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Archives for 2017

Muslims urged to return to al-Aqsa after protests

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Religious officials say Palestinians should celebrate victory as Israel lifts security following mass demonstrations.

Muslim elders urged faithful to pray at al-Aqsa Mosque after Israel removed security measures [Reuters]

by Al Jazeera

Muslim leaders of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem have given their approval for Palestinians to re-enter the site after Israel removed new security measures, following almost two weeks of protests that saw several Palestinians killed and hundreds injured.

Officials of the Islamic Waqf authority that administers the holy site said on Thursday that Muslims should claim victory after Israel backed down, and urged them to once again pray inside the mosque.

The first prayer is expected to take place at around 13:00 GMT.

“We will be able to offer prayers inside the compound,” said Abdel-Azeem Salhab, director of the Islamic Waqf Council.

“The Israeli occupation forces have been trying for decades to violate al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Now, you are living in the new era of victory. We totally appreciate the masses who have been gathering,” he added.

Israel had erected railings, gates and scaffolding where cameras were mounted at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound entrance, claiming the measures were necessary for security after an attack on July 14.

Palestinians protested against increased security, which they viewed as an encroachment of Israeli control over the holy site, and a form of collective punishment.

With the discriminatory security measures, they feared that Israel was attempting to change the status quo of al-Aqsa, which gives Muslims religious control over the compound and Jews the right to visit, but not pray there.

Deadly street protests

Instead of praying inside al-Aqsa, thousands worshipped in the streets.

They also demonstrated, often clashing with police. At least six Palestinians were killed in that violence – one of whom was shot by a settler, and hospitals were unable to keep up with the number of injured.

“We had to sacrifice everything, we had to win this battle, and we finally won,” Ahmed Abulawa, a resident of occupied East Jerusalem, told Al Jazeera. “Jerusalem is our soul, our faith and we cannot live without it and al-Aqsa.

“Everyone here will sacrifice everything for al-Aqsa, and this is what made us victorious.”

A Palestinian also allegedly broke into the home of a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank and killed three Israelis.

By Tuesday, Israel had removed metal detectors from the entrance.

The measures, which also saw Palestinian men under the age of 50 banned from Friday prayers, were imposed after the alleged attack almost two weeks ago at the compound, carried out by Palestinian gunmen who killed two Israeli security guards.

As workmen removed the extra security installations on Thursday, Palestinians gathered to celebrate, with whistling and constant horns from cars.

“The message here is that the people have won,” said Al Jazeera’s Stefanie Dekker, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem. “It is a very special time for the Palestinians, who have never really experienced this kind of victory. They have achieved what they wanted.”

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, backed calls to return to al-Aqsa Mosque.

“The prayers will happen, God willing, inside the al-Aqsa Mosque,” Abbas told a press conference.

Jordan welcomed Israel’s removal of all new security measures as “an essential step towards calm”, said Mohammad al-Momani, information minister.

The compound houses al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock shrine, Islam’s third holiest site after Mecca and Medina, but also the ruins of the Biblical Jewish Temple.

Israeli police earlier confirmed that all security measures had been removed.

Actor Charmme Kaur grilled by SIT for six hours in drug racket case

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Hyderabad: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Telangana’s Excise Department, probing the Hyderabad drug racket, grilled actor Charmme Kaur for over six hours on Wednesday.

Charmme, with water bottle in one hand and waving at media persons with the other, left Abkari Bhavan, the office of Prohibition and Excise Department, around 5 pm but did not speak.

The questioning of Charmme, whose real name is Surdeep Kaur, began at 10 am and continued till the evening with lunch break. The actor refused to give her consent for drawing the samples of body fluid, hair and nails.

A four-member team including three women questioned the actor on her alleged links with Calvin Mascrenhas, the kingpin of the racket. She was also asked whether she takes drugs. The team, headed by Superintendent, Prohibition and Excise, K. Pavan Kumar, included three women – two inspectors and a sub-inspector. The women officers were included in the team on the directions of the Hyderabad High Court.

The court also asked the SIT not to collect Charmme’s blood, hair and nail samples without her consent. It, however, rejected her plea to allow the presence of her lawyer during the questioning. According to a statement from SIT, Charmme refused to give her consent for drawing the samples and thus they were not collected.

The officials understood to have gathered significant clues from Charmme, who was allegedly in touch with Calvin after the latter was introduced to her by director Puri Jagannadh. Earlier in the morning, there was commotion at Abkari Bhavan as Charmme reached there with bouncers.

The actor later complained to SIT officials about the alleged misbehaviour of a male police constable who had come very close to her. SIT took all precautions by deploying women constables when she was returning after the questioning.

Charmme is one of the 12 personalities from Tollywood summoned by the SIT for questioning in the drug racket which was busted here this month. The SIT has questioned seven celebrities including Charmme, actors Tarun and Navdeep and director Jagannadh after the SIT found their contact details in the call data of Mascrenhas.

Actor Mumaith Khan will appear before SIT on Thursday. Actor Ravi Teja and some others will be questioned this week.

The SIT has arrested 20 accused in the racket, which created a sensation following startling revelation that the peddlers sold drugs to students of several colleges and schools in Hyderabad, Tollywood celebrities and techies.

Telangana’s Excise Authorities arrested Mike Kaminga, a Dutch national on Tuesday night and narcotic substances was recovered from the 33-year-old.

Prohibition and Excise Department’s Director, Enforcement, Akun Sabharwal who is heading the probe, described it as an important arrest and that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) was recovering key information from the accused in the case.

The Dutch national would be produced in the court, he added.

(Agencies)

First Test: Shami’s twin strikes give India upper hand vs Sri Lanka

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Photo Credit: BCCI

Galle: Pacer Mohammed Shami’s twin strikes in a single over put India in the driver’s seat in the opening cricket Test as Sri Lanka lost five quick wickets to totter at 154/5 at stumps on the second day at the Galle International Stadium here on Thursday.

The home side lost three wickets in quick succession to find themselves trailing by 446 runs in their first innings, with former skipper Angelo Mathews (54) and Dilruwan Perera (6) unbeaten at stumps.

