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Bollywood Round Up

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TALAT AZIZ

‘MAJAZ’ IS THE 1ST FILM AS A MUSIC DIRECTOR – TALAT AZIZ

Talat Aziz makes his debut as a music director in films with MAJAZ, after having composed for a few TV serials. MAJAZ which is releasing on 25th Aug, 2016 is a biopic of Majaz. Asrar ul Haq Majaz commonly known as Majaz Lakhawi who was an Indian Urdu poet known for his romantic & revolutionary poetry. He composed ghazals & nazms in Urdu; Majaz was the maternal uncle of popular Poet & lyricist Javed Akhtar. MAJAZ has 12 songs, including ghazals & nazams sung by Talat, Sonu Nigam & Alka Yagnik. Talat has not only played with the strings to pour the soul but also given his voice to the songs in the film. Director of the movie is Ravinder Singh Priyanshu
Chatterjee & Rashmi Sharma are in the main lead with Neelima Azeem, Shahab
Khan & Anas Khan.

MUSIC RELEASE OF FILM ‘YEA TOH TWO MUCH HO GAYAA’

The music release of YEA TOH TWO MUCH HO GAYAA was held at Grand Imperial Banquet, Andheri. The film is directed by director Anwer Khan & produced by Ali Unwala. Present were Jimmy Shergill, Pooja Chopra, Bruna Abdullah, Vijay Patkar, Rajiv Surti, Ayub Khan of E4U Enterprises, Yogesh Lakhani of Bright Outdoor Media. Aftab Ahmed Khan, a former Indian Police Service
office & politician noted for his encounter killings of gangsters came specially to launch the audio. The film is made under the banner of M A Entertainment & Trinity Films. Dialogues of the film is written by Bholu Khan, cinematography done by Rajiv Srivastav, Lyrics by Anwer Khan, Jairaj Selvan & Vishal B. Patil, Music by Avishek Majumdar. The film stars Jimmy Shergill, Arbaaz Khan, Pooja Chopra, Murali Sharma, Bruna Abdullah, Zarina Wahab & Vijay Patkar. E4U Enterprises is releasing the film on 2nd Sept, 2016 all over. Zee Music has music rights of the film.

ARBAAZ KHAN & SUNNY LEONE TEAMED IN ‘TERA INTEZAAR’

Mrs. Aman Mehta & Bijal Mehta of Bagashree Films mark their debut as producers with TERA INTEZAAR. It is a romantic thriller with Arbaaz Khan & Sunny Leone being directed by Raajeev Walia. The mahurat was held recently in presence of choreographer Mudassar,
Arbaaz Khan, Sunny Leone, Arya Babbar, Sudha Chandran, Salil Ankola, Hanif Noyda, Gowhar Khan, Bani Singh & Reicha Sharma, besides the music director Raaj Ashoo & singer Swati Sharma. Raajev Walia said, “While we were outlining the characters for TERA INTEZAAR the 1st name that popped in our head was Sunny Leone. Arbaaz Khan has been in the industry for 2 decades now and he has been successful in the work he has done be it in the form of a leading actor, a host, or in establishing his own production house and directing super hit films.” Music is by Raaj Ashoo, lyrics by Shabbir Ahmed and singers are Armaan Malik, Sherya Ghoshal et al. T -Series is releasing the music for this movie. The movie will showcase some of the best special effects and it is shot at exotic locales of India & abroad.

MUSIC LAUNCH OF ‘MY FATHER IQBAL’

Yash Corporation unveiled music of its debut project MY FATHER IQBAL by singer Arvinder Singh and lead actor Narendra Jha. Producer Paresh Mehta and the director Suzad Iqbal Khan were present with entire cast & crew, besides Hon Ex – minister of J & K (Power) Babu Singh. Narendra Jha, who played the protagonist Iqbal in the film, said that this film is made on a real incident. Singers Uvie & Asa Singh sang live at the media gathering. MY FATHER IQBAL is based on a real life incident of an engineer from J & K’s PWD Department who fulfils multiple responsibilities in his life. The film captures the struggle of a father who’d go to any length to achieve the dreams of his child while maintaining his duty towards the country. The film has music by Biswajit Bhattacharjee & Varun Agarwal and stars Narendra Jha, Komal Thackar, Paresh Mehta, Raj Sharma, Amit Lekhwani, Sagar Nath Jha, Sudam Aftab Khan & Kumar Vaibhav. It is slated for release in the month of Sept, 2016

STAR STUDDED MAHURAT OF HINDI FEATURE FILM ‘DARTA HAI KYU’

