, the video had received more than 130 million views on the YouTube channel by evening. According to Shah, by Wednesday afternoon, about 40-45% of the dark stores of Q-com companies like Blinkit and Zepto present in Parle’s network were out of Melody stock. The nearly century-old company had to send excess inventory to ecommerce warehouses, dark stores and retail trade channels to meet demand.

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“This is a very proud moment for all of us at Parle Products,” Shah said. When the Prime Minister gifts Parle products to world leaders, it is a powerful testament to the potential of indigenous brands on the global stage. “Melody is India’s best-selling toffee brand and is today available in over 100 countries. We are very grateful to the Prime Minister for giving this incredible recognition and visibility to Indian brands.“ A senior Blinkit official confirmed to TOI on condition of anonymity that the platform has seen a sharp increase in both searches and sales of Melodies on the pin code after the Modi-Melony moment went viral online. Even the government got involved. Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal posted on Twitter that India’s “toffee tale will certainly be sweet to the ears.” Goyal highlighted that in the last 12 years till March 2026, Indian exports of toffees, caramels and similar sweets have grown by about 166% to Rs 132 crore. Dalal Street bookies, who never lag behind in taking advantage of an opportunity to make money in a frenzy, also jumped into the bandwagon soon after the melody video made headlines. However, ironically, they bet on the stock of a wrong company: Parle Industries, a company that is in the waste management and recycling business. The company has no direct connection with Melody Toffee manufacturer Parle Products. By afternoon, the stock which had fallen nearly 35% in the last three months, hit 5% upper circuit at Rs 5.25 on the BSE and closed at the same level. Volume more than doubled to more than 8.5 lakh shares.

Nina Lynn revealed on Twitch that she reportedly spent a night in jail after failing to scan $4 worth of scissors during self-checkout. The streamer claimed it was an honest mistake caused by rushing the checkout, but store staff still got the police involved. The incident reignited debate online as Nina had previously faced similar shoplifting charges in 2025. He also suggested that critics associated with Adin Ross and Asmagold may have influenced the situation.

Controversial streamer Nina Lynn is in the middle of online drama once again after claiming she spent a night in jail because of $4 worth of scissors she didn’t scan. The Twitch personality shared the story during a livestream on May 20, sparking immediate outrage on social media.Lynn’s past shopping controversies immediately came into focus after the incident, especially after she was accused of shoplifting in late 2025. But this time, Nina said it was all about a hasty checkout error that went too far in her opinion.

Nina Lin shopping controversy flares up after livestream confession

Speaking to the audience, Nina described the exact moment when store employees allegedly stopped her after checkout. According to the streamer, security reviewed the footage and claimed she failed to scan an item while using self-checkout.“They immediately checked my receipt, and they said, ‘You missed a receipt.’ We have a video. I’m like, what? They show me…videos. They actually show me the alleged video they are talking about. You know when you’re checking out, and you move everything around so the barcode scans, and you put everything out because you’re in a hurry?Nina claimed that the forgotten item was a cheap pair of scissors. She said she was trying to move quickly while scanning the products and didn’t realize she missed a barcode.“I’m trying to get out of there. I’m using the little red barcode scanner. But apparently I missed one… I’ve never been so shocked in my life. I said, ‘Are you serious? Are you sure?’ I’m saying to the officer: ‘You’re seeing what I’m seeing, right?’ And he says: ‘It was an honest mistake… but the guy wants you on the premises.'”The woman with the dream appeared disappointed that she was not asked to pay for the item before the police got involved.“Because if you knew it was an honest mistake, you could have stopped me on the way and said: ‘Hey man, you forgot this item, can you scan it?’ This is what would have happened. Out of spite I would buy every pair of scissors on the shelf. No joke. I would take every pair of scissors off the shelf and buy them all. “I will have a stock of scissors for the next 20,000 years.”

Nina Lin accuses critics and internet celebrities of targeting her

As the story spread online, Nina suggested that the shopkeeper may have recognized her from Internet controversies involving Aiden Ross and Asmagold.“The guy figured it out for me. I don’t know what it is… maybe he looks at Adin Ross.”He later added:“Maybe he sees Asma-Gold… Asma… He’s pretty darn close to a terrorist, that guy. Whatever that old white guy is.”Meanwhile, legal commentator Andre Esquire questioned whether the situation was truly accidental.“Nina Lynn literally has a history of shoplifting under the guise of “failure to scan” – once upon a time it may have been legitimate, but it’s now a pattern of behavior caught in 4k on her livestream.”The latest controversy has once again divided viewers, with some defending Nina’s explanation while others believe that the repeated incidents are becoming harder to ignore.