Shami dealt crucial blows to register figures of 2/30 while fellow pacer Umesh Yadav and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin bagged a wicket each. India opener Abhinav Mukund made things worse for the hosts by effecting the run-out of in-form Upul Tharanga.

Reduced to 10 men after the loss of all-rounder Asela Gunaratne, who was ruled out with a broken thumb on Wednesday, the hosts were off to a shaky start, losing opener Dimuth Karunaratne (2), debutant Danushka Gunathilaka (16) and Kusal Mendis (0) in the first 15 overs.

Karunaratne was trapped leg before by Umesh while Gunathilaka and Mendis were sent back in the same over by Shami.

Tharanga (64) and Mathews then steadied the ship with a 57-run stand for the fourth-wicket before Mukund’s brilliant throw sent back the newly-appointed Sri Lanka One-Day International (ODI) skipper.

Mukund’s throw from silly point to stumper Wriddhiman Saha resulted in Tharanga’s run-out, who reached the crease but his bat bounced while making the ground.

Incoming batsman Niroshan Dickwella (8) was caught brilliantly by Mukund at silly point after he failed to block the ball and managed only to get the outside edge off a delivery by tweaker Ashwin.

Earlier, a 62-run ninth-wicket stand between debutant Hardik Pandya (50) and Shami (30) helped India post 600 in their first essay.

Pandya’s half-century was laced with five boundaries and three sixes while Shami slammed three sixes in his cameo with a strike rate of 100.00.

Resuming the day at 399/3, the overnight duo of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane batted cautiously with the Saurashtra right-hander crossing the 150-run mark while Rahane too got to his half-century.

But the tide was destined to turn soon. Pujara was the first to go when pacer Nuwan Pradeep produced an excellent delivery which moved slightly away after pitching at a perfect length on the off-stump.

Pujara was totally outfoxed as the ball took the outer edge on its way into the gloves of Lankan wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella.

Rahane was the next to go. The Mumbai batsman mistimed an attempted drive off Lahiru Kumara only to see the ball take the outer edge and Dimuth Karunaratne pull of a superb diving effort at first slip.

The visitors plunged into further trouble when Wriddhiman Saha (16) and Ashwin (47) also went back in successive overs.

For the hosts, Pradeep (6/132) emerged the pick of the bowlers while fellow pacer Lahiru Kumara took 3/131 and skipper Herath bagged a wicket.

(IANS)

USA’s next presidential candidate appointed Indian Media Baron, Satish Reddy as the International Ambassador of Foreign Relations

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Mr. Satish Reddy will be instrumental in strengthening global ties of USA and Foreign Countries and plans to strengthen the political interests of India on global platform
25th July 2017, Transformation is evident not only in USA but also across the world while America is approaching their next Presidential Election in 2020. Robby Wells who is elected as the next presidential candidate for Democrat party has appointed Mr. Satish Reddy the Managing Director of World News Network, a citizen and a media baron from India as the International Ambassador of Foreign Relations recently.

Mr. Satish Reddy who has been instrumental in establishing a platform for entrepreneur across various sectors all over the world, had previously been responsible in organizing Paris Appreciation Award atop Eiffel Tower to encourage innovation and promote the rise of entrepreneurship. This successful initiative had brought together delegates from all over the world on one platform and offered new opportunities for global economy.

On the occasion of being appointed as the International Ambassador of Foreign Relations, Managing Director Mr. Satish Reddy added “Robby wells as a presidential candidate of Democrat party for 2020 Elections in USA would certainly create an affinity among Americans and Indian American population. Myself being appointed as the international ambassador for foreign relations i would certainly strive for encouraging both the countries in making financial alliances that will lead to potential economic growth in various industrial sectors. I also intend to promote Indian political interests by educating the candidate about the foreign policy of the country, thereby creating a better understanding about the Indian policies vis a vis the world. Mr .Robby Wells would be meeting political and administrative dignitaries around the world to promote sustainable development of nations along with peaceful cooperation through exchange of ideas over a cordial platform .I would be coordinating these activities along with Mr Wells and Team Riseup encouraging enterprise through sustainable development while protecting the environment and resolving political issues in a peaceful manner across the world. As international ambassador of a US presidential candidate I am hopeful it will only widen the scope of my current vision. We plan to organize summits which will include participation of political and administrative dignitaries along with industrial heads across the world in Europe, Asia, America , Africa, Middle East to strengthen global ties.”.

Mr. Robby Wells, the presidential candidate for 2020 elections added “We are pleased to announce that Mr. Satish Reddy has joined the ‘Rise Up – Robby Wells for President 2020’ campaign as the International Ambassador of Foreign Relations. Mr. Reddy brings a wealth of experience to the campaign as the founder and CEO of the World News Network. His worldwide contacts will help this campaign and ultimately the United States in building long lasting relationships and alliances.

ED registers money laundering case against Lalu Prasad, family

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New Delhi: In fresh trouble for RJD chief Lalu Prasad, the ED has registered a money laundering case against him and his family members in a railway hotels allotment corruption case dating back to the UPA tenure, officials said today.

The case has been registered under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The central probe agency has taken cognisance of a CBI FIR in this regard to initiate the move.

Earlier this month, the CBI had registered a criminal FIR and conducted multiple searches against the former Bihar chief minister and others.

The Enforcement Directorate will investigate the alleged “proceeds of crime” generated by the accused, purportedly through shell companies, officials said.

Prasad’s wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav, and others will be probed by the agency under charges filed in the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), the ED equivalent of a police FIR.

The casedates back to the time when Lalu was the railway minister in the UPA government.

Others named in the CBI FIR include Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar (both directors of Sujata Hotels), Delight Marketing company, now known as Lara Projects, and the then IRCTC managing director P K Goel.

The CBI FIR alleges that Prasad, as railway minister, handed over the maintenance of two IRCTC hotels to a company after receiving a bribe in the form of prime land in Patna through a ‘benami’ company owned by Sarla Gupta.