The mahurat of DARTA HAI KYU directed by debutant Rajesh Bhardwaj was held in the presence of the Chief Guest – Arbaaz Khan. Rati Agnihotri, Alok Nath, Raajpal Yadav, Rajendra Gupta, Navni Parihar, Avtar Gill & Rajesh Bhardwaj were present. The brief scene shot captured a dialogue between Avtar Gill and the lead cast. The title DARTA HAI KYU is a
comedy about hair loss and how this little problem has taken the men’s world by a storm, across section. The film tries to address the issues & the insecurities related to this widely prevalent and commonplace problem of hair loss through a witty narrative. “I wanted to start my journey in Bollywood with a genuine unique idea, not just recycle what is already been done. That is how the idea of DARTA HAI KYU came to me. This film addresses the problem we all observe but are scared to speak about – the issue of hair loss in a lighter note.” Rajesh Bhardwaj has directed numerous ad films till date, with Sanjay Dutt, Priyanka Chopra, Juhi Chawla, Raveena Tandon, Arbaaz Khan, Soha Ali Khan, Amrita Rao, Tina Dutta, Gurmeet Choudhary, Shweta Tiwari & even Brett Lee. DARTA HAI KYU will hit the floors in Sept, 2016 and the principal photography will be done in Mumbai, Delhi & Vadodara.

SHAHID MALLYA LENDS HIS VOICE FOR HINDI FILM ‘JACQUELINE I AM COMING’

Shahid Mallya recently sang “Shikwa Na Shikayat” for the film JACQUELINE I AM COMING. The song is composed by Sukumar Dutta. The song was the muhurat song for the film which was recorded in the studio of T – Series. Shahid Mallya said, “I hope people will like the song which has loads of emotions & feelings. Apart from the song, the subject of the film is extremely interesting.” Director Pinku Dubey added, “JACQUELINE I AM COMING is a mature love story and I am sure that everyone will relate to the true love shown in the film. It’s an old age love story which has been seen in very few fims in Indian Cinema.” Writer – director Pinku Dubey & Producer Manish Giri were present at the occasion. This film is a sweet love story which will surely touch everyone’s hearts. The film will begin to shoot in Madhya Pradesh soon.

POSTER LAUNCH OF ‘UMFORMUNG – THE TRANSFORMATION’

Criminal psychologist – filmmaker Sudeep Ranjan Sarkar’s Hindi feature film UMFORMUNG – THE TRANSFORMATION made news when monks & sex workers came together under one roof at Kolkata to watch the film. Now, the poster launch of the film, that speaks of equality among all of God’s creations, was held in Mumbai. Besides Sudeep Ranjan Sarkar & producers Rita Jhawar & Saharsh Khaitan, music director Sanjib Sarkar, actors Sushil Bhosale, Neha Kapoor, Parijat Chakraborty, were present at the do at Bora Bora Club in Andheri West. Along with them were present chief guest Bappi Lahiri and Shaleen Bhanot, Mudasir Ali, Gaurav Chopra, Aamir Dalvi, K. K. Goswami et al. The story of intense dimensions, two parallel stories juxtaposed in one world UMFORMUNG – THE TRANSFORMATION is about a Buddhistmonk in search of the ultimate truth on one hand, and a ruthless entrepreneur who knows that power is the ultimate truth on the other. Languid & unbiased, the film unfolds as Karma unfolds. The journey of the monk from the idyllic monastery set in the mountains to prostitutes at a city brothel and his movement into the path of self – actualisation, alongside the transformation of the builder when life comes half way to meet her on her path of self – destruction, forms the crux of UMFORMUNG – THE TRANSFORMATION.

FINALLY KRITI GETS HER OWN VOICE!

Vikram Bhatt’s RAAZ REBOOT is rather special for it’s heroine Kriti Kharbanda for more reasons than one. Not only does the film marks the South star’s Bollywood debut, but this is also her 1st ever horror film and the 1st film that she has dubbed for! Yes, the actress with several superhits down South to her credit had never dubbed for her own voice before RAAZ REBOOT and Kriti shares that it is more difficult than acting! Kriti says, “Dubbing for RAAZ REBOOT was my 1st ever dubbing experience as all of my films in South were dubbed since I don’t speak those languages. And I really think that dubbing is more difficult than acting. While acting, you just go with the flow of what you are feeling & emoting, but dubbing requires recreating & reliving every emotion again. So, it better match up to the performance or up it.”

KANGANA RANAUT WANTS AN INTERNATIONAL DRIVING LICENSE

Kangana Ranaut, will soon be travelling to the US to shoot for Hanasal Mehta’s SIMRAN. Kangana enjoys driving and on her days off plans to drive around the countryside and explore the local sights. She has applied for an international driving license for the same.

