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Archives for September 2018

Delhi cop’s son booked as his video thrashing woman goes viral

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The Delhi Police has registered a case against the son of one of its officers after his video of beating a woman went viral on social networking sites.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Monika Bhardwaj said “a stern action” has been taken against the accused Rohit Tomar, son of Delhi Police Sub-Inspector Ashok Singh Tomar.

A case has been registered against him on the charges of assaulting a woman with intent to outrage her modesty and criminal intimidation under the Indian Penal Code. Action is being taken to arrest him, the DCP added.

According to police, the video was shot in west Delhi’s Uttam Nagar on September 2.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh directed Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik over the phone to take action against the accused.

(IANS)

Bollywood Buzz

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Toronto Premiere Of ‘Bulbul Can Sing’ Held

National Award -winning filmmaker Rima Das’ next feature, Bulbul Can Sing
which premiered recently at Toronto International Film Fest 2018 (TIFF) screened to a packed house of audiences.

Rima Das’ 3rd independent feature in Assamese language made its World Premiere at Toronto International Film Fest (TIFF) 2018 in competition segment, “Contemporary World Cinema.”

Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of Toronto International Film Fest (TIFF) says, “Last year Rima Das came to the Fest with Village Rockstars, her delightful drama about a girl with a dream. After its premiere here, it went on to sweep India’s National Film Awards & played in dozens of festivals around the world.

Rima Das is now back with another breath of fresh air, once again shot amidst the timeless beauty of her home village in India’s Assam state. As in the earlier film, Rima Das imbues every frame with insight & respect, and this time there’s a growing exploration of adolescence. Bulbul Can Sing is no simple rural idyll.

Bulbul Can Sing is an exuberant young woman, most happy when she’s hanging out in the fields with her friends Bonny & Sumu. As these 3 teenagers, 2 girls & a boy, begin to define their own identities, they find themselves increasingly clashing with the age – old rules set down by village. Bulbul is attracted to a boy for 1st time ever, but her mother advises that “Girls should be modest. Girls should behave well.” Sumu is bullied for not conforming to what his peers expect of a young man. For Bonny, the pressures of community become unbearable.

Rima Das recounts her story in the pure language of cinema. The camera finds moments, in a music class, by a lake, or on landscape of Bulbul’s face, that suddenly illuminate this girl’s coming to womanhood & self – awareness. A villager’s stray remark compresses centuries of tradition & offers guidance to Bulbul, but also a constraint. And as she learns to walk with both love & death in her life, countless variations of natural light give her whole world an immersive glow.”

The writer – director – producer made the film independently, in the same way as her earlier film, Village Rockstars. Sharing her joy, Rima says, “It’s a huge honor to present Bulbul Can Sing to such a lovely audiences at Toronto International Film Fest (TIFF), I am completely thrilled & overwhelmed by their response. Thank you, Toronto International Film Fest (TIFF) & my team back home. I missed my team a lot.“

Bulbul Can Sing is a visceral coming – of – age drama about a teenage girl, Bulbul, living in a village in Assam, fighting her way through love & loss as she figures out who she really is.

Rima Das’s debut film as a writer –director – producer, Man with Binoculars (Antardrishti) premiered at Tallinn Black Nights Film Fest in the year 2016. Village Rockstars, her 2nd feature film, premiered at Toronto International Film Fest (TIFF) in the year last 2017 under Discovery Section. The film has screened at more than 70 renowned film fest’s and has won 44 awards including 4 National Awards (“Best Feature”, “Best Editing”, Best Audiography” & “Best Child Artiste respecrively).

Cine Buzz

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Shahid Kapoor’s Gift To Tehri

Shahid Kapoor recently shot for his next film Batti Gul Meter Chalu directed by Shree Narayan Singh in Tehri, Uttarakhand. While shooting they stayed at a hotel with bare necessities & no luxuries, instead of a 5 star hotel. Shahid Kapoor being a fitness freak had set up his gym at the hotel they stayed. As this small hotel had no fitness facilities, he set up his own gym on the premises. His instructor had taken a lot of expensive equipment from Mumbai and set them up in a room. A day before they packed up, the hotel guys requested Shahid Kapoor to leave his gym equipment behind for them and other guests & he agreed instantly knowing his gift would help the establishment.” Batti Gul Meter Chalu also stars Shraddha Kapoor, Yami Gautam & Divyendu Sharma. The film produced by T-Series & Kriti Pictures is slated to release on 21st Sept, 2018.