The FIR was registered on July 5 in connection with favours allegedly extended to Sujata Hotels in awarding a contract for the upkeep of the hotels in Ranchi and Puri and receiving premium land as ‘quid pro quo’.

The ED, under the PMLA, has powers to attach and confiscate tainted assets and it is expected that the agency will initiate such a move once it makes progress in the case.

(PTI)

Nitish Kumar sworn in as CM of Bihar, BJP’s Sushil Modi as his Deputy

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Patna: Within 24 hours of his resignation the head of the state, Nitish Kumar on Thursday was sworn in as Chief Minister of Bihar at the Raj Bhawan in Patna. The oath was administered by Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi.

This is Kumar’s sixth term as chief minister.

Kumar unexpectedly resigned on Wednesday, breaking the ‘mahagathbandhan’ after he walked out of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-Janata Dal (United) JD(U) alliance and joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) receiving full support from Sushil Modi and other BJP leaders.

BJP leader Sushil Modi was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar.

The ostensible reason for Kumar to quit was his falling out with Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav, the son of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad. Yadav is facing corruption charges but had refused to step down despite Kumar’s exhortations.

“In the circumstances that prevail in Bihar, it became difficult to run the grand alliance government,” Kumar said outside Raj Bhavan after submitting his resignation to Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi.

But in a series of fast paced developments that unfolded over the next few hours it became clear that Kumar was going to be the ultimate winner.

The JD(U)-BJP return to power after four years in the state. JD(U) had walked out of the NDA in July 2013 after Narendra Modi was nominated as head of the BJP’s campaign committee for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

However, the RJD appeared in no mood to give up without a fight, with Tejaswi Yadav saying he, too, would stake claim to form government, but failed when the governor invited Nitish to form Government.

(Agencies)

KJ George files defamation suit against Arnab Goswami, Times Now for ‘fake news’

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Bengaluru: Bengaluru Development Minister KJ George has now filed a criminal defamation case against journalist Arnab Goswamy and Times Now channel for airing “fake news.”

Arnab Goswamy was the Editor-in-Chief of the Times Now when the controversial report in connection with IAS officer D K Ravi’s death case was aired by the channel on March 23, 2015.

The then home minister George was targeted as the main accused in the news. The video of the same was also made viral on social media.

Recently CBI submitted its chargesheet in D K Ravi’s case and in the final report it was confirmed that it was a suicide.

The case came for hearing on July 26 at the 10th ACMM Court and it has been adjourned till August 19.

According to the complaint, the “sly and blatantly false innuendoes and statements” made by Goswami on Times Now Super Prime Time “were false, malicious, and was a defamatory campaign and propaganda to insinuate KJ George having a vested interest in DK Ravi’s death.”

An FIR was filed at the Jeevan Bhima Nagar Police Station, after which the complaint was submitted to the 10th Additional District Magistrate Court under sections 499, 500, 501, 502, 503, 504, 505, 506, read along with sections 34 and 35 of the IPC.

“The well-respected IAS officer, DK Ravi, died on March 16, 2015. Just a day later, Arnab Goswami, without proper investigation, declared his death to be a murder and accused K J George, who was the then Home Minister, of being involved in DK Ravi’s death, of running a mafia and destroying evidence. This amounts to interfering in the judicial process and hence the complaint was filed today,” Minister George’s lawyer, Ajesh Kumar Shankar, was quoted as saying by a news portal.

(Agencies)

FIRST POSTER OF ALI FAZAL AS ABDUL KARIM FROM ‘VICTORIA & ABDUL’

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The first poster of actor Ali Fazal from the film Victoria & Abdul directed by Stephen Frears which stars Ali Fazal opposite Dame Judi Dench has been unveiled. The other cast includes Sir Micheal Gambon & Eddi Izzard. The film is slated for release in Sept, this year.

GRAND & QUIRKY TRAILER LAUNCH OF ‘POSTER BOYS’!!!

Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol & Shreyas Talpade launched the trailer of their light hearted drama Poster Boys! The 1st look poster saw the trio in a new avatar which firmly established the funny bone of the flick and generated tremendous curiosity value. Seen at the trailer launch were brothers Sunny Deol & Bobby Deol, Debut Director Shreyas Talpade & Dharmendra who came to give his blessings for the film. The trailer witnesses a never seen before avatar of Sunny & Bobby’s shudh Hindi accent and it also clearly depicts a topic which needs to be spoken about in our country. Poster Boys (in Marathi) was a winner at the Box – Office turnstiles and was one of the biggest openers of Marathi cinema in 2014. The original film was produced by Shreyas Talpade in which he also had powerful cameo. With the official remake of Poster Boys, he also makes his directorial debut. Slated to release on 8th Sept, 2017, Poster Boys is a story inspired by a real life incident about 3 ordinary men who found their pictures on a vasectomy poster.

‘HINDI MEDIUM’ PROVES IT’S ORIGINALITY, RAMDHANU WITHDRAWS

The critically as well as commercially acclaimed huge Box – Office turnstiles success, Hindi Medium starring Irrfan Khan & Saba Qamar in the lead, recently was in the news for copyright claims by the makers behind the 2014 Bengali family drama film Ramdhanu. However we have learnt that Dinesh Vijan & Bhushan Kumar’s Hindi Medium directed by Saket Chaudhary has overwhelming won the case with the facts, with the Ramdhanu team reportedly withdrawing its case against the film. Going down to an unbeatable verdict which could not be won, the makers of Ramdhanu have withdrawn all aspects of its case against Hindi Medium. “Hindi Medium is a story about how education that is supposed to be a tool of enlightenment has become a tool to create inequality. A slice of life comedy based in the heartland of our country, Hindi Medium released on 19th May, 2017 to an unprecedented word of mouth & Box – Office turnstiles opening. Hindi Medium was a T – series & Maddock Films presentation.