AJAY DEVGN INVITED TO INDORE BY HIS FAN CLUBS FOR ‘SHIVAAY’S TRAILER LAUNCH!!

Ajay Devgn has numerous fan clubs across India and they are all eagerly waiting to see a glimpse of Ajay Devgn’s magnamopus SHIVAAY. The constant insistence of the fan clubs compelled Ajay Devgn to agree to launch the trailer in one of the Hindi strongholds of Bollywood cinema. Fans from several parts of the country will be congregating in the heartland of India, Indore, to show their love for Ajay Devgn. In a unique gesture for the fan groups, the star launched the trailer of his directorial SHIVAAY in their midst on 7th Aug, 2016. The star felt it was the most apt way to share his creation with his ardent supporters. The Indore based fan group which is one of the largest & extremely active made a special request for a meet & greet. The actor – director decided to launch the trailer in their city. The trailer was available for all to see as it went live from the event on all official SHIVAAY and Ajay Devgn Social Media handles. The theatre going audience watching Akshay Kumar’s RUSTOM starting 12th Aug, 2016 across the globe, will be especially treated as SHIVAAY’s trailer will be attached to the film.

‘DELHI MERE BAAP KI’ TO BE CENSORED

Shashi Raaj Films’ DELHI MERE BAAP KI will be shown to the censors shortly. The film is being presented by Mike Verma of Canan Movie Productions and is produced & directed by Shashi Pal (Shashi Raaj) from his own story & screenplay. Dialogues: Balwinder Singh. Cast: Vikram Thakur, Gurutej Tejji, Komal Dhillon, Tina, Amrit Pal Kaur, Dinesh Hingoo & Shakti Kapoor. Cinematography: Rajesh Kanojia. Lyrics & Music: Karan Raanjha. The 1st digital print of the film is out.

MUSICAL DRAMA ‘BHAIRAVI’ RELEASES EXCLUSIVELY ON MUVIZZ.COM

BHAIRAVI a musical drama film has been released for the 1st time exclusively on muvizz.com. The film which was shot in the year 2008 was never ever before released because of the movie’s post production issues. The film stars Sandeep Kulkarni, Priya Gill, Deepak Qazir, Subrat Dutta & Shabnam Vadhera. The story follows the life of Bhairavi, a passionate Sitar Player. The film celebrates music along with portraying the shades of feelings & insecurities of an unsung musician. Sandeep Kulkarni says, “The film is very dear to me as an actor and also as a person, because the story is loosely based on one of our country’s sitar maestro who’s also acclaimed internationally. The story has layers of music gharana, passion & politics with interrelated love.” Suhail Tatari, director of Bhairavi says, “BHAIRAVI has taken me into a world of Indian classical music. For several years the papers lay in my files and it rolled a few years later. One of the major challenges was the music, since the film being a musical drama, I was trying to learn the nuances of music from musicians and the music director. Both lead actors were put under training to learn sitar. Music had indeed become a character in the film.”

ZEEL TO SHOWCASE 4 FILMS FROM THEIR INDO – PAK PEACE INITIATIVE AT MOSAIC INTERNATIONAL SOUTH ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL 2016

ZEEL’s peace initiative continues its global reach, this time heading to Ontario, Canada where 4 of its films were screened at the Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (MISAFF) 2016 recently. With an aim to spread the message of peace & harmony, ZEEL brought together cultural thought leader in the form of 12 film makers from both the countries for the 1st time to showcase their work on a single platform and facilitate an apolitical exchange environment. Out of 12 films, 2 Indian & 2 Pakistani films were screened at MISAFF. The 4 films are Aparna Sen’s SAARI RAAT, Meenu – Farjad’s JEEWAN HAATHI, Ketan Mehta’s TOBA TEK SINGH & Mehreen Jabbar’s LAALA BEGUM. Meenu – Farjad who’s JEEVAN HAATHI is a satire on the media business and its manufactured reality which generates & creates conflict in society, said, “JEEVAN HAATHI (the elephant in the room) is part of a unique initiative between Indian & Pakistani filmmakers called Zeal for Unity.” Ketan Mehta’s TOBA TEK SINGH based on Saadat Hasan Manto’s story by the same name. The story of LAALA BEGUM, directed by Mehreen Jabbar is about 2 estranged sisters and what happens when, after 20 odd years of estrangement, they are forced to have a face – to – face confrontation about their issues. Aparna Sen’s SAARI RAAT, based on Badal Sarkar’s writing, starring Konkana Sen, is a story about a couple who find themselves taking shelter in a dilapidated warehouse and as the night progresses the couple finds themselves in the midst of an unforgettable night that changes their life forever. The Indo -Pak initiative that was kick – started with one of its kind’s historic launch Wagah -Attari Border earlier this year, is a momentous step towards changing the way people across both the countries see, feel & think about each other. The film makers who have come together for this initiative are Aparna Sen, Bejoy Nambiar, Ketan Mehta, Nikkhil Advani, Tanuja Chandra & Tigmanshu Dhulia from India and Khalid Ahmed, Mehreen Jabbar, Meenu – Farjad, Sabiha Sumar, Siraj Ul Haque & Shahbaz Sumar from Pakistan.