Jacqueline Fernandez Signed Opposite Kartik Aaryan For The Hindi Remake Of Kannada Movie ‘Kirik Party’

Producer Ajay Kapoor of Kyta Productions recently joined hands with Gen-X sensation Kartik Aaryan, for the Hindi remake of Kannada blockbuster Kirik Party. All eyes were on the coming of age, romantic film, especially since the original went on to become one of the highest grossing Kannada films of all time, running in cinemas for an impressive 150 days. Directed by National Award winner Abhishek Jain of Wrong Side Raju & Bey Yaar fame, the makers have now cast Jacqueline Fernandez as the female lead opposite Kartik Aaryan. Confirming the news producer Ajay Kapoor says, “We are excited to have Jacqueline Fernandez on board. She is someone the youth relates to & has amazing screen presence. This is the 1st time ever Jacqueline Fernandez & Kartik Aryan have been cast together and we are confident audiences will enjoy watching this fresh pairing”. Says Jacqueline Fernandez, “I’m excited to work with Ajay Kapoor and be part of this film. It’s a great script with blockbuster music & I look forward to working with Kartik Aaryan & Abhishek Jain for the 1st time ever. This role is really special”. The untitled film will be produced by Dheeraj Wadhawan, Ajay Kapoor of Kyta Productions & Vrithika Laykar and goes on the floors this Oct.

Shahid Kapoor & Shraddha Kapoor Take Garhwali Lessons For ‘Batti Gul Meter Chalu’

The Shahid Kapoor-Shraddha Kapoor starrer, Batti Gul Meter Chalu, directed by Shree Narayan Singh, who has earlier helmed Toilet — Ek Prem Katha, is a social drama that talks about the issue of electricity overbilling & corrupt power corporations. With the film being inspired by real events, Shree Narayan Singh & writers Garima & Siddharth did extensive research to do justice to the story. Since it is set in Uttarakhand, the dialogues are laced with Garhwali, one of the dialects of the state. In a bid to retain authenticity, not only was the film shot in Tehri, but every actor was made to take lessons in the language. Apart from Shahid Kapoor & Shraddha Kapoor, the movie also stars Yami Gautam & Divyendu Sharma in pivotal roles. The director says, “Maintaining the commercial aspect without compromising on authenticity was one of our biggest challenges. Be it the actors, producers, writers… everyone had the right mindset.” Producer Bhushan Kumar adds, “As people who are in the business of telling stories, it is important for filmmakers to be true to the world in which they place their characters. While the film is essentially in Hindi, key colloquial phrases & words have been used to give it an authentic touch. I am sure it will be appreciated.” Batti Gul Meter Chalu releases on 21st Sept, 2018.

Sandeep Singh & Tamil Director Elan To Remake Tamil Hit ‘Pyaar Prema Kaadhal’ In Hindi

Producer Sandeep Singh & South director Elan have joined hands to bring the runaway Tamil hit Pyaar Prema Kaadhal to Bollywood as part of their recent collaboration. Producer Sandeep Singh says, “At the age of 27, Elan is a creative genius. We are also making another film, which will be a Tamil-Hindi romcom-fantasy. The Tamil title for the film is ‘Punnagai Arasan’ (King of Smiles). We are here to produce a lot of films together and will also be launching newcomers in terms of directors & actors. “The romcom bilingual directorial is scheduled to be shot over a timeframe of 60 days in Leh-Ladakh & Himachal Pradesh. Our crew will be drawn from both Tamil & Hindi film industries. The male lead will be drawn from Tamil cinema and will be paired with a Bollywood actress. It will have 6 romantic songs for which we have the music director Yuvan Shankar Raja. The remake of the Tamil hit Pyaar Prema Kaadhal is scheduled to go on the floors next year. Says Director Elan, “When I showed the film to Sandeep, he loved it and that’s when we decided to collaborate. Since we both are young, It’s a long way for us to go. Both the films will roll one after the other.”

Director Imtiaz Ali To Make A Film On The Eternal Love Story Of Radha Krishna

On the auspicious occasion of the festival of Janmashtami, Anil D. Ambani owned Reliance Entertainment & director Imtiaz Ali’s Window Seat Films, LLP, announced that they will be producing a film on the eternal love story of Radha & Krishna; an epic that has travelled down generations & folklore transcending the boundaries of culture, geography & tradition. To be written & directed by Imtiaz Ali, this film is one of his long cherished projects; a love story very close to his heart that he has always wanted to explore on the big screen. The research on the film is currently underway. Imtiaz Ali has received wide appreciation & acclaim from audiences & critics alike, in addition to blockbuster success at box office turnstiles. Imtiaz Ali said, “I have always been fascinated by the eternal love story of Radha & Krishna. In all of Indian folklore I know of no other story, which is so intensely personal and yet has such an epic scale.” While this epic will be one of Imtiaz Ali’s upcoming directorial ventures, it is not the one that he will be directing next due to the extensive research & pre-production that is required for a project of this scale.”