‘YADVI – THE DIGNIFIED PRINCESS’ TRAILER RELEASED

RVP Productions released the trailer of the film Yadvi – The Dignified Princess. Director & actor Jyoti Singh said, “Yadvi – The Dignified Princess is not just another film for me & my team but a soulful journey that’s being helmed by courageous hearts, to create magic on screen. It is based on the true story of my own grandmother.” Chandrachur Singh said, “Yadvi – The Dignified Princess was a wonderful filmmaking experience and the results will show on screen.” Charu Vyas said, “Yadvi – The Dignified Princess is an extremely special film. Not only for what it offers but also because of the people I have worked with here. I had a great time working on the film especially with Jyoti Singh, who wasn’t only directing the film but also acting in it.” The film stars, Chandrachur Singh, Charu Vyas, Rahul Godara, Jyoti Singh, Vibhu Raghave, Namya Saxena, Nikkitasha Marwaha, Reshaa Sabarawal, Mini Pandit & Ashwarya Singh. Story & Screenplay is by Gauri Singh, who is Jyoti Singh’s sister. The music is composed by Anuj Garg and the lyrics are penned by Puneet Sharma & Nasir Faraz. The film is in English and will release on 4thAug, 2017. Jyoti Singh received her training under Professor Roshan Taneja & Tom Alter from Access to Bollywood in NYC. She has also taken courses at NYFA and several studios in NYC. She worked as the lead in the film 9 Eleven, which got acclaim & was also featured in the music video “Someday”, which won several film festival awards. She now debuts with her 1st film Yadvi – The Dignified Princess.

AKSHAY KUMAR’S RESPECT FOR THE INDIAN FLAG
Akshay Kumar attended the Women’s Cricket World Cup final at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, UK, to cheer for the Indian team. The actor soon found himself in the eye of a storm after he posted a picture of himself waving the Indian flag upside down. “It was unintentional on Akshay’s part. Since the flag was kept folded, while opening it, he held it upside down by mistake, when those pictures were clicked. And during moments of rush, Akshay uploaded them on his social networking sites,” says a friend. But when Akshay realized his mistake, he deleted all the pictures from his social networking portals. But by then, the Twitterattis got after the actor to lambast him for the mistake. Instead of defending himself, Akshay showed his maturity by apologizing through Twitter. “Extending my sincerest apology for violating the code of conduct for the tricolor. Didn’t mean to offend anyone, the picture has been removed (sic),” the actor wrote on his Twitter account. “You won’t see many big names apologizing so readily but since Akshay felt that he could have hurt some people’s feelings, and especially since it involves the national flag, he didn’t think even for a second before saying sorry,” says the friend.

‘QAIDI BAND’ LAUNCHES “I AM INDIA” AT GATEWAY OF INDIA

Qaidi Band- the motley crew of youth seeking freedom with their music while behind bars, launched their song, “I am India” at Gateway of India recently by posing for a special photograph. Saluting youthful optimism, never say die spirit & freedom as we experience it, this song from the film Qaidi Band is the perfect youth anthem for this season. A thumping, high – energy track, Habib Faisal has written the lyrics of “I am India”. Arijit Singh & Yashita Sharma have sung the number and Amit Trivedi has composed the film’s music. Yash Raj Films’ next, Qaidi Band features Aadar Jain & Anya Singh in the lead. Directed by Habib Faisal, the film is a riveting tale of Undertrials who come together to form a band in jail and their music becomes their only hope for freedom.

IS ROMANCE BLOSSOMING BETWEEN URVASHI RAUTELA & US RAPPER MAEJOR ALI?

It was recently reported that Bollywood actress Urvashi Rautela is going to team up with internationally renowned American record producer, rapper, singer & songwriter, Maejor Ali aka Brandon Green, for a single & a music video. And it seems that these 2 stars have started to take a liking to each other. The Grammy Award nominee, who is a close friend of Justin Bieber, had been in touch with Urvashi for quite some time. He even extended an invitation to her and promised to show around LA. Urvashi, who is currently holidaying in US, seems to have accepted his invitation as they were recently spotted having a good time together at Hollywood’s top – notch club Peppermint Club in Los Angeles. Maejor Ali has also been showering Urvashi with gifts as he gifted her American – flagged jacket. Maejor Ali seems to be smitten by Urvashi. He has been meeting her often and they even took to a yoga class together. He also took Urvashi to his studio recently and showed her around. They seem to be having a great time together. He is keen to learn about India and our culture and Urvashi has been helping him learn Hindi. The rapper & his entire team from LA are expected to fly down to India very soon to have a detailed interaction for their upcoming project. But for now, they seem to be bonding really well in LA. We can’t help but wonder if there is more to their friendship. Guess only Urvashi can tell!!!!

ROHAN MEHRA CAPTURED WHILE SHOOTING FOR HIS DEBUT FILM ‘BAZAAR’
Rohan Mehra was spotted shooting for his debut film Bazaar at a suburban hotel in Mumbai. Rohan is the Son of late actor Vinod Mehra. Bazaar is about the dark world that lies beneath the Indian stock market and is directed by Gauravv K Chawla.

‘TAANAJI’ POSTER SPARKS TREMENDOUS EXCITEMENT UPON LAUNCH

Ajay Devgn Ffilm Productions & WaterGate Production launched the exciting poster of Taanaji which sees Ajay Devgn essay the aspiring role of Taanaji, Shivaji’s trusted general, who was deputed to head the mission to capture Kondana Fort (today’s Sinhagad) from the claws of Mughal Empire. The artistic poster garnered tremendous response across the country, with Taanaji being the 3rd ambitious project announced by Ajay Devgn Ffilm Productions & WaterGate Production. The companies had recently announced the scripted biopic series on Swami Baba Ramdev: The Untold Story tracing Swami Baba Ramdev and his able partner Acharya Balakrishna’s fascinating & inspirational journey, which will be aired on Discovery Channel. The show will celebrate Baba’s journey from a life of anonymity to a national icon, international cult figure and now business mogul. With the intent of meaningful cinema, a 2nd announcement was made regarding an untitled Marathi film on the floors, which stars Nana Patekar in lead and directed by Satish Rajwade, which will have Ajay Devgn doing a cameo. The film is touted to be a family drama and it also stars Sumeet Raghavan & Iravati Harshe. With 3 diverse and noteworthy projects already revealed, further announcements are expected in the weeks to follow from Ajay Devgn Ffilm Productions & WaterGate Production, for 2017 – 2018.