PRITAM TO RECREATE ‘BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN’ MAGIC ONCE AGAIN WITH SALMAN’S ‘TUBELIGHT’

Preetam has been roped in for Kabir Khan’s next film. The hit trio of BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN is back! Pritam Chakraborty’s compositions topped the charts last year when he joined hands with director Kabir Khan for the Salman Khan magnum opus BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN. The 3 have now come together once again to try and recreate the magic of last year’s blockbuster with TUBELIGHT, which is Kabir Khan’s next starring Salman. The ace music – composer recently met Kabir to try & understand the music that would best suit the script of TUBELIGHT. Since the film is an Indo – Sino period drama, buzz is that it is expected to have Indian music with a Chinese touch. With Pritam in full form, music & films – lovers are now waiting to see what does the much -in – demand musician, pull out from his sleeve this time around!

EVELYN SHARMA FLAUNTS HER BIKINI BODY ON A BEACH IN BALI

The gorgeous actress Evelyn Sharma is holidaying in Bali. Evelyn Sharma flaunts her bikini body on a beach. She looks very hot in blue bikini. Evelyn says that she likes to be under the sun and on the beaches. She loves to pose in bikinis and thankfully she doesn’t need to do special work outs to look perfect in a bikini.
Evelyn is blessed with a bikini body and the lady loves to put it on display for the pleasure of her fans. Evelyn Sharma has now bagged a role with Amit Sadh in an upcoming film.

Sakshi Malik comes home to a rousing reception, Haryana CM appoints her Beti Bachao ambassador

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sakshi

New Delhi: Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik came home to a grand reception on Wednesday morning in New Delhi. She is the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in wrestling.

The wrestler was received by a contingent of ministers from the Haryana government at the Capital’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. Haryana’s sports and youth affairs minister Anil Vij, who was present in Rio as head of the state delegation, accompanied the star wrestler on the return flight.

“It was my dream and hard work of years,” Sakshi told Times Now after landing in the country. “Since long I had thought of going to the Olympics to win a medal for the country. It finally happened in Rio.”

She also thanked wrestlers Geeta Phogat, Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt for their contribution to her success. “It was inspiring when Geeta Phogat qualified for wrestling as she was the first Indian woman to qualify for Olympics. It lit a hope that if one weight category can qualify, there can be more. She also has a role to play in my victory,” Sakshi said.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, while felicitating her in Bahadurgarh, also announced that she will be the face of the ‘Beti Bacaho, Beti Padhao’ campaign in the state.

Meanwhile, preparations for her rousing reception are on in full swing at her village Mokhra Khas in Rohtak district.

(Agencies)

Never blamed RSS as a body for Gandhi’s killing: Rahul to SC

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Rahul-Gandhi

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today told the Supreme Court that he had never blamed RSS as an institution that killed Mahatma Gandhi but had stated that a person associated with it was responsible for his assassination.

A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and R S Nariman, which was hearing the petition filed by Gandhi challenging the summons issued to him as an accused in a defamation case, said it will dispose of the petition if the complainant agreed.

The bench noted that the Congress leader had filed an affidavit in the Bombay High Court while seeking quashing of the defamation complaint against him stating that, at an election rally, he had not blamed RSS as an institution for the assassination of Gandhi but a person associated with it.

The bench, which posted the matter for September 1, asked the complainant’s counsel and senior advocate U R Lalit to seek instruction whether the complainant was ready to end the case if Gandhi’s statement is taken on record.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Congress Vice President, drew the attention of the bench to the affidavit filed in the high court.

The bench, which heard the matter for about half-an-hour, said “what we understand is that the accused never blamed RSS as an institution that killed Mahatma Gandhi but the person associated with it.”

The apex court had on July 27 criticised the trial court in Maharashtra for asking the police to probe the criminal defamation complaint lodged against Gandhi for his remarks allegedly accusing RSS for assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.