Love Sonia Actresses Worked Closely With Victims Of Human Trafficking

Director Tabrez Noorani’s Love Sonia which explores the world of human trafficking is next to perfect in its description! Tabrez Noorani conducted workshops for his actors to help them get into the skin of their characters authentically. He even made sure that Mrunal Thakur & Riya Sisodiya meet a few victims of sex trafficking. Says Mrunal Thakur, “It was extremely sad to hear stories about how these girls ended up in the flesh trade. They were initially shy but eventually opened up & shared incidents that shook me and were difficult to get out of my head.” Mrunal Thakur & Riya Sisodia shot many of their scenes in the presence of the victims. Tabrez Noorani gave them only situations to act out without dialogues so they could improvise with the girls. Tabrez Noorani said, “From day one, I wanted this film to be authentic. Whenever I could have them meet people we were portraying in the film, I did that. The more research the better, and the actors all embraced this process.” The film stars Freida Pinto, Manoj Bajpayee, Rajkummar Rao, Richa Chadha, Anupam Kher, Adil Hussain, Sai Tamhankar, Sunny Parwar, Demi Moore, Mark Duplass, Tabrez Noorani is introducing Mrunal Thakur as well as Riya Sisodiya. Love Sonia produced by Tamasha Talkies, David Womark & Tabrez Noorani is slated to release on 14th Sept, 2018.

‘Manto’ To Open The 2nd Edition Of Singapore South Asian International Film Fest 2018

The 2nd edition of Singapore South Asian International Film Fest 2018 (Sg.SAIFF) will open with actor-director Nandita Das’ Manto which stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the titular role as Sadat Hassan Manto and follows the most tumultuous years & times in the life of the famed writer & of the 2 countries he inhabits – India & Pakistan. The fest held from 5th Oct, 2018 to 14th Oct, 2018 in Singapore will commence with an opening ceremony on 5th Oct, 2018 at Carnival Cinema & close on 13th Oct, 2018 at Resorts World Sentosa will also include the awards ceremony. The film stars Rasika Duggal, Rajshri Deshpande, Rishi Kapoor & Paresh Rawal. The screening at SGSAIFF 2018 marks the film’s South East Asian premiere & will be attended by Nandita Das, whose film Manto will open the 2nd edition of Singapore South Asian Film Fest said, “Manto was very much a South Asian writer. Last year, SGSAIFF screened a film I acted in, Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyun Aata Hai as the opening film, which is yet to be released.” The SGSAIFF 2018 lineup represents a diverse mix of feature films, short films & docu drama, which include films from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka,
Pakistan, Nepal & Afghanistan.

Prerna Arora Launches Studio 5 Elements!

Producers Arjun N Kapoor, Om Prakash Bhatt, Kashish Khan & Virendra Arora, represented by daughter Prernaa Arora, have launched “Studio 5 Elements”. After producing successful & socially relevant films like Rustom, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Padman & Pari, producers Arjun N Kapoor & Prernaa Arora of KriArj Entertainment join hands with Om Prakash Bhatt of Purple Bull Entertainment & Mumbai based producer & investor Kashish Khan for “Studio 5 Elements”. The studio will be involved in production, acquisitions, distribution & also cater to digital platform. Says Arjun N Kapoor, “Studio 5 Elements is collaboration between likeminded people.” Says Prernaa Arora, “Arjun & I are happy to collaborate with Prakash Bhatt & Kashish Khan, both of whom are 1st generation entrepreneurs who have a deep understanding of cinema & who believe in strong content & resource management at the core. ”Apart from unveiling the logo, the studio announced their interesting line-up of films starting with the Big B & SJ Surya starrer The Tall Man directed by T Tamilvaanan, 3 films with Ahmed Khan & Shaira Khan’s production house Paperdoll Entertainment, Ganit & Radha Kyun Gori Main Kyu Kaala with director Prem Soni & official remake of the 1964 classic Woh Kaun Thi with director Kanishk Varma.

Crime Patrol’s Annup Sonii Completes 2 Decades In Bollywood

His sensational crime-based show Crime Patrol made actor Annup Sonii a household name. The versatile actor also proved his mettle as an actor on the big screen by portraying several memorable characters in popular films. Having completed 2 decades of glorious years in the industry, Annup Soni recollects, “It has been a wonderful journey. God has been kind & I’m grateful to my fans for showering upon their love & support. The learning is that one should just focus on work, give your 100% & be patient. And, I sincerely believe that if you choose to learn from each experience, then you will have nothing to regret. For someone who was a complete outsider, it has been pretty good. But as they say, the day you get satisfied, you stop growing. So, I am still looking for more milestones,” Annup Soni adds. Annup Soni who is also actively involved in theatre, informs, “My friends from National School of Drama (New Delhi) are an important part of my life. Mumbai, too, has given me great friends. God has been kind, whether it’s work, friends or family.”