ALIA BHATT CHAMPIONS THE WELFARE OF STREET CATS & DOGS

Earlier this year, Alia Bhatt announced the launch of her ecological initiative COEXIST by releasing a rescued sea turtle into the sea on Mother’s Day. As a part of the initiative, Alia is now championing the welfare of street cats & dogs. Having rescued & fostered animals since a young age, Alia wants to raise awareness about the plight of strays and how each one of us, through simple acts of kindness, can ensure a better & safer environment for these animals. Speaking about the campaign, Alia said “Street cats & dogs are often subjected to immense cruelty because of the misconceptions surrounding them. Living on the streets, they have no safe shelter, are injured or run over by callous drivers and are left traumatized from the loud sounds of firecrackers & loudspeakers, during festivals & events. Through this campaign, we hope to change attitudes and help people embrace a sensitive approach towards our strays.”The campaign will also focus on the adoption of stray cats & dogs. “They provide us with the same amount of love & loyalty as any other breed. If adopting an animal for your home is not a possibility, then be compassionate to the animals in your locality – by looking out for them and ensuring they are vaccinated & sterilized.” said Alia, who herself has a rescued pet cat, Sheeba. “Visit our blog & our Facebook page to know how you can make a difference.”

HERE’S WHO RANVEER SINGH THANKS FOR HIS AMAZING NEW LOOK!!!

Known to create new looks for all his characters, Ranveer Singh created quite a stir recently when shared a new look of his on Instagram. Bearded & pot – bellied, Ranveer looks like a character right out of American sits – com!!! And while Ranveer has got us all interested, he did drop some hint. The actor has thanked Preetisheel Singh of Da MakeUp Lab in the post for creating his look. And we believe this look is for one of his new ads for one of the brands he endorses. This is not the 1st time Ranveer has been thankful of Preetisheel Singh & Mark D’Souza for Da MakeUp Lab. They have worked together in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani, where the Prosthetic experts had created the entire look of all characters in the film. And now they are working again in Padmavati, where Preetisheel Singh has designed the entire look for all characters in the film, including the ones being played by Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone & Shahid Kapoor. Accolades, of course, are not now for Preetisheel & Mark, who had earlier won the National Award for his work in Nanak Shah Fakir. They are today Bollywood’s most sought after makeup & prosthetic experts having worked in films such as Brothers, Rangoon, Mom, Haider, NH 10 etc.
KANGANA RANAUT ADMITTED TO ICCU AFTER A NEAR FATAL ACCIDENT ON ‘MANIKARNIKA- THE QUEEN OF JHANSI’ SETS

Kangana Ranaut, who is busy with the shoot of Manikarnika – The Queen of Jhansi in Hyderabad, escaped a near – fatal accident recently. The actress was accidently struck by a sword on her forehead while filming an intense sword – fighting sequence, Mid -Day reported. She was immediately rushed to a hospital and was admitted into the ICCU. Reports state that Kangana was bleeding profusely and has got 15 stitches on her forehead.”Kangana was immediately rushed to Apollo hospital nearby, where she was admitted into the ICCU. She got 15 stitches on her forehead and will be under observation in the hospital for a few days. The examining doctor said that it was a close shave for her because the cut was too close to her bone,” a source from the unit told the daily. The Queen actress refused to use a body double and had rehearsed for the scene several times but the timing went wrong during the shoot and the actress got hurt.”Kangana had to duck when Nihar (Pandya) attacked her, but the timing went wrong and Nihar’s sword hit her forehead instead. It made a deep cut between her eyebrows. The drive to the hospital took a good 30 minutes, but she put up a brave front despite the pain & bleeding. Nihar was apologetic and felt terrible, but Kangana pacified him,” he said. However, fans need not worry much as Kangana is doing well and will be discharged in the next few days. She is reportedly planning to flaunt the deep scar, which is between her eyebrows, in the film and would undergo a cosmetic surgery only after the film wraps up. Kangana has been making headlines after Karan Johar & his co – hosts at the IIFA Awards 2017 took a jibe at her with their comments on nepotism. Karan, Varun Dhawan & Saif Ali Khan’s comments received severe backlash from the public, causing them to issue a public apology.

SHREYAS TALPADE’S WIFE DEEPTI TALPADE IS SUFFERING FROM SWINE FLU

Bollywood actor & director Shreyas Talpade who currently has 2 movies in his pocket is struggling between his career & Family life. Shreyas’ wife Deepti Talpade is suffering from Swine flue but due to his commitments he has to visit the sets and be on calls for his movie Posters Boys. The actor was recently in buzz that he is handling his directorial debut Poster Boys on phone while shooting for his upcoming stint Golmaal Again. On Mon night when he returned from late night shoot he got to know that his wife deepti is suffering from heavy fever. Next morning due to commitment he admitted Deepti and went for a shoot of Golmaal Again. “It is a difficult time. Deepti has been hospitalized because of H1N1 & as much as I want to be with her, I have to rush from one studio to the other to meet the deadline on completion of Poster Boys trailer shoot & then be with her at the hospital in the interim breaks” Said Shreyas. Posters Boys features Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol & Shreyas Talpade himself in lead roles. The film is an official remake of the 2014 Marathi hit Poshter Boyz which Shreyas had produced & acted in. It is inspired by a real life incident about 3 coolies who found their pictures on a vasectomy poster. Produced by Affluence Movie Pvt. Ltd., Poster Boys is scheduled to be released on 8th Sept, 2017.

DIVYA DUTTA’S ATTEMPT AT OVERCOMING CLAUSTROPHOBIA

Divya Dutta who will be next seen in Babumoshai Bandookbaaz has a good time trying to get over her fear of claustrophobia. The actress who will be seen playing a pivotal role in the film was required to be standing in a dug up hole which was later filled once the actress was inside it, keeping only her head out. The scene was shot in an open land in Lucknow and in the scorching heat of 45’C and Divya Dutta was required to stay in that hole for straight 3 hours. With all her apprehension the actress shoot for those 3 hours with the entire crew pampering her diverting her mind from the situation she was in. At the end of it all the actress gave one of the best shots of the film.