The apex court’s remarks had come after the same bench said that the Congress leader should not have resorted to “collective denunciation” of an organisation (RSS) and will have to face trial if he does not express regret.

Rajesh Mahadev Kunte, secretary of Bhiwandi unit of RSS, had alleged in his complaint that Gandhi told in an election rally at Sonale on March 6, 2015 that the “RSS people killed Gandhiji”. The case is pending before a magisterial court in Bhiwandi in Maharashtra’s Thane district.

Earlier, the bench had questioned the speech and wondered “why he had made a speech quoting wrong historical fact”.

The penal provisions make defamation an offence punishable with up to a two-year jail term.

Kunte had alleged that the Congress leader had sought to tarnish the reputation of RSS through his speech.

Following the complaint, the magistrate’s court had initiated proceedings and issued notice to Gandhi directing him to appear before it. The Congress leader was summoned to appear before the trial court on January 6 this year.

Gandhi had then approached the High Court seeking exemption from appearance and quashing of the case.

The High Court had dismissed the petition and refused to grant stay on its order, leading to an appeal in the Supreme Court.

(PTI)

Tremors in east, north-east India as power quake hits Myanmar

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manipur-earthquake

Kolkata: A powerful earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter Scale and epicentred in Myanmar today shook several parts of east and northeast India.

According to National Centre for Seismology, a unit of Ministry of Earth Sciences, the epicenter of the quake was in Myanmar and it occurred at 4:04 PM at a depth of 58 kms.

Tremors were felt in Bihar, West Bengal and northeastern states in India, spreading panic among people

There were no immediate reports of loss to life or property.

The northeast is one of the most earthquake-prone regions in the world.

(Agencies)

Hollywood Director Param Gill’s film “Waarior Savitri” faces ban in India for depiction of Hindu Goddess

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Param Gill

“Waarrior Savitri,” the newest offering of Indian American director Param Gill scheduled for release in India and the U.S. on Aug. 25th, has received considerable backlash for its depiction of the Hindu goddess as a modern, 21st-century woman.Effigies bearing the image of Gill have been burned in Raipur and elsewhere across India, according to local media reports.

The Lal Bahadur Shastri Social Forum sent a letter last month to Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Ravi Bhagatre questing permission to burn an effigy of Gill. A copy of the letter was forwarded to IANS by the director.

Sushil Malhotra, president of the Lal Bahadur Shastri Social Forum, wrote in the letter to Bhagat that the film “makes a mockery of a revered Indian goddess.” Malhotra stated that the film was “obscene.”

The Mahabharata tells the story of goddess Savitri, who used the power of her dedication to her husband Satyavan to save him from being killed by Yama, the god of death. In Hindu mythology, Savitri is described as the epitome of a dutiful wife.

Gill, chose to depict Savitri as a strong, empowered, 21st-century woman. In a trailer available on the Youtube Web site, the goddess is shown practicing martial arts to combat her enemies. Savitri – played by Niharica Raizada – is also shown in shots depicting sexual intimacy. She is also shown wearing sexy clothing, including cut-off shorts and bustiér-style tops.

The film is set in Las Vegas. Its stars include Om Puri, Lucy Pinder, Rajat Barmecha and Gulshan Grover.

In an interview, Gill told IANS he was inspired by the 2012 gang rape of a young New Delhi student – known as Nirbhaya – who died after the brutal attack. “I thought women needed to empower themselves, and learn martial arts to protect themselves,” he said.
Gill said he feared going to India for the film’s release next week. He said he has received threatening letters from various Indian organizations exhorting him to self-ban the film. “There is a general pattern of intolerance throughout the country now,” said Gill.

YouTube video of Gill’s effigy being burnt at Raipur. https://youtu.be/jc0QDuUfSSs

Lucy Pinder statement: “I was ready to leave from Los Angeles to Mumbai at the airport. But given the controversy surrounding the film, producers advised me to stay away citing security concerns. India has become a very intolerant country. I feel frustrated that I can not one to India to promote my first film”.

Director Param Gill statement: ” I have worked in Hollywood all my life. But I am born in India, so the country beats in my heart. I was very excited to come to India to promote my first Bollywood film, Waarrior Savitri, but producers advised me to stay away. My effigies have been burnt across India with heavy protests to ban the film. I request the protesters to join a special screening of film at Mumbai. They will find nothing objectionable rather they will feel inspired”.

France: Nicolas Sarkozy to run for president again

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Former leader may step down from helm of Republicans to focus on 2017 re-election bid at “turbulent moment in history”.

