Archives for 2017
‘Toxic gas attack’ in Syria kills at least 58 people
Opposition says government or Russian jets pounded the town of Khan Sheikhoun in rebel-held Idlib.
![The attack caused many people to choke or faint, and some to foam at the mouth [Al Jazeera]](https://i0.wp.com/nasheman.in/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Khan-Sheikhoun.jpg)
The attack caused many people to choke or faint, and some to foam at the mouth [Al Jazeera]
by Al Jazeera
At least 58 people, including nine children, were killed in an air raid that released “toxic gas” on the rebel-held Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun on Tuesday, a monitor said.
The attack caused many people to choke or faint, and some had foam coming from their mouths, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, citing medical sources who described the symptoms as possible signs of a gas attack.
Locals said the attack began in the early morning, when they heard planes in the sky followed by a series of loud explosions after which people very quickly began to show symptoms. They said they could not identify the planes. Both Syrian and Russian jets have bombed the area before.
Russia’s defence ministry denied it carried out the raids, telling the State-run RIA news agency that it carried out no bombing runs in the area on Tuesday.
The Syrian government has repeatedly denied using such weapons and the Syrian army could not immediately be reached for comment.
Opposition activtists and the AFP news agency, citing one of its journalists on the scene, later said a rocket had slammed into a hospital where the victims were being treated, bringing rubble down on medics as they struggled to deal with victims.
The Observatory monitoring group, which tracks the war through a network of contacts on the ground, was unable to confirm the nature of the substance used.
Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from Beirut, said locals on the ground expected that the number of dead would increase and that many of the wounded were children.
“There were people fainting, they were vomiting, they were foaming at the mouth,” Fisher said.
“In that situation, the treatment tends to be to try and strip people off, to get the chemicals away from their bodies, to hose them down as quickly as possible. But even then some of the pictures that have been posted on social media in the last couple of hours show very young people struggling for breath, many people dead where they fell.”
‘Disgusting act’
Fisher reported that hospitals in the area were overwhelmed with the scale of the apparent attack and that footage showed them struggling to cope with the number of victims.
“Al Jazeera has no way of independently confirming the stories that are coming from there but the reality is there are a number of sources who are saying so many similar things,” Fisher said.
“It appears that what we’re being told is a fair reflection of the current events in Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province in Syria.”
The Edlib Media Centre (EMC), a pro-opposition group, posted images that were widely shared on social media, showing many people being treated by medics and what appeared to be dead bodies, many of them children.
The national opposition in Syria called for an immediate United Nations investigation and for the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting and condemn those behind the attack. The French government also called on the Security Council to meet.
“A new and particularly serious chemical attack took place this morning in Idlib province. The first information suggests a large number of victims, including children. I condemn this disgusting act,” France’s foreign minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, said in a statement.
“In the face of such serious actions that threaten international security, I ask for everyone not to shirk their responsibilities,” he added.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Russian President Vladimir Putin that the “inhuman” attack could endanger peace talks, AFP reported, citing sources.
Hospitals bombed
On Sunday, suspected Russian fighter jets bombed a hospital in a city in Idlib, wounding several people, a rescue group said.
At least ten people were wounded when three air raids targeted the main hospital in Maaret al-Numan, destroying the building, a White Helmets group official told Al Jazeera.
The White Helmets, also know as the Syrian Civil Defence, are volunteer rescuers that operate in rebel-held territory.
“For the past week, Idlib has been targeted by ongoing air strikes, and after yesterday’s attack, one of its main hospitals has been mostly destroyed and can no longer function,” Majid, another member of the White Helmets, said.
Over the past year, Doctors Without Borders has received reports of at least 71 attacks on at least 32 different health facilities, which it runs or supports in Syria.
VIJENDER SINGH WANTS SONU SOOD FOR HIS BIOPIC!
VIJENDER SINGH WANTS SONU SOOD FOR HIS BIOPIC!