TIGER SHROFF SHOWS – OFF HIS FITNESS SKILLS IN ADDITION TO FITNESS EXPERTS CONDUCTING A HIGH – ENERGY SESSION

The Morning Fitness Party an initiative by The Times of India was conducted over the weekend which was a combination of fitness, healthy food, workout fashion & music. Showcasing unique exercise forms, fitness experts like Mandeep Yogini (Yoga), Mahek Shah (Piloxing), Senthil Kumaran (Bokwa), Shivani Patel & Siddharth Das (Zumba) conducted a 25 min high – energy session each respectively. Bollywood hearthrob Tiger Shroff displayed his amazing fitness related skills that created a contagious vibe and got the audiences high on vigour. He also danced to the tunes of his upcoming movie. The Morning Fitness Party aims to re – imagine healthy living by building a community of “fitness enthusiasts” who like to party their way to good health without getting seduced to any conventional vice. This is an innovative concept as unconventional spaces such as resto -bars, hotels & malls are converted into community fitness venues. The Morning Fitness party preaches morning workouts to be breakfast for the fitness body. Studies prove that morning workouts prime the body for an all – day fat burn and fire your metabolism. In fact, a recent study published in the Journal of Physiology* proves that exercising before breakfast helps dieters achieve better weight loss results via a greater percentage of fat burn for energy. The Morning Fitness Party is a cultural revolution which puts fitness first.

‘VADIYAN’ MUSIC LAUNCH: CAST, CREW & SINGERS RELEASES OST

The music & the trailer launch of Vadiyan was held with great pomp & fanfare. Present at the event were the cast, crew and guests including Rajpal Yadav, Milind Gunaji, Ranjeet, Sanjay Mishra, Milind Gunaji, Rakesh Bedi, Anil Nagrath & Sunil Pal. Tarannum Malik, who has given hits like “Saiyaara” from Ek Tha Tiger, “Jao Na” from Whats Your Rashee? etc enthralled the audiences with her electrifying performance. The film – a suspense thriller produced by Satvik Films & Malti Pictures is all set to enthrall the audiences this Sept. Directed by Rajan Priyadarshi & produced by Prakash Tiwari, the film revolves around the characters portrayed by Milind Gunaji & Sudesh Berry and is a story based on mistaken identity & identity theft; which is much prevalent these days. It boasts of an ensemble cast of Milind Gunaji, Sudesh Berry, Hari Om Kalra, Pritam Jundare, Santosh Anamay, Manish Sharma,Neha Singh, Yashu Dhiman, Anita Tambole, Rajkumar Sahi. The story will tickle the audience as well as intrigue them. The other singers are Aniket Arondkar, Sandy D’souza & Abhijeet Arun. The music is composed by Ilyas G., Badal Khan & Abhijeet Arun. Lyrics are by Amol Arondkar & Dipak Deshmukh. Director Rajan Priyadarshi said, ”This is my 1st ever film as a director. I believe in making movies which are entertaining and can be watched by the entire family together”. Producer Prakash Tiwari said, “We have done a lot of hard work to showcase the story beautifully in a way that the audiences relate to the film. Every member of the cast & the crew worked equally hard to bring this project to light.”

KATRINA KAIF HITS THE BEACHES IN ESSAOUIRA MOROCCO!!!

Katrina Kaif who is currently in Morocco filming Tiger Zinda Hai with Salman Khan, is enjoying every moment at the Morocco’s hip town – Essaouira!!! The star who has earlier shot at the port city, was happy to visit it for the 2nd time. Apart from hitting the beaches and learning to surf, Katrina has also been walking around the quaint city which has been listed as a UNESCO Heritage site and enjoying the local markets and eateries. Says a source, “The Moroccan town of Essaouira is well -known to watersports fans and Katrina is a complete water baby, making it the perfect location to try her hand at surfing and other water sports. Though the schedule has been quite hectic, she has been making the time to explore the city and popular local spots. She has been taking surfing lessons at Explora Watersports, which is the best surf & kite school in Essaouira and is right across Katrina’s hotel. She takes lessons early mornings before the shoot”. When contacted said Katrina, “I love every bit of Essoairra. It’s my 2nd time here so I know the medina, the local places & the beaches.”

1ST EVER POSTER FOR ‘CARBON’ UNVEILED

The 1st ever poster for the short film Carbon starring Jackky Bhagnani was unveiled recently. Carbon is a futuristic film set in 2067, starring Jackky Bhagnani, Nawazzudin Siddiqui, Prachi Desai & Yashpal Sharma. Keeping in mind the current situation of Global warming, the film takes a look at what the future could look like if there’s no action taken today. Will these 4 characters escape from Carbon? Find out soon. In association with Large Short Films, written & directed by Maitrey Bajpai & Ramiz Ilham Khan, produced by Jackky Bhagnani, Deepshikha Deshmukh & Gautam Gupta, Carbon will be released on Large Short Films’ YouTube channel.

A GRAND MUSIC LAUNCH OF FILM ‘MR. KABAADI’

The music of the film Mr. Kabaadi was launched recently on the label of Zee Music. Alka Yagnik & Suresh Wadkar, the chief guests on the occasion released the music. It was a musical sojourn with musical veterans rubbing shoulders at the grand release which included Anup Jalota, Om Chhangani, Annu Kapoor, Seema Kapoor, music composers like Ali – Gani, Raj – Prakash & Vishal, singers like Madhushree, M.D. Ghani, Divya Dutta, Vikram, Rajveer Singh with Zee Music team as well as all distributor Rich Juniors Entertainment’s MD Vinod Nischal & marketing team Media Magic’s MD Pallavi Agrawal making their presence felt. Mr. Kabaadi is all geared up to lit the screens on 4th Aug, 2017.Written & directed by Seema Kapoor for producers Anup Jalota, Rakesh Gupta, Dinesh Gupta & Om Changani, Mr. Kabaadi is all set to tickle your funny bones. The film has 5 melodious songs which have been scored by Raj – Prakash & Ali – Gani. The star cast comprises of Om Puri, Annu Kapoor, Sarika, Vinay Pathak, Rajveer Singh, Kashish Vora, Brijendra Kala and others. The film is slated for release on 4th Aug, 2017.

