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Archives for February 2018

Expedia Generational Study: 48% Millennials have postponed a breakup to go on a planned trip with their significant other

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About the survey: Expedia®, world’s largest full service online travel agency, released the results of the Generational Study, a report exploring the travel preferences and behavior of consumers across multiple generations. The report also highlights online travel searching and booking habits and critical details that influence travel consumer trends and action. The study suggests that over than 85% of Indians have personally booked travel online (Boomer: 85%, Gen X: 86%, Millennial: 90, Gen Z: 70%) in the last year.

Mr. Manmeet Ahluwalia, Marketing Head, Expedia in India said, “Travel is becoming a crucial part of life, especially with the younger generations- Millennials and Gen Z. While 61% of Gen Z are willing to get a part-time job to save money to go on a leisure trip, 91% Millennials save money for travel. Travel is not just a getaway, but also a time for self-reflection and introspection. No wonder the statistics suggest that 71% of millennials travelled alone last year”.

“We are also witnessing the older generations catching up with the online marketplaces. They are getting more and more comfortable with online purchases, be it fashion, home furnishings or travel. The study points out that 86% Gen X and 85% Boomers personally booked travel online in the past year,” he added.

DETAILED FINDINGS:
TRAVELER PROFILE & BEHAVIOR
· More than 85% of Indians have personally booked online travel in the past year. Married people of all ages, particularly those with children, are the sweet spot for booking travel.
o Boomer: 85%, Gen X: 86%, Millennial: 90%, Gen Z: 70%
o Married: 91% and Non Married: 78%
o With Kids: 87% and Without Kids: 80%
· Saving for travel is a top priority, especially for Millennials while Gen Z is the least likely to implement this into their budget. Overall 83% save money for travel with 69% Gen Z, 91% Millennials, 80% Gen X and 75% Boomers saving money for travel.
· There is higher propensity to spend extra money on experiences over products
o Experiences: Gen Z- 57%, Millennials – 63%, Gen X- 62%, Boomers – 63%, Total-61%
o Products: Gen Z- 43%, Millennials – 37%, Gen X- 38%, Boomers – 37%, Total-39%
· Interestingly 70% Baby Boomers, 74% of Gen X, and 81% of Millennials are willing to spend half or more of 1,000,000 rupees on leisure travel, while 77% of Gen Z would allocate half or less to travel.
o All: Gen Z- 5%, Millennials- 19%, Gen X- 10%, Boomers- 8%
o None: Gen Z- 11%, Millennials- 1%, Gen X- 3%, Boomers- 29%
· Preferred type of leisure travel experience
o Connections (Spending time with loved ones): Gen Z- 74%, Millennials- 81%, Gen X- 78%, Boomers- 80%
o Adventure (Exploring, meeting new people, trying new things): Gen Z- 76%, Millennials- 81%, Gen X- 69%, Boomers- 66%
o Relaxation (unwind, de-stress, sleep in): Gen Z- 68%, Millennials- 82%, Gen X- 74%, Boomers- 70%
o Traditional (site-seeing): Gen Z- 65%, Millennials- 78%, Gen X- 81%, Boomers- 81%
o Living like a local (unique experiences such as one-of-a-kind events, restaurants, etc.): Gen Z- 62%, Millennials-71%, Gen X- 20%, Boomers- 66%
· Most common reason for leisure travel
o Getaway (leisure trip or vacation): Gen Z- 40%, Millennials-47%, Gen X- 61%, Boomers- 59%
o Friend or family-related visits: Gen Z- 44%, Millennials-32%, Gen X- 31%, Boomers- 39%
o Holiday (Republic Day, Christmas): Gen Z- 38%, Millennials-40%, Gen X- 25%, Boomers- 12%
o Cultural (exploring a new area): Gen Z- 25%, Millennials- 34%, Gen X- 35%, Boomers- 35%
o Pilgrimage or religious travel: Gen Z- 16%, Millennials-14%, Gen X- 23%, Boomers- 31%
· Average amount of time spent on a typical leisure trip (including travel time)
o 2 Days (Weekends): Gen Z- 23%, Millennials-14%, Gen X- 10%, Boomers- 7%
o 3-5 Days (Long Weekend): Gen Z- 32%, Millennials-34%, Gen X- 38%, Boomers- 33%
o 1 Week: Gen Z- 21%, Millennials-26%, Gen X- 30%, Boomers- 28%
o 10 Days – 2 Weeks: Gen Z- 10%, Millennials-19%, Gen X- 14%, Boomers- 25%
· While overall 36% Indians travelled alone last year, a staggering 71% of millennials travelled alone. Boomers and Gen X split their travel time evenly between travelling with others and alone.
[Gen Z- 62%, Millennials- 71%, Gen X- 47%, Boomers- 50% ]
· Company on leisure trip (usually or always)
o Spouse: Gen Z- 14%, Millennials- 60%, Gen X- 73%, Boomers- 84%, Total – 53%
o Family Members: Gen Z- 50%, Millennials- 52%, Gen X- 36%, Boomers- 29%, Total – 47%
o Child(ren): Gen Z- 12%, Millennials- 51%, Gen X- 68%, Boomers- 51%, Total – 44%
o Significant other: Gen Z- 18%, Millennials- 43%, Gen X- 38%, Boomers- 45%, Total – 36%
· Travel cost split for leisure trips last year: Spouse
o We pay together: Boomer – 11%, Gen X – 18%, Millennials – 17%, Gen Z- 8%
o Partner pay for them: Boomer – 61%, Gen X – 37%, Millennials – 35%, Gen Z- 11%
· Travel cost split for leisure trips last year: Friends
o We pay for our own individual costs: Boomer – 31%, Gen X – 21%, Millennials – 37%, Gen Z- 25%
o We pay together: Boomer – 30%, Gen X – 36%, Millennials – 37%, Gen Z- 47%