Boxing champion Vijender Singh is not just impressed by Sonu Sood’s acting prowess but also by his chiseled physique and dedicated fitness regime that makes him one of the fittest actors of Bollywood. While Vijender swears by Sonu’s fitness & flexibility, he would like to see the versatile actor reliving his journey in his biopic if it was to be made. At a recent sports award ceremony, Vijender said, “Sonu Sood is one of the fittest actors. We’ve seen actors playing boxers before but it’s not easy to pull it off. Sonu is apt to play me on the big screen because he’s fit & flexible.”
WHEN RONIT ROY GOT A CHANCE TO INDULGE HIS PHOTOGRAPHY OBSESSION ON ‘SARKAR 3’ SETS!
Ronit Roy who will be seen in SARKAR 3, sharing screen space with Amitabh Bachchan for the 1st time, got to unleash his inner mobile photographer on the sets we hear! The actor apparently loves clicking candid pictures of his co – stars, and spent much of his free time between shots clicking unusual pictures of Amitabh Bachchan, Amit Sadh and more, from all sorts of angles! As seen in these quirky on the set images, Ronit took many clicks on his unsuspecting co – stars on his personal phone and also indulged in a selfie with Mr Bachchan himself! Says Ronit, “I was very taken in by the set design which transported me to an era gone by. It was quite surreal. Add to that the presence of Mr. Amitabh Bachchan in deep thought. It was quite magical so i wanted to capture those moments for myself to remind me of this when my memory starts failing me!” Well with such a stellar ensemble cast coming together for a most popular franchise, no wonder the actors want to record each & every moment of it!!
WHY DARSHAN KUMAAR HAD TO MEET A PSYCHOLOGIST.
Not all love stories are simple, and MIRZA JUULIET, certainly isn’t. In fact, lead actor Darshan Kumaar recently admitted that he needed to speak to a psychologist to get into the mind of his character. When we asked Darshan about his Mirza, he stated, “Mirza is a complex character, he has been through a lot very early in life. He has spent his earlier years of life serving jail term for avenging his parents death, he has killed since but he yearns to live a normal life. For someone like me, it was very difficult to understand how could someone with such a tainted past live a normal life. I actually met a psychologist friend of mind to get my head around the character.”“For me, it doesn’t matter if I am merely standing in the frame, I need to be in character, I need to become the character. I have to give it my all. And for someone like Mirza, I owed it to him to do justice to his character.” The film stars
Darshan Kumaar, Pia Bajpai, Chandan Roy Sanyal & Priyanshu Chatterjee alongside Swanand Kirkire. Directed by Rajesh Ram Singh, the film releases on 7th Apr, 2017.
HIMANSH KOHLI SUPPORTS ‘SAVE GIRL CHILD’ INITIATIVE
Himansh Kohli who shot to fame with YAARIYAN recently walked the ramp for supporting a social cause called “Naari Shakti”. The cause works for spreading the message to save girl child. The actor was the showstopper for designer Kirti Rathore. Speaking about his association Himansh says, “Every girl deserves the right to live the way they want and pursue their dreams. This is my small contribution towards creating awareness for saving the girl child.”
AISHWARYA RAI BACHCHAN WINS BEST ACTRESS AT IFFAA FOR OMUNG KUMAR’S ‘SARBJIT’
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was awarded as “Best Performance Female” at the international Film Festival & Awards of Australia (IFFAA) Awards this year for her stupendous performance as Dalbir Kaur in SARBJIT. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was chosen by the jury of IFFAA where they had a tough time selecting from many other powerful female performances like that of Priyanka Chopra in JAI GANGAJAL, Katrina Kaif in BAAR BAAR DEKHO, Vidya Balan in KAHAANI 2, Alia Bhatt in UDTA PUNJAB, Anushka Sharma in SULTAN & Sonam Kapoor in NEERJA. Ash came on top for her realistic portrayal of Dalbir Kaur – a sister who fought to free her brother Sarbjit Singh for more than 2 decades. Her portrayal of the grief stricken sister, who fought tooth & nail to free her innocent brother who was languishing in a Pakistani jail was heartening to watch. SARBJIT, the director Omung Kumar said, “Aishwarya has always set new benchmarks as an actress. This award is recognition of that and is truly well deserved.” Producer Bhushan Kumar added, “SARBJIT was a very important film for all of us. It was a real story that we had to portray in the most realistic manner. IFFAA is being held in Sydney Australia on 12th May, 2017 & 13th May, has an impressive lineup of awardees & celebrity guest list in their maiden year of launch.