New Delhi: In a move that may avert further tensions over the delicate Himalayan ecosystem and the upper reaches of the Ganga river in Uttarakhand, the Center on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that it is “not in favor of allowing any new hydropower project in the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi river basins” apart from the seven that have either become operational or have made substantial progress in construction.The Centre’s view was expressed by the Environment Ministry through an affidavit in the Supreme Court, which is examining the issue of allowing new hydropower projects in the upper reaches of the Ganga river basins since the 2013 Kedarnath disaster.The decision means the Center will now go ahead with only seven of the 28 projects already planned and examined by various committees. The Center told the Supreme Court that the risk/damage to the environment, including river health, outweighs the financial/economic benefits of the remaining 21 hydro-power projects with a total capacity of about 2,100 MW.

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It is expected that the Supreme Court will pass its order on this issue in the next hearing on August 20. In January, it had given the Center three months to take a final decision.Of the seven projects the government wants to pursue, four are already operational – Tehri Stage-II (1000 MW), Singoli Bhatwari (99 MW), Madmaheshwar (15 MW) and Kaliganga-II (4.5 MW) – and three, Tapovan Vishnugad (520 MW), Vishnugad Pipalkoti (444 MW) and Phata Byung (76 MW), are in advanced stages of construction. The affidavit, representing a “collective and unanimous decision” of the three ministries – Jal Shakti, Power and Environment – argued that all seven “may be allowed to proceed subject to strict compliance with the applicable statutory provisions and environmental safeguards”.Better understanding has been achieved: Green activistsIt is good to see that better understanding has emerged and the government has taken this wise and welcome step to prevent future tragedies like 2013 and protect the fragile and disaster-prone ecology of the Ganga-Himalayan basin,” said Mallika Bhanot of Ganga Awahaan, a citizens’ platform working towards the conservation of the Ganga and the Himalayan ecosystem. The decision not to build any new hydro-electric projects in the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi river basins was taken after inter-ministerial consultations on the recommendations of various expert committees. One committee wanted 28 projects to be allowed in the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi basins, while the other committee, comprising officials from the Jal Shakti and Environment ministries, recommended only five.

While director Aditya Dhar made Indian fans count down the days for the OTT release of his film ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’, the official handle of Netflix India on Thursday shared a poster of ‘Dhurandhar Raw and Undekha’ and announced its OTT release on May 22.

Dhurandhar Raw and Andekha got release on 22nd May

‘The storm is coming. And this time, additional components. ‘Watch Dhurandhar Raw and Undekha on 22nd May on Netflix in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu’, he captioned the post.

Fans are reacting to the post

Not long ago, this post created a frenzy among the audience as many believed that the makers have postponed the India release date of the sequel ‘Dhurandhar The Revenge: Raw & Undekha’, which was announced to release in India on JioHotstar on June 4, followed by its release on Netflix India on June 19. Amidst the buzz that the sequel has been released almost a month ago, netizens took to the comments section to clarify, “People in India don’t get too excited, this is the uncensored version of Part 1.“After confusion about the post and subsequent clarification, fans said in the comments, “Hopefully for the uncensored and uncut version finally.” Another quipped, “Finally we can hear Gali from Akshay Khanna.”

CBFC Criticism on censoring ‘Dhurandhar’

The update comes at a time when the CBFC and the filmmakers were facing criticism for allegedly censoring the film in India, but allowing the ‘uncut’ and ‘un-censored’ version to run overseas. One tweeted, “A film made for Indians, but only Indians get the censored version – while the rest of the world sees it raw & undiscovered. In fact this is saving us from our own cinema.”‘Dhurandhar’ starring Ranveer Singh in the lead role premiered on Netflix on January 30, 2026 after making a record-breaking box office collection of Rs 1,300 crore.