SUNNY LEONE UNVEILS JAL NATURAL MINERAL WATER

Sunny Leone launched JAL natural mineral water at JW Mariott, Juhu. The event was hosted by RJ Suren from Radio Mirchi 98.3FM who managed to keep the audience entertained with his one – liners & humor, followed by MD Torque Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd & Chairman Filmy Keeda Productions Pvt Ltd Mr. P. S. Chhatwal’s video presentation of his biography. Sunny Leone was rather excited about unveiling the product alongside the entire team of Torque pharmaceuticals & Filmy Keeda Productions. The commercial featuring Sunny Leone for JAL was played for the 1st time ever and the press conference, which grabbed a lot of attention. Sunny was seen answering most of the media queries. Talking about the product Sunny said, “Water is extremely important for our survival. So here I am endorsing a product that is actually a necessity. Also I completely enjoyed shooting for the advertisement that they shot. It is one of my best ads so far”. The Wadali brothers performed at the event that set the mood and left the audience crooning to their tunes. Mr. P. S. Chhatwal said, “I believe that everything that we do should be done with a lot of hard work & great patience. After 40 years I am coming out with a product like Jal because I believe that with the hard work that we have put it we are giving to the consumer a mineral water that truly benefits them.”

MADAME TUSSAUDS ADDS MADHUBALA TO THEIR GALLERY OF FIGURES

Madame Tussauds, Delhi announced that a figure of Madhubala from Bollywood’s golden era is to join the stars at the attraction. This would be the 1st ever figure from the classical world of Indian cinema to be displayed at the attraction. The figure will be styled from her most admired “Anarkali” character from the classic movie Mughal – E -Azam”. Guests to the attraction will be able to interact with the figure in the “Bollywood Zone” which will bring to life the classic age of Indian cinema in a fun & interactive way. In her brief lifetime, the famous actress attained huge success, which only a few have achieved. To honor her, a commemorative postage stamp featuring Madhubala was issued by the Indian Post in 2008. Anshul Jain, General Manager & Director Merlin Entertainments India Pvt Ltd, said, “Madhubala still continues to rule the hearts of billions of fans in the nation. We are sure that her magnetic beauty will attract her fans to click a selfie & relive a special moment with her and be transported back to the golden era of cinema. The visitors will be encouraged to interact with the life – like figures of the celebrities, which marks the uniqueness of the wax attraction.

SHOOJIT SIRCAR TO WEAVE A LOVE STORY WITH VARUN DHAWAN

Rising Sun Films brings together Shoojit Sircar & Varun Dhawan in their next production titled – October. The film, a slice of life love story written by Juhi Chaturvedi & directed by Shoojit Sircar will star Varun Dhawan in the lead. It will go on floors this Sept. With a repertoire of films like Yahaan, Vicky Donor, Madras Cafe, Piku & Pink that have explored different genres and have won accolades including National Awards, Rising Sun Films’ new venture, October, will be a story about love. “It is a genre that I have always wanted to delve in. While love & romance have been entwined with Indian cinema, there is abundance in that emotion that everyone can have their own interpretations of. Juhi & I have always tried to create stories from the reflections of real life moments that we see around us. October is another effort to explore those moments out of simple situations of life,” shared Shoojit. “I have been ardent fan of Shoojit da’s work and have always wanted to work with him. October is a beautiful story in which I play a character with many layers. It’s a difficult character to play. I just want to surrender to my part and show people a new side of me. Shoojit da, Ronnie & Juhi have always made good cinema I feel grateful to join their team.” enthused Varun.

LAUREN GOTTLIEB POST A VOXIE WHILE DANCING AT THE TOP OF KAULA LAMPUR TOWER

Dancer – turned actress Lauren Gottlieb, known for her stint in ABCD & ABCD 2 & reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, has recently posted a picture of herself on VoxWeb. The Voxie has Lauren performing a dance step atop the Famous Kuala Lampur tower. Lauren was recently in Kaula Lampur for a work cum leisure trip and decided to have some fun by posting a quirky picture on VoxWeb. “VoxWeb is a messaging & social media application developed around speaking – pictures or ‘Voxies’ (tap on the pic to hear the pic).”Lauren has chosen a fun new way to interact with her fans and going by her first “Voxie”, we cannot wait for more. Lauren posted an image of herself at the top of the Kuala Lampur tower as a voxie on VoxWeb commenting on her experience while being there. Lauren was quoted saying “Hi guys, I am so excited this is my very 1st VoxWeb and I am sitting you know on the top of the world on Kaula Lampur Tower.”

HUNGAMA MUSIC TIES UP WITH UPCOMING HINDI FILM ‘REDRUM’
The Hindi movie RedruM has got a new partner on board – Hungama music. This forthcoming Hindi film has tied up with Hungama music to release its music for a wider reach. Redrum – A tale of Murder is an upcoming Hindi movie based on Edgar Allan Poe’s classic short story, “The Tell Tale Heart”. Touted to be India’s 1st film with a 3D (Binaural) background score the film is stated to release this year. The film stars Vibhav Roy, Saeeda Imtiaz and veteran actor Tom Alter in pivotal roles and is directed by the duo Dhruv Sachdev & Sourabh Bali. Produced under the banner of Durgesh Paul Production & Bhilwara Entertainment, the screenplay is penned by one half of the duo – Dhruv Sachdev. Music of the film is given by Aagman, Anurag Mohn & Agastya. Producer Durgesh Paul said, “We are happy to collaborate with Hungama Music, one of the popular music labels and are sure that this collaboration will be mutually beneficial.”