Sarkozy ended a five-year term in 2012 mired in unpopularity [Vincent Kessler/Reuters file]

Sarkozy ended a five-year term in 2012 mired in unpopularity [Vincent Kessler/Reuters file]

by Al Jazeera

Nicolas Sarkozy has launched a bid to win back the French presidency, announcing he will seek his party’s nomination to run in next year’s election.

The 61-year-old conservative’s plan became apparent on Monday.

“I have decided to be a candidate in the 2017 presidential election,” Sarkozy wrote in a new book, Tout pour la France (All for France), due out this week.

“France demands that you give her your all. I feel I have the strength to lead the fight at such a turbulent moment in our history,” he wrote in an extract seen by AFP news agency, alluding to the attacks that have rocked the country since January 2015

“The next five years will be filled with danger but also with hope.”

In 2012, Sarkozy ended a five-year term mired in unpopularity, had made no secret of his ambition to reconquer the top office.

Major challenges

Sarkozy’s aides told AFP he was expected to step down as the leader of the centre-right Republicans to focus on his bid.

Party primaries take place on November 20 and 27.

Sarkozy’s first campaign stop will be on Thursday at Chateaurenard, near the southern French city of Avignon.

Sarkozy itemised major challenges in the years ahead, including strengthening respect for “French identity”, restoring lost competitiveness and enforcing state authority.

On the economic front, he pledged to reduce payroll charges, scale back unemployment payments for those who have been jobless for more than one year and slash income tax by 10 percent.

On immigration, he proposed “suspending” the right of family members to join a migrating relative in France.

“The big problem with our immigration policy is firstly that of numbers,” he said.

‘Minority blackmail’

Sarkozy’s announcement coincides with a resurgent debate on the place of Islam in French society, encapsulated in the row over the Islamic burkini swimsuit.

He said France’s “principal battle” was over how “to defend our lifestyle without being tempted to cut ourselves off from the rest of the world”.

The opposition leader, who has repeatedly dismissed Socialist President Francois Hollande as weak, said he would also restore authority in neighbourhoods where he said “minorities are successfully blackmailing the current authorities”.

Sarkozy was defeated in his bid for re-election in 2012 after conducting a campaign seen by many in his own camp as too right-wing.

Sarkozy becomes the 13th person to put their name forward for the French presidency, a job that has sweeping powers.

He faces several challengers within conservative ranks.

His chief rival, Alain Juppe, the former premier and Bordeaux mayor, is seen as a moderate and is the favourite to win the party’s nod.

But Juppe’s lead in opinion polls has shrunk in recent weeks as Sarkozy steps up his rhetoric on conservative Muslims and immigration following the July 14 lorry attack in Nice.

‘Best candidate’

Sarkozy has already won the support of a Republican heavyweight, Christian Estrosi, who is president of the southern region that includes Marseille.

“He is the best candidate,” Estrosi told the Journal de Dimanche.

If Sarkozy wins, he could face a rematch against Hollande, who has said he too has the “desire” for a second term.

But opinion polls overwhelmingly show the French wanting neither man as their leader.

Hollande has even surpassed Sarkozy to become the most unpopular president in post-war France.

READ MORE: France probes Sarkozy over 2012 campaign funding

Sarkozy would also face far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen, who is tipped to make it to a second round of voting.

His reputation remains tainted by two major inquiries, into alleged influence-peddling and into suspected illegal funding of his 2012 election campaign.

But true to his famous self-belief, these scandals have failed to dent his ambition of returning to the Elysee Palace.

Hollande, on a trip to southern Italy for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Matteo Renzi, the Italian prime minister, declined to comment on Sarkozy’s bid, or on another challenge for the presidency launched by left-wing Socialist Arnaud Montebourg.

Athlete Jaisha alleges official apathy in Rio, AFI refutes charge

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Jaisha

New Delhi: Marathon runner O P Jaisha Monday alleged that Indian officials did not arrange for water and energy drinks during her race in the Rio Olympics run under scorching heat despite designated stations being given for the country, a claim denied by Athletics Federation of India.

“It was very hot there. I ran in scorching heat. There was no water for us, neither recovery drinks nor food. Only once in 8km did we get water (from Rio organisers) which did not help at all. All the countries had their stalls at every 2km but our country’s stall was empty,” said Jaisha who finished 89th in Rio Olympics women’s marathon event with a below-par timing of 2:47:19.

Jaisha collapsed at the finish line after completing the race and had to be rushed to a hospital where her coach Nikolai Snesarev got into an altercation with one of doctors and ended up being detained for half a day by local police.

“We are supposed to be given drinks by our technical officials, it’s the rule. We cannot take water from any other team. I saw the Indian board there but there was nothing. I had a lot of problem, I fainted after the race. I was administered glucose, I thought I would die,” she recalled.