Reverberation Films Pvt. Ltd. Announces A Film School

Reverberation Films Pvt. Ltd is grateful to announce their film school in the heart of India, New Delhi. The name of the school is also inspired by the production house’s name “Revmovies Acting Studio”. Muskurahtein & 10 Nahi 40 are produced under the banner of Reverberation Films Pvt. Ltd. The founder of Reverberation Films Pvt. Ltd is J. S. Randhawa, who is a radiologist & a filmmaker. After being in the medical industry for more than 2 decades, J S Randhawa ventured into films & in the year 2015, he launched his production company, Reverberation Films Pvt. Ltd. The school will provide courses in acting & direction. This will be the 1st ever acting school in New Delhi by a Bollywood film production house. The school is equipped with skilled faculty members of Bollywood like Birbalji, Sham Mashalkar, Manmauji & Dr. J S Randhawa. On the announcement of the film school Dr Randhawa feels that teaching is an art & innovations in teaching can make a huge difference to the outcome & produce great artists in a much shorter time period.

Savita Bhabhi Aka Tandoori Bhabhi Characters To Don A Hijab For Pakistan, Bangladesh & UAE Versions

The popular internet cartoon series Savita Bhabhi is all set to live again as a web series & will not be restricted to viewers in US & UK markets only & will be available to viewers in all Islamic countries including Pakistan, UAE, et al. Maneesh Singh announced that Savita Bhabhi who has been re-christened Tandoori Bhabhi will live again in the form of a web series. To comply with local broadcasting laws there will be different versions or individual edits for US, UK, UAE as well as for India, Pakistan, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka markets so that the show does not invite censorship from individual countries. For example, in Pakistan, Savita Bhabhi could be seen wearing a hijab or even a burkha to customize the costumes to local semi-urban & rural audiences, a toned down version when compared to the western markets. The geographical locales will determine which version or edit, the user gets to see, Maneesh Singh said, “Neha Shah will now play the red hot Tandoori Bhabhi. There will be a sprinkling of some “inspirational scenes” from the internationally famous comic character Savita Bhabhi as well. Maneesh Singh revealed that this time the character draws more inspiration from Gulfam Kali, rather than Angoori Bhabhi.

T-Series Joins Hands With BR Studios

They worked together to deliver the 2014 hit Bhoothnath Returns, a political satire directed by Nitesh Tiwari. Bhushan Kumar of T-Series has once again come together to work with The Chopra Family on more movies in the coming days. BR Studios, helmed by Renu Chopra & her sons Juno & Abhay enjoyed critical & commercial success last year with their films Bareilly Ki Barfi & Ittefaq. With the vigor to create great content BR Studios has developed 2 films that they will collaborate with T-Series on. Mudassar Aziz of Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi fame will direct a film under this renewed collaboration. There is another film that T-Series & BR Studios are committed to working on together, the script of which is being currently developed which is a family entertainer on the lines of Bareilly Ki Barfi. Also on the cards is the 3rd installment of the successful Bhootnath franchise. Bhushan Kumar of T-Series says, “We had a great synergy with BR Studios when we worked on Bhoothnath Returns a few years ago. Creatively, it was a very satisfying collaboration to work in this film starring Amitji.”

Poster Of ‘Namaste England’ Released

The makers of Namaste England have released a poster of the film, the trailer of which was released on 6th Sept, 2018. The film stars Arjun Kapoor & Parineeti Chopra in lead roles. Produced & directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, the film is presented by Pen Movies & Reliance Entertainment, in association with Blockbuster Movie Entertainers. Namaste England will hit the theatres on 19th Oct, 2019.

Alia Bhatt Launches The Poster Of ‘Yours Truly’

Hindi language romance drama Yours Truly directed by National Award winner Sanjoy Nag to have its World Premiere at the upcoming Busan International Film Fest from 4th Oct, 2018 to 13th Oct, 2018, Asia’s biggest film fest. The film is selected in A window on Asian Cinema category. The film stars Soni Razdan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aahana Kumra & Mahesh Bhatt in a special appearance. The film is produced by Shiladitya Bora (Platoon One Films)

Sharman Joshi’s Next Film Is ‘Kaashi In Search Of Ganga’

Dhiraj Kumar’s debut Bollywood venture movie Kaashi In Search Of Ganga starring Sharman Joshi & Aishwarya Devan in the lead is all set to release on 26th Oct, this year. The film is produced by Insite India, Directed by Dhiraj Kumar & written by Manish Kishore.