SEARCH AND BOOKING TRAVEL
· 84% Indian travelers think it is helpful to be able to book all travel and hotel accommodations on one website. Generational Preference: Gen Z- 77%, Millennials- 85%, Gen X- 86%, Boomers- 89%
· Preferred way to book leisure travel and accommodations
o Online travel agency website: Gen Z- 50%, Millennials- 59%, Gen X- 45%, Boomers- 59%
o Visit websites separately: Gen Z- 23%, Millennials- 16%, Gen X- 14%, Boomers- 20%
o Talk to or work with a travel agent: Gen Z- 16%, Millennials- 12%, Gen X- 26%, Boomers- 13%
· Saving between 20% – 29% is the sweet spot (minimum savings required) necessary for half of travelers to book flight and hotels together
· Factors to absolutely choose an online travel agency website over an individual website when booking transportation and/or accommodations for a leisure trip:
o Best price available/guaranteed: Gen Z- 28%, Millennials- 36%, Gen X- 42%, Boomers- 53%
o Excellent customer service: Gen Z- 23%, Millennials- 29%, Gen X- 29%, Boomers- 28%
o Free cancellation on hotels: Gen Z- 23%, Millennials- 17%, Gen X- 24%, Boomers- 18%
o Cash back offers: Gen Z- 24%, Millennials- 18%, Gen X- 20%, Boomers- 13%
o Discount coupons on hotels: Gen Z- 21%, Millennials- 14%, Gen X- 15%, Boomers- 10%
· Primary motivating factors when selecting the details of a leisure trip:
o Best Deal (By Total): Airline Flight: 60%, Hotel: 60%, Rental Car: 54%, Restaurants or bars: 39%, Sightseeing or activity: 29%, Cruise: 22%
o Best Experience (By Total): Sightseeing or activity: 61%, Restaurants or bars: 39%, Cruise: 32%, Hotel: 32%, Rental car: 24%, Airline Flight: 22%
· Advance flight and accommodation bookings for leisure trip:
o 0-14 Days: Gen Z- 42%, Millennials- 19%, Gen X- 20%, Baby Boomers- 14%
o 15-30 Days: Gen Z- 28%, Millennials- 38%, Gen X- 31%, Baby Boomers- 30%
o 30-60 Days: Gen Z- 17%, Millennials- 35%, Gen X- 34%, Baby Boomers- 39%
o 60-90 Days: Gen Z- 6%, Millennials- 5%, Gen X- 9%, Baby Boomers- 14%
o Over 90 Days: Gen Z- 8%, Millennials- 4%, Gen X- 6%, Baby Boomers- 4%