The runner claimed that she got no response from officials when she asked why water was not provided to her at the stalls.

“I asked officials why there was no water for us but I got no response. I don’t know what they were doing. There were lot of people in the Indian athletics contingent, anybody could have done this job. I don’t know where they were. I was in very bad shape. My coach was blamed for misbehaving with doctor but he was told Jaisha has almost died, what could he have done?” she asked.

Refuting Jaisha’s claim, AFI said that it was she who refused to avail the option of having energy drinks.

“Each team is allowed to keep their own personalised drinks on the booths, marked in a colour as per the choice of the team and athlete. Accordingly, as per the rule, on the night ahead of women’s marathon race, Indian team manager carried 16 empty bottles, eight each for Jaisha and Kavita Raut and visited the duo and their coach Nikolai Snesarev in their room,” the AFI said in a statement.

“The team manager asked them to provide their choice of personalised drink which would then be sealed in their presence and handed over to the organisers for installing them on the booth along with a placard as per the requirement of the athlete.

“In this case, the two athletes, Ms Jaisha and Ms Raut declined the offer and informed the Indian team manager that they didn’t require personalised drink, and if at all they required it during the race, they would use the drinks available at the water booth and refreshment booth provided by the organisers,” the AFI said.

(Agencies)

Congress MLAs suspended after Gujarat assembly ruckus over Dalits

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dalits-una

Gandhinagar: Gujarat assembly Speaker Ramanlal Vora on Tuesday suspended all Congress MLAs — barring Leader of Opposition Shankersinh Vaghela and Balwantsinh Rajput — for the day after they created a ruckus over the alleged atrocities committed on Dalits in Una town last month.

Congress lawmakers were demanding an inquiry by a sitting high court judge in the incident where four Dalits were beaten by self-styled cow vigilantes in Mota Samadhiyala village of Una in Gir-Somnath distric on July 11.

Tuesday was the last of the two-day monsoon session that began on Monday and was called to clear the Goods and Services Tax Bill.

The opposition members displayed banners in the house and shouted slogans infront of the speaker. They threw bangles at the treasury benches in a sign of protest with Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and his colleagues present in the house.

The Congress members later marched out of the assembly building shouting slogans and wearing the banners to join what they called a “Jan Akrosh”, or public anger, rally organized by the party here.

Scores of people joined the rally after they surrounded the state assembly building.

On Monday, the house was adjourned after unanimous election of new Speaker Ramanlal Vora, the BJP’s Dalit face, and election of Deputy Speaker by a voice vote.

(Agencies)

3 of 9 addresses of Dawood in Pak found incorrect: UN

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Dawood

United Nations: Three of the nine places cited by India as addresses of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim in Pakistan have been found incorrect by a UN committee, which has removed these from its list.

One of the addresses which have been dropped by the UN Security Council’s Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee was found similar to that of a residence of Islamabad’s envoy to the UN Maleeha Lodhi.

However, the six other addresses provided by India have not been amended. India, in a dossier, had cited these nine addresses as those frequented by Dawood.

The Security Council’s ISIL and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee amended its entry yesterday concerning Dawood, the mastermind behind the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, with “underline and strikethrough”.

In the amendment, the Committee has stricken through the address “Main Property at Margalla Raod F- 6/2 Street no.22, House No.07, Islamabad number 29 in Karachi. This address was later found to be similar to that of a residence belonging to Lodhi.”

When asked about the amendment, a top Indian official here told PTI that one address of Dawood in the listing entry was incorrect. The address was “of Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi, and not Dawood Ibrahim”, the sources said.

“The amendment also strikes through other addresses “8th Floor of Mehran Square, near Pardesi House-3, Talwar Area, Clifton, Karachi, Pakistan” and “6/A Kjauabam Tanzeem, Phase-5, Defence Housing Araea, Karachi, Pakistan.”

In evidence to show that Dawood Ibrahim is holed up in Pakistan, a dossier prepared by India had listed nine residences of the underworld don in that country and stated that he is known to frequently change his locations and addresses there.

“On 22 August 2016, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) enacted the amendments specified with underline and strikethrough in the entry” concerning Dawood on its ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo, it said.

Dawood’s other addresses mentioned in the listing “Karachi, Pakistan (White House, Near Saudi Mosque, Clifton)”, “House Nu 37 – 30th Street – defence, Housing Authority, Karachi, Pakistan” and “Palatial bungalow in the hilly area of Noorabad in Karachi” have not been amended.