Priyadarshni Academy Global Award 2018 To Anushka Sharma

Priyadarshni Academy’s 34th Anniversary Global Awards, a prestigious function, will take place on 19th Sept, 2018 in Mumbai. The awards will be presented to varied achievers from different genres for their services to the upliftment of mankind in multifarious ways. Awardees will be felicitated by leading political personalities. Priyadarshni Academy is a premier non-profit, socio-cultural & educational organization. Real Estate tycoon, Niranjan Hiranandani, is the Chairman. Priyadarshni Academy is the brain child of Businessman & Humanitarian Nanik Rupani. Priyadarshni Academy has a top notch list of awardees, a total of 8 awards will be presented this year. They will be felicitated by big wigs such as Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Shipping; Road Transport &Highways; Water Resources; River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation; Shri Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Commerce & Industry & Civil Aviation & Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways & Coal. Amongst the few Awardees of 2018 are Anushka Sharma – Smita Patil Memorial Award for “Best Actress”, Ronnie Screwvala (Founder Director, Swades Foundation) – Priyadarshni Academy Global Award for outstanding contribution to Innovative Entertainment & Community Development & Amitabh Kant (CEO, NITI Aayog, New Delhi; NITI is a government institution for catalyzing economic development) -Priyadarshni Academy Global Award for outstanding contribution to Transforming India

Saie Tamhankar Reveals Her Digital Debut With ZEE5

Popular actress Saie Tamhankar has been up to something special. In a never seen before avatar, Saie Tamhankar has collaborated with ZEE5 for an upcoming special show for her fans, this time on an OTT platform – ZEE5! She will be seen featuring in a web show for the 1st time ever, it’s her digital debut. Saie Tamhankar shared, “ZEE5 & I have something extremely exciting coming up. This will be the 1st time ever I will be shooting for a digital platform. This will be very different from what my fans have seen me do in the past and the team that I am working with is fantastic. All I can say is that this show will give you a chance to know me better.” ZEE5 has recently launched a super hit Marathi web series called Liftman with Bhau Kadam & now with Saie, they are looking at strengthening their bucket of Marathi content. Saie has started shooting for ZEE5 web show.
‘Little Things’ To Premiere On 5th Oct, 2018 Worldwide On Netflix

If you love “love” & need your regular fix of Netflix romance, there is more in store for you with a brand new season of Little Things all set to premiere worldwide on 5th Oct, 2018. Little Things is a realistic, relatable & heartwarming story of a young, modern day relationship that promises to give you all the feels! Join Kavya (Mithila Palkar) & Dhruv (Dhruv Sehgal), a young unmarried couple, as they navigate the complicated world of relationships, careers & aspirations in the fast-paced city of Mumbai, while always cherishing the little things that make life worth living. The series celebrates the sweet & sour moments of life & their new-age relationship. Created & written by Dhruv Sehgal, Little Things is directed by Ruchir Arun.

Sumeet Vyas To Play Himself In Kunaal Roy Kapur’s Web Series ‘Side Hero’!

Sumeet Vyas, who became a household name after the success of his latest release, Veere Di Wedding, is all set to spring a huge surprise on the audience & his fans with his next offering. The talented actor who is currently busy scripting Season 2 of ‘The Viral Fever’s popular series Tripling & also doing recee of the same will be seen playing an interesting role in his forthcoming web series, Side Hero. As interesting as the title, the web show will see Sumeet Vyas sharing screen space with Kunaal Roy Kapur for the 1st time ever. Interestingly, Sumeet Vyas is quite excited about the show as he will be seen playing himself, much to the surprise of the audiences & his fans. Also, it is something he has never attempted before in the web series space. The talented actor is currently busy scripting Season 2 of The Viral Fever’s popular series Tripling & also doing recee of the same. He will be traveling to 5 cities shooting for the show. Sumeet Vyas says, “The script is quite amazing and something not attempted in the web series space. Also, the good thing is that I do not have to prep for my character since I play myself in the series. I’m sure the audiences will definitely like it.”

Prem R Soni Reveals The Teaser Poster Of His Next Movie ‘Radha Kyun Gori Main Kyun Kaala’

Prem R Soni, known for helming Main Aurr Mrs. Khanna starring Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor & Sohail Khan, revealed the teaser poster of his next film Radha Kyun Gori Main Kyun Kaala on the auspicious occasion of Krishna Janmashtami recently. The teaser poster of the film, which revolves around a Krishna Bhakta who comes to the country where guests are treated as gods & women are treated as goddesses to seek answers & raise questions, features the silhouettes of a man & a woman against the backdrop of an ancient temple with the “Geeta Saar” printed on it. The poster of the film is quite intriguing and has made everyone curious about the cast of the film, which will be revealed in the official poster on a later date. Prem R Soni revealed, “Radha Kyun Gori Main Kyun Kala is the story of Julia Bien, a Polish girl who is a Krishna Bhakta from childhood. Though Julia has a tough childhood, she finds solace in the teachings of The Bhagvad Geeta & wishes to visit Mathura to see the ISKCON temple there. Julia finds friends & also meets Babul Chaubey, the man she loves. In India, Julia adopts a daughter & decides to make a life here. However, things do not go as smoothly as planned & Julia & Babul end up starting a nationwide movement with the help of the teachings of The Bhagvad Geeta & shine the light of Krishna Consciousness upon the darkness of human nature.” Radha Kyun Gori Main Kyun Kaala’ is slated to release in May, 2019.