donald trump The US Justice Department has played down fears of rising tensions with Cuba after the US Justice Department convicted former Cuban President Raul Castro of shooting down a civilian airliner in 1996, insisting there will be “no further escalation” between the two countries.Asked whether impeachment could escalate the conflict, Trump responded: “No. It won’t escalate. I don’t think it needs to. Look, the place is falling apart. It’s a mess, and he’s kind of lost control.”The comments came as federal court records showed Castro, 94, has been charged in the US with murder and related crimes in the downing of two civilian airliners operated by the Cuban exile group Brothers to the Rescue nearly three decades ago.The indictment was filed April 23 in Miami federal court and unsealed this week. In this, Castro has been charged with one count of conspiracy to murder American citizens, four counts of murder and two counts of destroying the plane. Five other persons have also been named as defendants.Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the charges at an event in Miami, where officials gathered to honor the victims of the 1996 incident. “My message today is clear: the United States and President Trump will not and will not forget their citizens,” he said, drawing applause from the Cuban-American attendees.The case centers on the downing of two small planes on February 24, 1996, when Cuban MiG fighters intercepted and destroyed planes flown by Brothers to the Rescue, a Miami-based exile organization that was flying missions over the Caribbean Sea to detect Cuban migrants attempting the dangerous crossing.All four people on board the boat died. The victims were Armando Alejandre, Carlos Alberto Costa, Mario Manuel de la Peña and Pablo Morales.The Cuban government has long maintained that the planes entered its airspace illegally, while the U.S. investigation and international aviation findings concluded that the planes were in international airspace when they were destroyed.Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro had previously said that the military acted under “standing orders” to intercept the plane, but insisted that Raul Castro, who was defense minister at the time, had not given any direct orders.Raul Castro was born in 1931 and, along with his brother Fidel, played a central role in Cuba’s communist revolution and helped consolidate power after the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista in 1959. He served as Defense Minister for decades, later becoming President in 2008 before leaving the post in 2018. He officially left the leadership of the Communist Party in 2021 but is still seen as an influential figure in Cuban politics.The indictment comes amid increased US pressure on Havana under the Trump administration, including sanctions and diplomatic pressure, calling Cuba a “rogue state”.Trump has also designed US policy towards Cuba to increase influence in the Western Hemisphere, stating: “From the shores of Havana to the shores of the Panama Canal, we will drive out the forces of lawlessness and crime and foreign usurpation.”Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has rejected the US allegations, previously warning that any military action could lead to “bloodshed”.Tensions have been further complicated by Cuba’s worsening economic crisis, with fuel shortages, blackouts, and food shortages contributing to unrest on the island. Washington has increased sanctions on countries supplying fuel to Cuba, deepening economic tensions.

Hardik Pandya didn’t try to hide Mumbai Indians’ biggest problem after another crushing defeat, making their already poor IPL 2026 campaign even worse. The MI skipper admitted that the franchise’s repeated fielding failures throughout the season have badly affected the team, adding that frequent dropped catches have left Mumbai “chasing the game.”

Mumbai Indians suffered another defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on 20 May, a result which summed up their poor season. After securing just four wins from 13 matches, MI are now second-last IPL 2026 points table with only eight points and already out of the race for the playoffs.

IPL 2026, KKR vs MI: highlight | Achievement:

Speaking after the defeat, Hardik openly admitted that Mumbai’s fielding standards have fallen far below the level required to compete consistently in the IPL.

Hardik Pandya said, “I think we have been very bad in the field throughout the season. I think we have dropped a lot of catches, obviously no one wants to do that. But in that part of the game, I think there is no point in hiding. I think if you get chances, if you want to win the game, you have to take all the chances, even half chances.”

“But yes, when you give up chances that can change the game, it always happens that you are chasing the game,” said the embattled Pandya.

After posting a below par score of 147/8, MI still managed to create moments during KKR’s chase where they could have pulled themselves back into the contest. But once again his fielding disappointed him badly.

The most disappointing moment came in the 10th over.

Rovman Powell hit a pull shot off Hardik Pandya and what should have been a simple catch turned into complete confusion between Deepak Chahar and Robin Minz. Both fielders hesitated, neither committed properly and the ball eventually fell safely between them.

It was exactly the kind of moment that had haunted Mumbai throughout IPL 2026.

Fielding errors sum up MI’s horror season

Mumbai’s catching problems have haunted them almost the entire season.

The franchise dropped five catches in a single game against Punjab Kings at the start of the tournament, while missing chances in the field resulted in several matches being lost.

For a side that once built its dominance on discipline and ruthlessness, the decline in standards is obvious.

And the contradiction against Kolkata Knight Riders during the Eden Gardens clash made things even tougher for MI.

While Mumbai maintained chances, KKR once again looked to be one of the fastest fielding teams in the competition.

Much of the credit for that improvement has been internally given to fielding coach Dishant Yagnik, who has turned Kolkata into the best catching team of IPL 2026. The clearest example of this came during Cameron Green’s brilliant catch to dismiss Rohit Sharma during the match.

That sharpness ultimately became one of the biggest differences between the two teams.

KKR kept their chances, handled the pressure better and ultimately chased down the target patiently under the leadership of Manish Pandey and Rinku Singh.

Meanwhile, Mumbai’s season is now heading towards its conclusion with only one match left against Rajasthan Royals.