The addresses were included in a dossier prepared by India in August last year that had listed nine residences of the underworld don in Pakistan as evidence to show that he is holed up in Pakistan.

Islamabad has consistently denied that Dawood is living in the country.

The information about the residences in Pakistan, including one bought near the house of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, son of late former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, in Karachi two years ago is contained in the dossier that had been prepared to be handed over to Pakistan’s National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz during talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, which were later cancelled.

“Dawood is known to frequently change his locations and addresses in Pakistan. He has amassed immense property in Pakistan and moves under the protection of Pakistani agencies,” the dossier had said.

Another amendment enacted by the Committee concerns details of his family.
The information “Father’s name is Sheikh Ibrahim Ali Kaskar, mother’s name is Amina Bi, wife’s name is Mehjabeen Shaikh” has been underlined in the listing.

Dawood was listed on November 3, 2003 and the entry has been amended in March and July 2006, July 2007 and March 2010. Being a UN designated terrorist, he is subject to assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.

The amendment further struck out “Bombai” as his place of birth, noting instead that it is “Kher, Ratnagiri in Maharashtra”.

It has added “Sheikh Farooqi, Bada Seth, Bada Bhai, Iqbal Bhai, Mucchad and Haji Sahab” as his “low quality” aliases.

The listing includes information about his various passports, including those issued in Pakistan.

The listing says Dawood had a Passport number A717288 issued on 18 August 1985 in Dubai and a Pakistani number G866537 issued on 12 August 1991 in Rawalpindi but adds the term “misuse” for this two passports.

He also has Passport number C-267185 issued in Karachi in July1996, Passport number H-123259 issued in Rawalpindi in July 2001 and Passport number G-869537 issued in Rawalpindi.

Dawood is wanted in India for the 1993 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai in which 257 people were killed and nearly a thousand injured. He is also accused of masterminding other terror attacks and of money laundering and extortion.

(PTI)

Pakistan is not hell; we should not hate… I won’t apologize for my views: Ramya

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ramya

Bengaluru: Actress-turned-politician Ramya, who exposed the double standard of saffron forces while dealing with Pakistan, has made it clear that she would not apologies for saying that Pakistan is not hell.

“I respectful disagree, but Pakistan is not hell,” reiterated the former Mandya MP and Congress leader, today, after news broke that a lawyer has filed a complaint against her in court, asking a case of sedition be filed against her.

Ramya said she won’t apologize, either, as she has no reason to, and hasn’t done anything wrong.

“I don’t have any ego at all and in any given incident, I would have apologised, but if I do in this case, the larger cause we’re fighting for would go,” Ramya explained.

The Kannada actress – whose real name is Divya Spandana – first indicated she thinks Pakistan may not quite be hell, when she recently addressed a women’s rally in Mandya.

Some people protested because they believed her statements were a direct response to a comment Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar made last week when he equated visiting Pakistan with visiting hell.

A pro-BJP lawyer in Kodagu has registered a civil case against Ramya under IPC sections 124 (A) and 511 – the first one is to do with sedition.

“It’s really sad that there is such a situation in the country today…Politicians want to polarise and spread hatred. Just because borders separate us we shouldn’t hate others” Ramya said told a news agency, referring to the complaint filed against her.

“I’m free to express myself, am I not? Everyone is entitled to their views and that is what democracy is about. You can’t force your ideology on anyone,” Ramya said.

“It’s freedom of speech, it’s also our duty to speak on inclusiveness and peace. Curbing freedoms is wrong in democracy,” she added.

The former popular actress had at the rally talked about Pakistan’s hospitality. At the time she had just returned from visiting Pakistan for the SAARC Youth Summit.

On August 16, Parrikar reportedly said: “Our soldiers sent back five terrorists yesterday. Going to Pakistan is the same as going to hell,” Parrikar said, according to ANI. “Pakistan has encouraged terrorism, and now they are facing consequences of that policy,” he also said.

Twitter juxtaposed the two comments and all hell broke loose. Ramya was trolled. And then a gentleman from a Karnataka village took it upon himself to save the nation from anyone saying good things about Pakistan.

“I went there (Pakistan) for the SAARC Youth Summit. I spoke about peace, harmony and unity in diversity. When I got back, I was asked how Pakistan was and I said that the people there are just like us, and that we were treated very well. There was a lot of respect,” Ramya had responded yesterday.

The Congress member repeated several times today that she stands by what she said. “I don’t think I’m wrong. I also love Bangladesh, Sri Lanka. Of course I won’t leave India, it’s my home and I am not going to leave my dogs,” Ramya said, clearly stating her priorities.

(Agencies)

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