Hurricane Florence edges closer with life-threatening storm surge

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The outer reaches of Hurricane Florence began lashing coastal North Carolina with heavy winds and flooded roads on Thursday ahead of an expected landfall that will bring walls of water and lingering downpours to parts of the US East Coast.
The centre of Florence, which has been downgraded to a Category 1 storm, is expected to hit North Carolina’s southern coast on Friday, then drift southwest before moving inland on Saturday, enough time to drop as much as one metre of rain in some places, according to the National Hurricane Center.

An estimated 10 million people live in the storm’s path, according to the US Weather Prediction Center, and coastal businesses and homes were boarded up in anticipation. More than one million people had been ordered to evacuate the coasts of North and South Carolina and Virginia and thousands moved to emergency shelters, officials said.

Reporting from Carolina Beach in North Carolina, said the situation is going to “intensify as the storm moves closer to the shore line”.

Florence is producing a life-threatening storm surge and hurricane conditions over portions of eastern North Carolina. The threat of freshwater flooding will increase and spread inland over the next several days.
“In some areas, these conditions are going to continue for two days or more,” he said. “This is setting up to be a historic flooding in some of the low areas across the strike zone.”

Florence’s maximum sustained winds were clocked on Thursday at 165 kilometres per hour after it was downgraded to a Category 2 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, according to the NHC. The winds had been as high as 140 miles per hour (roughly 225kph) earlier in the week.

But North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper warned: “Don’t relax, don’t get complacent. Stay on guard. This is a powerful storm that can kill. Today the threat becomes a reality.”

Some people who had rejected calls to evacuate the area in danger area took walks along the water as they tried to enjoy a few final hours of normalcy before Florence’s fury arrived.

In Sea Breeze, Roslyn Fleming, 56, made a video of the inlet where her granddaughter was baptised because “I just don’t think a lot of this is going to be here” after the storm, she told Reuters news agency.

Sixteen kilometres away in the city of Wilmington, wind gusts were stirring up frothy white caps into the Cape Fear River.

A man walks past a boarded-up business before Hurricane Florence comes ashore in Wilmington, North Carolina [Carlo Allegri/Reuters]
“We’re a little worried about the storm surge so we came down to see what the river is doing now,” said Linda Smith, 67, a retired nonprofit director. “I am frightened about what’s coming. We just want prayers from everyone.”

Flooding, power outages begin
The storm’s centre was about 180km east of Wilmington, North Carolina, at 2pm local time (18:00 GMT) but tropical storm-strength winds and heavy rains already were hitting North Carolina’s Outer Banks barrier islands. The main highway in the Outer Banks was closed in parts as seawater pushed in. Flooding from rain and rising rivers also was reported in New Bern.

Some 11,000 power outages have been reported in North Carolina.

The hurricane centre also said the threat of tornadoes was increasing as the storm neared the shore.

The Union Point Park Complex is seen flooded as the Hurricane Florence comes ashore in New Bern, North Carolina
Florence could bring wind-driven storm surges of seawater as high as four metres and NHC Director Ken Graham said on Facebook they could push in as far as three kilometres. Heavy rains were forecast to extend into the Appalachian mountains, affecting parts of Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia.

The storm will be a test of President Donald Trump’s administration less than two months before elections to determine control of the United States Congress. After criticism for its response to last year’s Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, which officials there said was responsible for 3,000 deaths, Trump has vowed a vigorous response to Florence and defended his handling of Maria.

“3000 people did not die in the two hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico,” Trump said on Twitter. “When I left the Island, AFTER the storm had hit, they had anywhere from 6 to 18 deaths … Then, a long time later, they started to report really large numbers, like 3000.”

Trump provided no evidence to support his challenge on Maria.

Emergency declarations were in force in Georgia, South and North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. Millions of people are expected to lose power and it could take weeks to resolve the outages.

(Aljazeera)

Floods to have long-term negative impact on Kerala, Karnataka coffee growers

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The devastating floods in Kerala and Karnataka will not just cause one-fifth of the coffee production to be wiped out this year but its aftershocks are expected to have a long-term negative impact on farmers.

Ruined plantations would take several years to return to life and a part of those that survived might die due to the rotting of their roots. One estimate places the losses in three districts of Karnataka alone at Rs 700 crore.

There will also be a huge financial bearing on the beleaguered farmers to arrange resources for recovery of the damaged trees and re-establish the dead coffee gardens, Ramesh Rajah, President of the Coffee Exporters Association of India, said.

“According to the Coffee Board, about 1,000 hectares of coffee garden area have been flattened due to the landslides triggered by the heavy rains. Every big tree in (shed-grown) plantations that has fallen has damaged at least 10-20 coffee trees,” Rajah told IANS.