SEZAL SHARMA SIGNED BY CHANDAN PRABHAKAR (CHANDU CHAIWALA FROM THE KAPIL SHARMA SHOW) DIRECTORIAL DEBUT

Entertainment industry is something that is executed after careful consideration. From choosing the right scripts to the right role to the right director, every aspect plays a crucial role. Sezal Sharma who was last seen in 31st October opposite Vir Das & Soha Ali Khan has now been signed by actor Chandan Prabhakar for his directorial debut in Punjabi. It is still an untitled project. The film is a Comedy – love story where Sezal plays the role of an Indo – Canadian girl and the plot revolves largely around her. Sezal Sharma said, “I’ve known Chandan for a while but everyone who knows Chandan will agree that in work related matters, he is quite a perfectionist. Through I was on his mind for this role, I had to give four auditions post which I got selected. I begin shooting for this film in August. Sezal has 2 releases coming up this year, one of which is GPL, which got showcased in Cannes last year and is due to release in Oct, 2017.

KRISHAN TANDON IS A VERSATILE ACTOR

Among the serials, telefilms, documentaries & short films, that Krishan Tandon has acted are Paas Bhi Tum Door Bhi, Parwaaz (Urdu serial), Shahadat (A Tele film by Anil Tejani of Nari Hira productions), Cloud 9 (1st Brit – Asian daily soap in English. Krishan did his 1st film in 1984 where he played a Police Officer with Anupam Kher, Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Bindu & Alok Nath. His job didn’t allow him to do anymore films. In London, he was doing short films in English but somewhere Bollywood bug bit him and he was waiting for the right opportunity. Mukesh Chabbra went to London in hunt of local actors for Karan Johar’s film Shaandaar. “I met him and I got a role to play a family Lawyer and toured with the production to Leeds, Poland & India. After the release of Shaandaar, I got Azhar, where I played BCCI Chairman which became very popular. Though there was a long gap between Shaandaar & Azhar because I wasn’t getting good roles while I was auditioned for many one liner roles. “In 2016, I played Taapsee Pannu’s rich father. The film is by a debutante director Aleya Sen Gupta. It has Saqeeb Salim in a male lead. It is due to release this year. In the meanwhile I got Suneel Darshan’s Ek Hasina Thi Ek Diwana Tha, in which he played a professor who brings a twist in the story. He has also acted in Anees Bazmee’s comedy film Mubarakan. Kishan adds, “During this summer I have couple of another projects in hand which also includes a Punjabi film. I would love to do any role in a Punjabi film. I want to do serious roles. I want to establish myself as a mature actor”.

Former Karnataka chief minister N Dharam Singh passes away

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Bengaluru: Former Karnataka Chief Minister N Dharam Singh died of a massive heart attack at a private hospital here today, doctors said.

Eighty-year-old Singh, ailing for the last few months, fainted at his home and was rushed to M S Ramaiah hospital where doctors declared him dead about 40 minutes later.

Singh headed the Congress-JD(S) coalition government from 2004 to 2006. A nine-time MLA and a former Member of Parliament, he had also headed the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee.

“He was sweating profusely (when he was brought to the hospital. Cardiologists attended to him but he was not responding and declared dead around 11.30 am,” Dr.V R Anil Kumar, Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, said.

He is survived by wife, two sons and a daughter. The veteran Congressman had served in the ministries of D Devaraj Urs, R Gundu Rao, Veerappa Moily and SM Krishna holding key portfolios, including Home and Public Works Department.

Dharam Singh was born in Nelogi village of Jevargi taluk in Gulbarga District. He obtained his MA and LLB degrees from Osmania University, Hyderabad.

(Agencies)

Qatar says new terror list is ‘disappointing surprise’

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Move by Saudi-led group boycotting Qatar to add names to ‘terrorist’ list is baseless, communications director says.

The Saudi-led bloc has added 18 groups and individuals allegedly linked to Doha to their ‘terrorist’ list, a move Qatar has condemned [AFP]

by Al Jazeera

Qatar has described a new blacklist released by Saudi Arabia and its allies as a “disappointing surprise”, saying it was doing all it could to fight extremism.

Sheikh Saif bin Ahmed Al Thani, Qatar’s communications director, said the decision by the four Arab states to add 18 groups and individuals allegedly linked to Doha to their “terrorist” list has no basis in fact.

“It comes as a disappointing surprise that the blockading countries are still pursuing this story as part of their smear campaign against Qatar,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.

The move by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain on Tuesday came despite mounting international pressure to compromise in their weeks-old boycott of their fellow US ally.

The new names include nine entities in Yemen and Libya, and add to a previous blacklist of 59 individuals and 12 groups issued by the four states last month.

Sheikh Saif said: “This latest list provides further evidence that the blockading countries are not committed to the fight against terrorism.

“All individuals with links to terrorism in Qatar have been prosecuted. We encourage the blockading countries to spend less time on drafting these fabricated lists and more time on implementing measures to counter the threat of extremism in their own countries.”

He added that Qatar constantly reviews its anti-terror laws to “remain on the front foot in the fight against extremism and terror financing”.

Region’s worst crisis in years

Saudi Arabia and its allies have been boycotting Qatar since June 5 in the region’s worst diplomatic crisis in years.

Accusing Qatar of financing terrorism, they sealed the emirate’s only land border, ordered its citizens to leave and closed their airspace and waters to Qatari flights and shipping.

They want Qatar to cut back ties with Iran, close down a Turkish military base in Qatar and shut the Al Jazeera TV channel, which they view as critical of their governments.

Qatar has dismissed the demands as a violation of its sovereignty and has received significant support from its ally Turkey.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who last week spent four days in the region trying to broker a settlement of the crisis, has voiced satisfaction with Qatar’s efforts to address any suspicion of terror funding.

But after talks with European Union diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini on Tuesday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry warned that the four governments would accept no compromise in their dispute with Qatar.

“We cannot compromise with any form of terrorism, we cannot compromise or enter into any form of negotiations,” Shoukry told a news conference.

In Tuesday’s statement, the four countries accused Qatari, Kuwaiti and Yemeni nationals of helping to raise funds for al-Qaeda fighters.

Their blacklist now include three Yemeni charities, three Libyan media outlets, two armed groups and a religious foundation, some of which are already subject to US sanctions.

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