And after a campaign filled with inconsistency, poor fielding and constant pressure, MI now enter IPL 2027 with far bigger questions than answers.

ipl 2026 | ipl schedule | ipl points table | ipl player stats | purple cap | orange cap | ipl video | cricket news | live score

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A Tennessee man who spent more than a month in jail over Facebook posts about the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk will get $835,000 after settling a lawsuit against local officials.Larry Bushart, 61, is a retired police officer and was jailed for 37 days before prosecutors dropped the felony charge related to social media memes he posted after Kirk’s death.Tennessee officials will now pay $835,000 to settle Buschart’s federal lawsuit against Perry County, the local sheriff and an investigator involved in obtaining the arrest warrant.Bushart said the time spent in custody had a personal and financial impact. He lost his job after retirement, missed his wedding anniversary and the birth of his granddaughter while behind bars.“I am pleased that my First Amendment rights have been vindicated,” Buschert said in a statement announcing the settlement Wednesday.He said: “People’s freedom to engage in civil discussion is vital to a healthy democracy. I look forward to moving on and spending time with my family.”Buschart was arrested in September after refusing to remove Facebook memes that referenced Kirk’s murder, sparking outrage among the conservative activist’s MAGA supporters. Officials said the post has caused concern in the local community.A meme shared by Bushart read, “We have to get over this,” along with an image of President Donald Trump. The image references Trump’s 2024 comments following a school shooting in Iowa. The meme stated that this quote was given “a day after” the incident.Bushart added the caption: “It still feels relevant today…”Controversy escalated when some residents misinterpreted the post as a potential threat to a local school with a similar name in Tennessee. Police later confirmed that the meme was not referring to the Tennessee school shooting, but to the Iowa school shooting.Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems said at the time that most of Bushart’s posts were protected speech, but the specific meme created concern in the community.“Investigators believe that Bushart was fully aware that his posts would instill fear and that he deliberately tried to create hysteria within the community,” Weems said in a statement to The Tennessean last year.Bushart was initially held on $2 million bail before being released as the case attracted scrutiny over free speech protections.Charlie Kirk was assassinated on September 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, when a gunman using a sniper from the rooftop about 140 meters away during a public event fired a single shot, killing him. His wife Erica Kirk later made emotional public comments, while Turning Point USA continued operations after his death.

New Delhi: Portmanteau wrote itself. Now, it has a ring that can launch a thousand candy commercials. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Italy early Wednesday, welcomed his counterpart Georgia Meloni and handed her a packet of ‘Melody’, much to the delight of political journalists. Interestingly, the name of Parle Toffee matches the name of the friendship between the two Prime Ministers that has been trending on the internet for three years. The 12-second video of the ‘chocolate’ exchange between PM Modi and Meloni was viewed more than 10 crore times within a few hours. “PM Modi has brought us a gift – a very, very nice toffee: Melody,” Meloni said as Modi picked up the packet, before both burst into a hearty laugh. “Thank you for the gift,” she later posted on X. The ‘Melody’ tag has been a major part of online trends whenever the two have met. It got something close to official endorsement when Meloni used it as a hashtag on a selfie with PM Modi posted during the COP28 meeting in the UAE in December 2023. PM’s toffee diplomacy in Rome sent the opposition back home. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the Prime Minister was “busy distributing sweets in Italy” while “there is an economic storm going on in the country”. “Farmers, youth, women laborers and small traders are all shedding tears – the PM is laughing and making reels, while BJP people are clapping. This is not leadership, this is a farce,” he said. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also targeted the PM. “Modiji wants the public to enjoy the ‘melody’ of his speeches while being spared the ‘sorrow’ of his government’s loot!” Citing domestic LPG prices, he said that it has increased by 121%. “Every aspect of the economy is suffering, but Modiji continues his public relations campaign and exhorts citizens to shoulder the burden of this severe economic storm,” Kharge alleged. Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal expressed his views on the toffee discussion, though without mentioning Melody the Sweet or Melody the Pair. He wrote on Later, responding to Rahul’s criticism of Modi’s choice of gift for the Italian PM, Goyal wondered why he had so much “hate” for India and Indian products. “India has become a trusted destination for the world through its ‘Made in India’ and ‘Local Goes Global’ initiatives, but Congress can only find problems in every Indian achievement,” he said, alleging that Rahul is unable to digest the country’s “rising stature under PM Modi’s rule”. The Prime Minister was in Italy on the last leg of his five-nation tour. Meloni hosted him for dinner and accompanied him on a tour of the Colosseum.