Before the monsoon, the total coffee output for this year was pegged at over 3.5 lakh tonnes. However, the estimates have been brought down to 2.8-3 lakh tonnes post the flash-floods-led disaster in both southern states.

According to the Coffee Board of India, the total production of coffee in 2015-16 was 3.48 lakh tonnes while it was estimated to be 3.12 lakh tonnes in 2016-17.

Rajah said there were fears that some of the coffee trees that survived the floods might “die slowly” due to the root-rotting as they were submerged for a long time.

Karnataka Revenue Minister R.V. Deshpande said the coffee plantations on 2.26 lakh hectares of land were affected, leading to huge losses to the farmers.

“Coffee plantations in Kodagu, Hassan and Chikmagalur have been badly damaged. The Coffee Board is assessing the magnitude of the damage. But the tentative figures show the losses are around Rs 700 crore,” Deshpande told IANS.

According to sources, the central government is working on a special package for the cultivators based on the recommendations of the Commerce Ministry even as the Coffee Board is assessing the overall damage caused.

Karnataka accounts for 70-80 per cent of the country’s total coffee production while Kerala produces over 10 per cent and Tamil Nadu about 5 per cent. Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and the northeastern region, which come under the non-traditional coffee producing areas, account for the rest.

Arabica and Robusta are the two types of coffee grown in India.

B.M. Raju, who grows coffee beans on 60-acres of land in Karnataka’s Kodagu, said the damage in his district ranged from 20 to 80 per cent and farmers would have no option but to reinvest heavily to rejuvenate their gardens.

“The input cost is already high. Labour cost has increased in last few years. But after these floods, coffee cultivators are totally broken. We will have to raise a huge sum for replantation,” said Raju, who is a member of the Coffee Board.

The input cost includes expenses on seedlings, labour, irrigation, fertilisers, pesticides and chemicals.

Rajah said farmers had the “financial inability” to raise funds as they were already in distress.

Even if the cultivators manage to gather resources and carry out replantation, they will have to wait for at least five years for the returns when trees start bearing fruit.

Earlier, farmers would get 75-85 bags (each of 60 kg) of coffee beans per hectare. However, this time it would be just 12-25 bags in Kodagu, Raju said.

According to the Coffee Board, the overall farm productivity was 761 kg per hectare in 2016-17.

Rajah said the quality of coffee beans would not be good this year as their shape may not be round and the texture may be rough.

But K. Basavaraj, who heads the Coffee Board’s Quality Division, maintained that the quality would not be affected as the fruit development would happen after the rains.

“There would not be any impact on the bean quality in general. We have 3-4 months for recovery of plants and development of beans. Quality could be slightly below the normal in certain pockets where serious damage has been reported,” Basavaraj said.

He said plants in the minimal damage areas would recover by the next year but some pockets, especially in Kodagu where entire coffee estates have vanished, would take years to rebuild.

(IANS)

SC restores police power in dowry harassment cases

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The Supreme Court on Friday restored the powers of the police to act on complaints of dowry harassment under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud struck down the family welfare committee that was set-up by an earlier direction of the top court to scrutinise the complaints of dowry harassment before the police could act on them.

Striking down its July 27, 2017 order, the apex court said: “We think it appropriate to direct the investigating officer to be careful in dealing with the complaints of dowry harassment.”

The court also directed the Director General of Police in the states to ensure that investigating officers probing offences under Section 498A should be imparted rigorous training with regard to the principles stated by the top court relating to the arrest made in such cases.

(IANS)

Lalu has become politically irrelevant, says Pappu Yadav

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Bihar’s seasoned politician and Lok Sabha member Pappu Yadav says that jailed veteran politician Lalu Prasad has become irrelevant in politics and his main backer, the powerful Yadav youth, are desperately looking for a new face outside the Lalu family to lead them.

“The era of Lalu’s monopoly in Bihar, mainly on Yadavs and Muslims, is virtually over. Yadav youth have no sympathy and affiliation with him now. The entire Lalu family exploited the Yadavs and Muslims in Bihar for decades,” claimed the 50-year-old Pappu Yadav, the founder of Jan Adhikar Party, in an interview to IANS.

Pappu Yadav is in active politics for about three decades and he was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1991. He defeated senior leader Sharad Yadav in the 2014 parliamentary polls in Madhepura to become a Lok Sabha member for the fifth time. Pappu Yadav’s wife Ranjeet Ranjan is a Lok Sabha member from the Congress from Bihar’s Supaul seat.

As per 2011 census, Yadavs make up 14 per cent of Bihar’s population while Muslims constitute 16.9 percent. Yadavs and Muslims have always been the core vote bank for Lalu Prasad.