ONLINE TRAVEL BOOKING INFLUENCES
· Important features for booking accommodations for a leisure trip on an online travel website are Clear Pricing: 86%, Easily accessible information: 85%, Online Reviews: 82%, Online Ratings: 81%, Website easy to navigate: 78%
· Top conditions that would absolutely prevent you from booking a hotel online
o Lack of information about the hotel, rooms, or amenities: Gen Z- 40%, Millennials- 37%, Gen X- 44%, Boomers- 47%
o Multiple poor online reviews: Gen Z- 39%, Millennials- 36%, Gen X- 37%, Boomers- 42%
o Pricing that is notably different than similar hotels in the area: Gen Z- 26%, Millennials- 33%, Gen X- 35%, Boomers- 36%
o Not enough or poor quality online photos of the hotel, rooms, or amenities: Gen Z- 27%, Millennials- 20%, Gen X- 25%, Boomers- 21%
o If it takes too long to complete the online booking process: Gen Z- 16%, Millennials- 25%, Gen X- 12%, Boomers- 19%
· Good hotel reviews are an absolute necessity, nearly 1/3 of all travelers say that a hotel must have good reviews in order for them to stay there. The other conditions include:
o Good Hotel Reviews: Gen Z- 24%, Millennials- 30%, Gen X- 40%, Boomers- 31%
o Restaurants with good reviews: Gen Z- 22%, Millennials- 18%, Gen X- 17%, Boomers- 20%
o Room Service: Gen Z- 21%, Millennials- 18%, Gen X- 13%, Boomers- 16%
o Wi-Fi: Gen Z- 15%, Millennials- 10%, Gen X- 12%, Boomers- 6%
· What would you do to go on a trip?
o 61% of Gen Z would get a part-time job to save money to go on a leisure trip
o 42% of Gen Z would stay off the Internet for a week in order to go on a trip
o 52% of Millennials would take on an odd job or freelance work to go on a leisure trip
o 48% of Millennials have postponed a breakup with a significant other in order to still go on a planned trip
· Social media plays a huge part in gen z and millennial travel decisions
o 66% of Millennials have posted a potential travel trip on social media to get the opinion of their friends and family before booking a trip.
o 62% of Gen Z have chosen a destination, flight, hotel, or car rental because they saw it on social media
o 47% of Gen Z have chosen a hotel room or leisure trip destination so they could get a positive response on social media.
· The majority of all generations feel obligated to send a text to a significant other or family member but over 80% of Millennials feel this pressure.
o Yes: Gen Z- 65%, Millennials- 81%, Gen X- 70%, Boomers- 74%
o No: Gen Z- 35%, Millennials- 19%, Gen X- 30%, Boomers- 26%
· Last person you text before you have to turn off wi-fi on the plane?
o Spouse: Gen Z- 4%, Millennials- 35%, Gen X- 32%, Boomers- 44%, Total- 28%
o Mom: Gen Z- 25%, Millennials- 20%, Gen X- 20%, Boomers- 7%, Total- 20%
o Friend: Gen Z- 36%, Millennials- 17%, Gen X- 12%, Boomers- 9%, Total- 20%
o Dad: Gen Z- 15%, Millennials- 10%, Gen X- 7%, Boomers- 4%, Total- 10%

Methodology
The study was jointly led by Expedia and The Center for Generational Kinetics and administered to 1,250 Indian respondents ages 18-65 including a 250-person oversample of Gen Z ages 18-21. Gen Z is defined as those born 1996 and after, Millennials are defined as those born between 1977 and 1995, Gen X is defined as those born between 1965 and 1976, and Baby Boomers are defined as those born between 1946 and 1964. The sample was weighted to the current census data for age, gender, and region. The survey was conducted online from August 8, 2017 to August 17, 2017 and has a margin of error of +/-3.1 percentage points.

About Expedia:
Expedia is world’s largest full service online travel agency with localized sites in 33 countries. Expedia is a one-stop solution for all travel needs, with a comprehensive and distinctive suite of travel with 25000+ holiday activities, 500+ airlines, 500,000 properties and 40M+ post-stay reviews and 30M+ real-time reviews . Expedia in India helps consumers book flights, hotels, flight + hotel, car rentals and tourist attractions, all supported by a call center in India. Also Expedia loyalty program, Expedia+, besides earning points on bookings, allows consumers amenities like room upgrade, spa discounts, breakfast, wi-fi and more. For more information, visit- https://www.expedia.co.in/ or Download the app.
© 2018 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. Expedia and the Airplane logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Cricket Academy of Pathans (CAP) Opens Doors in Bengaluru

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Swing it like Irfan as the ace cricketer’s ‘Swing clinic’, Cricket Academy of Pathans (CAP), opens its door to mould the next generation of India’s bowling superstars at its first cricket coaching centre in the South, in Bangalore on Saturday, February 17, 2018. The 10th academy of CAP was launched with ace cricketer Mr. Irfan Pathan at a press conference held at the academy located at Haralur Road here today.

The CAP will provide budding cricketers an ideal platform to hone their skills, while rubbing shoulders and playing along with some of the biggest names in the global arena. With the right techniques and guidance from expert coaches, the Pathan brothers-Irfan and Yusuf launched these academies 2 years back to return their love for the game.

“Cricket is 80% mental and 20% physical,” says superstar cricketer and CAP director, Irfan Pathan.

“We have no dearth of talent in India. It’s just that they need to be mentored, trained and guided in the right direction. Our coaches work with chosen players to offer personalised and specialised mentoring to develop techniques that help build confidence and self-belief. So that when you take your guard or mark your run-up in the big arena, you feel right at home,” said Mr Pathan.

The academy caters to both boys and girls- from age 6 to 21. There are various coaching modules starting from introductory module and goes up to 7 modules and each module has effectively a duration of 4 months. There is special emphasis on Sports Science including talks on nutrition and diet plans given to each student. The academy also has on its panel physiotherapists and psychologists catering to the requirements of the students.

Irfan Pathan also batted and bowled to the students and interacted with the parents. Interacting with the parents, Irfan Pathan shared parents shouldn’t put too much pressure on their children and should let them free so that they can fly and do well in the path they choose. He also emphasized on how sports make you a better person and losing games helps one learn new things and be more confident in their chosen sport.

The CAP, manned by cricketing legends and renowned coaches like Greg Chappell, Cameron Tradell and Arun Bharswaj, promises to be a technology-driven approach to cricket excellence. The ‘Cricket Academy of the Pathans’ is powered by ‘PitchVision’, a state-of-the-art cricket coaching technology developed in the UK, which helps the Pathan Brothers and their team of cricket coaches to track the overall progress of players on a day-to-day basis. This innovative technology will aid coaches and provide a comprehensive data of every ball played on its unique digital platform www.pitchvision.com/CAP along with a mobile phone app which will allow the students and parents to communicate with Pathan brothers and coaching staff and also get access to coaching materials via videos TV channels.

“It’s an honour to be part of CAP that provides a great platform for our budding champions. We are happy to open the first campus in South India in Bangalore, in the green fields of Sarjapur,” said Farheen Zohra, Director, CAP, Bengaluru.

“To start off, we have two great coaches. Mr. Nitin Kumar, who played for Under 19 National Games and Mr. Kranthi Kumar, who played for JNT University and is a Level-1 NIS qualified coach. Kranthi Kumar has also completed Australian Cricket Coordinator Course. With such a great playing IX, we hope to deliver the best coaching available,” said Farheen Zohra.

The CAP Program has set focus each week with varied outcomes depending on the ability level of the participants. CAP programs are a holistic approach to developing cricketers. The required mental approach, game knowledge and experience, is just as important as the physical skills. The CAP program creates intrinsically motivated players who thrive on competition and who understand there are consequences to actions,” shared Mr. Harmeet Vasdev, Managing Director, CAP.

The CAP coaching programme is designed to harness not just the cricketing skills of upcoming players but also inculcate nutrition, fitness and a 360-degree approach to enjoying a healthy lifestyle, both on and off the field. The nutritional experts will design diets and fitness regiments based on the individual strengths of the upcoming champions. The Bangalore chapter of the CAP cricket academy boasts of 2 cement pitches, 1 turf pitch for the nets and also a Mat Pitch. However, the individual focus of the CAP programme means that seats on the Playing IX will be limited so as as it gives more opportunity for the coaches to train each student separately and analyse the strengths and weakness of each and every player.

Cricket Academy of Pathans plans to open 20 more new academies in different cities of India by mid next year. Currently CAP has presence in nine cities including Raipur, Port Blair, Noida, Lunawada, Surat, Sonipat, Rajkot and Delhi and will soon be launching in Patna, Pune, Kota, Indore and Hyderabad.

About Cricket Academy of Pathans :
Cricket Academy of Pathans is an institute born out of a simple thought of ‘giving back’. Moulded by the experience of Pathan Brothers who famously donned India colours, the Academy is all set to revolutionise the standards of coaching and development of cricket in India. After their notable contribution over the years to Indian cricket, the Pathan Brothers now intend to eradicate the one major hurdle in the path of churning out talented cricketers from India— lack of proper coaching. Since only the best can turn out the best, CAP also has on board, cricketing legends like Greg Chappell and Cameron Tradell as the chief mentors.