“The older generation among Yadav and Muslim have some sympathy for Lalu because he is in ailing after being convicted in the fodder scam but I can tell you the Yadav youth dislike him and are looking for a fresh face who can economically empower them,” said Pappu Yadav.

“Every sensible brain in Bihar, particularly among Yadavs and Muslims, know that Lalu kept them economically poor deliberately in a bid to use them as vote bank for years. They had no option but to back up Lalu family but now youths are determined to get rid of Lalu family to overcome backwardness.”

He said that Yadavs in Bihar never trusted Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and there was still a big disconnect and trust deficit exist between Nitish Kumar and the Yadav community.

“For roughly three decades, Lalu tactically didn’t allow leaders from Yadav community to grow to a level where his leadership can be challenged. Thus the entire Yadav caste was further pushed to backwardness and so the case was with minorities in Bihar. Muslims were left with no option but to vote only for Lalu. But now youths are looking for a better option outside Lalu family,” Pappu Yadav contended.

Pappu Yadav slammed the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government and said development of Bihar had been stalled, youth migration to other states in search of jobs had risen, the law order situation has worsened and sexual assault on women and girl child has increased to all time high now.

He added that Bihar had also become a safe haven for mob lynchers.

(IANS)

SC stays bail of Kashmiri businessman in terror funding case

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A day after the Delhi High Court granted bail to Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali in a terror funding case, the Supreme Court on Friday stayed the order.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud said it would hear the matter on September 26.

The order came on a plea filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) challenging the Delhi High Court’s order, saying that it has ignored the evidence against Watali.

Appearing for the NIA, Attorney General K.K. Venugopal told the apex court that there were “very serious charges” against the businessman and he should not have been granted bail.

The Agency further contended that documents recovered from the premises of Watali’s accountant have showed that money had been received from Pakistan-based terrorist leaders Hafiz Saeed, Syed Salahuddin and the Pakistan High Commission which was distributed to Hurriyat leaders to finance terror activities.

Forensic analysis of Watali’s signature proved his involvement, but the high court ignored the documents as a “piece of paper”,the NIA told the apex court.

A counsel appearing for Watali said he was 75-years-old and has been in jail for months and there were no grounds for the NIA to make a case against him.

Watali, arrested for his alleged role in a terror-funding case involving Saeed, was granted bail by the Delhi High Court on Thursday, directing him to not leave the country without permission.

He had challenged the trial court’s June 8 order rejecting his bail plea.

Watali was arrested on August 17, 2017, and was charge-sheeted by the NIA on January 18 along with Saeed, Salahuddin, seven Kashmiri separatist leaders and others in the case.

(IANS)

Lower food prices ease India’s WPI to 4.53% in August

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A massive fall in food prices and cost of primary articles eased India’s annual inflation rate based on wholesale prices to 4.53 per cent in August from a 5.09 per cent rise in July.

However, on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) furnished by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Friday was still higher than 3.24 per cent reported for the corresponding period of 2017.

“Build up inflation rate in the financial year so far was 3.18 per cent compared to a build up rate of 1.41 per cent in the corresponding period of the previous year,” the Ministry statement said here.

On a sequential basis, the expenses on primary articles, which constitute 22.62 per cent of the WPI’s total weightage, slipped by (-) 0.15 per cent, from an increase of 1.73 per cent in July.

Similarly, the prices of food articles dipped. The category has a weightage of 15.26 per cent in the WPI index. It deflated by (-) 4.04 per cent from a rise of (-) 2.16 per cent.

Interestingly, the cost of fuel and power category, which commands a 13.15 per cent weightage, increased at a slower pace of 17.73 per cent from a growth of 18.10 per cent.

However, expenses on manufactured products registered a rise of 4.43 per cent from 4.26 per cent.

Former Meghalaya CM quits Congress

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Former Meghalaya Chief Minister Donwa Dethwelson Lapang on Thursday resigned from the Congress, with which he was associated for four decades.

Lapang’s resignation is a major blow to the opposition Congress in the northeasten region as it has come ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, and the upcoming Mizoram assembly elections.

In his resignation letter to Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Lapang, 84, noted that he is quitting the party as it has embarked upon a policy of phasing out senior and elderly people.

“In my opinion, it means that services and contributions of senior and elderly people are not useful to the party. Since the spirit and enthusiasm to work for the people is still burning inside me, this restriction made me frustrated and compelled me to be no longer comfortable in the party,” Lapang said.

“With my present age and health condition, I have decided to serve the country, my state and its people in the same manner wherever I am,” he noted.

The veteran political leader stated that he worked devotedly, leaving no stone un-turned while performing his service for the party, as a “true and disciplined Congress man and always cooperated with the AICC (All India Congress Committee) even to the extent of accepting sacrifices for the sake of unity and strength of the party. …”

The five-time Chief Minister of Meghalaya did not contest the February 2018 assembly elections but campaigned for the Congress.

(IANS)

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