To strengthen the ‘backbone’ of cricket, coaching, CAP has designed two modules: ‘Coaching the Coaches’ and ‘Coaching the Kids’ to help the system at two levels. While the academy will train the coaches and fine-tune their craft, these coaches will in turn train aspiring kids. Both Mr Chappell and Mr Tradell have curated the CAP curriculum, which lays emphasis on nutrition and the physical development of the kids, providing a wholesome training experience. Armed with a strong curriculum and some of the best names of the cricketing world, the Pathan brothers promise to polish the future of the Indian Cricket with their ground-breaking initiative.

Amy Schumer Marries Chris Fischer

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Amy Schumer recently tied the knot with none other than a Chef named Chris Fischer. The couple were married outside a rented house in Malibu that overlooks the ocean. It seems it was a very chill wedding. It was thrown together at the last minute. Most of the guest found out that the wedding was happening on this week from a text message sent out by Amy Schumer. It was like, “Hey, this is happening. If you can make it, great. If not, no worries.’ People were in & out all night. It was a gorgeous day. Everyone was having a good time.” The guest list included Jennifer Lawrence, Jennifer Aniston, Larry David, David Spade, Judd Apatow and many, many more.

Jessa Duggar & Ben Seewald Slammed For Putting Kids In Danger

It’s been a full year since Counting On stars Jessa Duggar & Ben Seewald welcomed their 2nd child.The couple has been subjected to a non – stop torrent of criticism ever since the birth of Henry Wilberforce. The major part of the problem was that Jessa & Ben are members of the famous nay infamous Duggar clan. That alone means that their every move is likely to be dissected in search of potential controversies. But part of the issue does stem from Jessa & Ben making some questionable decisions as parents. When fans criticize Jessa’s messy home, that’s a case in which their just zeroing in on minor details. That’s just target practice so that they’ll be ready to take aim when real Duggar controversies take place. When folks are worried that Jessa’s not properly homeschooling her kids, however, that might come from a place of genuine concern.

Oprah Winfrey Says That Reese Witherspoon Showed PTSD Signs

Oprah Winfrey recently stated that Reese Witherspoon showed signs of PTSD following the mention of disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein. Oprah Winfrey further stated that Reese Witherspoon displayed signs of PTSD after sexual assault allegations emerged against disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein. In fact Oprah Winfrey told Salma Hayek during her “Super Soul Sunday Conversation” special that Reese Witherspoon became very upset at the mention of Harvey Weinstein when the story broke out in Oct, 2017. Oprah Winfrey said that she was on the sets with the actress for the upcoming movie Wrinkle in Time when Reese Witherspoon revealed that she had not been able to sleep following the bombshell Accusations against Harvey Weinstein.

Why Hollywood Won’t Cast Taylor Lautner Anymore

Taylor Lautner was poised to be the next big thing when The Twilight Saga was at its peak…and then he just wasn’t. What went wrong? Taylor Lautner’s Twilight co – stars Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson was clever with their careers. While still attached to the franchise, they both starred in other films, like Adventure land (2009) & Water For Elephants (2011). As a result, the duo had an easier time transitioning to other roles post – Twilight. Taylor Lautner, however, had only a bit part in Valentine’s Day (2010) to tide him over until the franchise was over.

Kylie Jenner Is Secretive About Her Pregnancy

Kylie Jenner has lived her entire life in the spotlight — and now that she’s pregnant, no one knows where on Earth she is or why she’s hiding. An insider reveals, “She’s very happy about the pregnancy but she doesn’t want to share this with the world … Her not being out is strictly her own personal preference. She wants to keep this one aspect of her life private.” Kylie Jenner is reportedly well aware that she’s not out of the woods in terms of her privacy and the privacy of her baby’s daddy, rapper Travis Scott. A source revealed, “They know it’s going to be frenzy when they do come out.”

Angelina Jolie Makes A Revelation

These are the things that strained Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt’s relationship. It’s been the subject of so many endless rumors since they split up last year: What caused Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s marriage to fail? Recently Angelina Jolie candidly opened up about all the things she & Brad Pitt faced together, the ways their marriage became strained and how they tried to fix it. “Over the span of that decade, I did lose my mother,” she said. “I did have my mastectomy, and I did then have an ovarian cancer scare and have that surgery as well and other things of course that happened in life that you go through.” So basically, things fell apart because of, well, life. It’s heartbreaking, but it’s very real. Angelina Jolie also admitted that working with Pitt on their critically panned 2015 film By the Sea was kind of a last -ditch attempt to fix things.

Justin Bieber Gives His Mom A Foot Massage

Justin Bieber was recently spotted massaging his mom, Pattie Mallette’s, broken foot, while on vacation with her in the Maldives, and many fans seem grossed out by it. Justin Bieber may not be a doctor, but he sure was acting like one while on vacation in the Maldives with his mom, Pattie Mallette on 22nd Jan, 2012. Pattie has been stuck in a wheelchair the last couple of days, as she unfortunately broke her foot during their mother -son vacation. And now, it looks like Justin has been trying to comfort her… starting with a foot massage. Pattie took to Instagram on Jan. 22, where she posted a “story” video of Justin giving her a massage. “You’re not a doctor, don’t touch it!” she joked with a caption. Then she pretended he responded back by saying, “I care! Ouch.” And then she asked her followers if she should trust Justin or not, LOL!

Demi Lovato Wants To Date Rihanna

It seems Hollywood’s hottest couple is now Demi Lovato and Rihanna? That would be the case if the “Cool for the Summer” singer had her pick. In an appearance on The Ellen Degeneres Show, Demi Lovato made her Hollywood crushes very clear through a game of “Who’d You Rather” (and one crush in particular). More than Harry Styles, Zac Efron, Milo Ventimiglia, Drake, Rita Ora, Chance The Rapper and Kristen Stewart (who also makes a strong showing), Demi Lovato insists the “Kiss it Better” singer is who’d she get with, given the chance. And Demi Lovato and Rihanna already have a bit of a history together, at least as far as social media is concerned. In 2011, they exchanged some serious adoration, with Rihanna posting “Demi Lovato goes so hard!!! She gangsta,” before Demi replied “thank you!! Only cause I learn from the best!! Aka YOU!”

Jessica Miller Arrested For Assault

Jessica Miller is the sister of Jenelle Evans’ husband, David Eason. She’s never appeared on Teen Mom 2, and it seems she has little face – to-face contact with Jenelle. Still, in the world of TM2 obsessives, Jessica is something of an icon, thanks to her stunning ability to match Ms. Evans in terms of violent insanity. Jenelle & Jessica’s feuds are the stuff of legend, often spilling from one social media platform to another, as each attempts to publicly throw shade without the other one knowing. It’s a thrilling game of cat and mouse, in which both the cat and the mouse accuse one another of being meth addicts. Jessica accuses Jenelle of doing drugs while pregnant. Jenelle accuses Jessica of driving while high and getting fired for stealing prescription painkillers from work.

Leaking Of J – Law’s Nude Photos

Jennifer Lawrence and many other celebs’ phones were targeted by hackers after an iCloud leak, leading to personal, nude photos being leaked online to an online bulletin board and quickly going viral. J – Law’s rep called it a “flagrant violation of privacy” and added that “the authorities have been contacted and will prosecute anyone who posts the stolen photos of Jennifer Lawrence”. And Jennifer isn’t the only star to have been hacked – a list of the stars allegedly affected has appeared online, and contains more than 100 names, including Ariana Grande, Kim Kardashian, Kaley Cuoco, Rihanna, Lea Michele and Selena Gomez.

I-T dept raids 20 premises linked to Choksi, Gitanjali group

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New Delhi: The Income Tax Department today raided 20 premises linked to Gitanjali Gems promoter Mehul Choksi and associated firms in connection with a tax evasion case, official sources said. They said the searches were being conducted in Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and few other cities against 13 companies linked to Choksi and the Gitanjali Gems.

A total of 20 premises are being raided by a team of over 110 I-T sleuths, the sources said. The department has recently attached bank accounts and other assets of Choksi and the Gitanjali group.

Choksi, and his relative Nirav Modi and others, are being investigated by multiple probe agencies after it recently came to light, following a complaint by the Punjab National Bank, that they allegedly cheated the nationalised bank to the tune of Rs 11,400 crore, with the purported involvement of a few employees of the bank.

The Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate have registered two FIRs each to probe the case.

(PTI)

CBI begins questioning of Rotomac owner Kothari

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New Delhi: The CBI today started questioning of Rotomac owner Vikram Kothari at its Headquarters here in connection with alleged loan default of Rs 3,695 crore towards a consortium of seven nationalised banks, officials said here.

Earlier, Kothari was being questioned in Kanpur where his company and residence is located, they said. He was called here by the agency which started his questioning at its headquarters, they said, without giving any reasons behind the move.

Kothari, his wife Sadhana, and son Rahul, all Directors in Rotomac Global pvt Ltd, have allegedly diverted the bank loans towards purposes other than they were meant for, officials said. One of the consortium members, Bank of Baroda had approached the CBI requesting an FIR against Kothari as the bank apparently feared he might leave the country, they said.

The CBI registered a case on February 18 after receiving the complaint. Initially, the alleged scam was estimated to be of Rs 800 crore but after the CBI started probe into the accounts of the Rotomac Global Private Limited,it was found that the company had allegedly taken loans from Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Indian Overseas Bank, Union Bank of India, Allahabad ank and Oriental Bank of Commerce.

The CBI alleged that the accused had cheated a consortium of seven banks by siphoning off bank loans to the tune Rs 2,919 crore. The total outstanding amount along with interest and liabilities for the company were pegged at Rs 3,695 crore, the probe agency alleged.

Yesterday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had notified all the land, sea and airports in the country to prevent the exit of the promoter of Rotomac pens, Vikram Kothari, and his family members from India, in connection with its money laundering probe.

The agency also conducted searches at multiple locations in Uttar Pradesh, including in Unnao and Kanpur, to gather evidence in the case. The ED had slapped criminal charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against the company and its promoters on February 18, based on a CBI FIR filed on the same day.

Meanwhile, the Income Tax department had also attached 14 bank accounts of the pen manufacturer as part of its tax evasion probe against the company yesterday. This is the second major bank fraud to surface in the recent past after the sensational Rs 11,400-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, allegedly committed by diamond merchant Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, who is a promoter of the Gitanjali Group of companies. Both Modi and Choksi left the country last month.

(PTI)

CBI arrests PNB General Manager in $1.8 bn fraud case

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Express photo by Sumit Malhotra

New Delhi/Mumbai: The CBI on Wednesday said that it has arrested a General Manager rank officer of the Punjab National Bank in connection with the Rs 11,300 crore fraud case.

“Rajesh Jindal, who was holding the charge of Brady House Branch Head between August 2009 and May 2011 was arrested on Tuesday night from Mumbai,” a CBI official said.

It was during Jindal’s tenure at the Brady House the alleged fraud took place, the CBI officer said.

Jindal was heading the second largest branch of the PNB when the practice of issuing the Letter of Understandings (LOUs) without sanctioned limits to diamond trader Nirav Modi’s firms began. Jindal was presently posted as GM Credit at PNB’s Head Office in New Delhi. His was the 14th arrest in the fraud case so far.

Since February 14, when the CBI registered the first FIR in the case, multiple raids at Nirav Modi and Choksi’s residential and office premises have been conducted.

The agency officials also said that they are questioning the executive director and general manager level officials of the Brady House Branch along with Modi’s staffs and associates including Saurabh Sharma, who is President Foreign Finance Division of the Firestar International Pvt. Ltd. and Subhash Parab, Finance Executive.

Beside them, the agency officials would also continue to examine the executive level officials of Mehul Choksi’s Gitanjali Group. Earlier on Tuesday, the agency also arrested three employees of Nirav Modi and two of his uncle Mehul Choksi’s Gitanjali group.

Nirav Modi’s Firestar International firm’s President Vipul Ambani, its Senior Executive Arjun Patil, and Executive Assistant and authorised signatory of the diamond merchant’s three accused firms, Kavita Mankikar, were arrested after daylong questioning on Tuesday.

Chief Managing Officer (CFO) of Gitanjali group, Kapil Khandelwal, and its Manager Niten Shahi were also held.

The agency will now produce all six arrested since Tuesday before a court later in the day.

The arrests were made in two cases registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 14 and 15 against Nirav Modi and the Gitanjali group of firms respectively.

(IANS)

Kamal Haasan embarks formally on his political journey

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Chennai: Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on Wednesday formally began his political journey by first visiting former President late A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s residence in Rameswaram.

He will be unveiling his party’s name and the flag at a public rally later in the day in Madurai.

Kamal met the former President’s elder brother and other family members at the residence in Rameswaram, around 600 km from here. “Greatness can come from simple beginnings,” he said. “Actually it will come only from simplicity. Glad to start my journey from a great man’s simple abode,” the actor added in a tweet.

However his second halt at the government school in Mandapam where Kalam studied got cancelled as the district administration did not give permission, according to reports reaching here.

Speaking to a television channel a leader of a Hindu outfit said they had opposed Kamal’s visit to the school as he was trying to gain political mileage and nothing more. Later speaking to the fishing community in Rameswaram, Haasan said that it is one of the most important industry in Tamil Nadu. He would be back to listen to the suggestions made by the fisherfolks.

Several flags in white with Tamil Nadu map in black, sporting the tag line “Naalai Namadhe” meaning “Tomorrow is Ours” were seen flying in Rameswaram.

Bharatiya Janata Party’s Tamil Nadu unit leader Tamilisai Soundararajan told reporters that Kamal appeared to have “started a political party to compete against someone”.

She said while anyone can float a political party, Tamil Nadu is not in a situation where only Kamal can save it.

On the other hand Dalit party leader Thol. Thirumavalan told reporters that Kamal and Rajinikanth are agents of the BJP to affect DMK in Tamil Nadu.

(IANS)

Railways to propose to build Ayodhya railway station as Ram temple replica: Manoj Sinha

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Ayodhya: Union minister Manoj Sinha today said the Railways Ministry would submit a proposal to the Union Cabinet to re-construct the Ayodhya railway station as a replica of the Ram temple.

The minister of state for railways made the announcement after laying the foundation stone of projects worth more than Rs 200 crore, including Rs 80 crore for the reconstruction of the railway station. He said the proposal for the reconstruction of Ayodhya railway station as the replica of the Ram temple would be submitted by the Railways Ministry to the Union Cabinet.

“The government is concerned about connecting Ayodhya through rail to the entire country so that Ram Bhakts may visit the place,” he said. He said the railway station would have all state-of-the-art facilities.

Sinha said Rs 1,116 crore were being spent on the double track and electrification of Faizabad-Barabanki rail route and the work would be completed in 2022.
BJP MP Vinay Katiyar was also present at the event.

“The development of Ayodhya railway station was being discussed from the time of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. When its construction will be completed, then the construction of Ram temple will be started,” he said.

(PTI)

Rahul questions PM’s silence on PNB fraud in ‘Mann ki Baat’

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New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday again attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his silence on the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and Rafale fighter jet deal, saying the country wants to hear about these issues in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’.

“Modiji, last month you ignored my suggestions for your ‘Mann Ki Baat’ monologue. Why ask for ideas when in your heart you know every Indian wants to hear you speak about Nirav Modi’s Rs 22,000 crore loot and scoot and the Rs 58,000 crore Rafale scam.

“I look forward to your sermon,” Gandhi said in a tweet attaching a picture of Modi’s tweet urging people to share ideas for his monthly radio programme ‘Mann ki Baat’.

On Tuesday too, Gandhi had attacked the Prime Minister during his election rally in Meghalaya. “I would like to request this Modi (the Prime Minister), on behalf of all of us, to bring back the other (Nirav) Modi when he goes on another of his many foreign trips.

“We will all be very grateful as a nation to get our hard-earned money back,” the Congress chief said.

Gandhi also drew a comparison between the Prime Minister and Nirav Modi.

“…Nirav Modi sold diamonds, which are the stuff he claims dreams are made of. In fact, one can say he sold dreams to many people, including the government which happily slept while (Nirav) Modi ran away with the public’s hard-earned money.

“A few years ago, another (Prime Minister) Modi also sold dreams to the people of India. Dreams of ‘achche din’, Rs 15 lakh in everyone’s bank account, two crore jobs, and so on,” the Congress leader said.

Nirav Modi fled the country just before the scam — in which he allegedly cheated the bank of over Rs 11,300 crore — came to light. The ruling BJP and the Congress have been trading charges over who detected and acted against the fraud.

(IANS)

Heera Foodex participates in Gulfood 2018 Exhibition

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Heera Foodex, a healthy food products manufacturing arm of Heera Group, is participating in the annual Gulfood Exhibition 2018 in UAE.

Heera Foodex features in United Arab Emirates’ 23rd edition of the international food exhibition “Gulfood 2018,” which opened on February 18 and will last until February 22.

The UAE’s Minister of Finance and Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashi Al Maktoum inaugurated the international food fair, “Gulfood 2018” on Sunday, February 18, in the Dubai World Trade Center, where 60 food industry companies and 180 countries are participating, including Morocco.

Dubai World Trade Center reserves 1 million square feet for Gulfood exhibitions.

In 2017, the food fair attracted 97,000. This year, 90.000 visitors are expected to attend, and 5,000 exhibitions are on display, including India’s Heera Foodex.

Gulfood is the world’s largest annual food and beverage exhibition taking place in Dubai, UAE, where suppliers from all around the world join to showcase and advertise the latest food trends in the food industry.

Gulfood seeks to develop business relationships and energize food industry trade in the Middle East, Gulf countries, southern Asia and Africa.

The food fair showcases meat and poultry, beverages, dairy, edible oils, pulses, grains, and cereals, and halal food as reported by Gulfood website.

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