IRRFAN KHAN LEARNT TO WEAR A SAARI FOR ‘HINDI MEDIUM’
Saket Chaudhary’s upcoming slice of life comedy film HINDI MEDIUM has Irrfan Khan playing a Punjabi Businessman & sari shop -owner from Chandni Chowk. We heard for a scene in the film where his salesman is not able to convince one of his rich customers, Irrfan despite being the owner of the shop decided to do the selling himself. Irrfan is a method actor from National School of Drama and thus even though it was just a scene in the film, he actually learnt how to wear a Saari to make it look authentic. Well, now that Irrfan has learnt to wear a Saari, we wonder if he would help out his wife at home! HINDI MEDIUM produced by Dinesh Vijan & Bhushan Kumar releases 12th May, 2017.
SUSHANT PLAYS A SPY IN ‘ROMEO AKBAR WALTER’
Fans have been waiting desperately to get a glimpse of the 1st look of Sushant Singh Rajput’s project with his alleged girlfriend Kriti Sanon, titled RAABTA. Sushant has now surprised his fans with a special announcement about his upcoming project ROMEO AKBAR WALTER aka RAW. The 2 posters released by Sushant himself drop a subtle hint about him playing a detective. He had also played a detective in his previous film DETECTIVE BYOMKESH BAKSHi. The movie is directed by Robbie Grahwal and produced by Ajay Kapoor, Dheeraj Wadhawan & Bunty Walia. ROMEO AKBAR WALTER will release in 2018.
SWARA BHASKAR VISITS CAFÉ RUN BY ACID ATTACK SURVIVORS IN LUCKNOW!
Swara Bhaskar who was seen playing the lead role of an erotic singer in the musical drama ANAARKALI OF ARRAH recently visited Lucknow for the movie promotions. During the promotion, she happened to whiz past a café which she got to know is run by an acid attack survivors. It was indeed a pleasant surprise for the survivors as she congratulated them for their efforts and also interacted with them. Produced by Priya & Sandiip Kapur & written & directed by Avinash Das under the banner Promodome Motion Pictures, ANAARKALI OF ARRAH stars Swara in a never – seen – before role of an erotic singer along with Sanjai Mishra, Pankaj Tripathy & Ishhtiaq Khan.
MILIND GUNAJI TURNS GREY FOR ‘SHATIKA – THE UNDRAPED’, SUPPORTING WOMEN EMPOWERMENT!
Milind Gunaji is all set to surprise the audience and his fans once again with his next offering, SHATIKA – THE UNDRAPED a short film directed by young & debutante Sritama Dutta. Produced by Aditya Bhardwaj & Publicist turned Executive Producer Vedant Mishra, of Y – Star Cine & Television Pvt Ltd, SHATIKA – THE UNDRAPED also features Susmita Mukherjee, Harry Josh & Swagata Naik.Interestingly, Milind Gunaji will be seen playing a grey character again in the film. Director Sritama Dutta met Milind Gunaji on the sets of KAMASUTRA, where she was the Associate Director. In one of her conversations with Milind Gunaji, Sritama had mentioned about Shatika’s story and she wanting to direct a short with him. Milind, being amazed & impressed with Sritama’s skills & talent on the sets of KAMASUTRA, assured her that he will be a part of her next independent project whenever it would commence. Years later when he was approached by Sritama again, he immediately agreed to take up the project and kept his word not only for Sritama but also because he whole heartedly supports women empowerment. Sritama Dutta says, ” Milind ji is apt for the character he is playing in the film and we are pleased to have such a talented actor playing a pivotal role in Shatika.”Milind says, “Shatika is an eye – opener for the society as it not just entertains but also helps spreading awareness regarding issues related to women empowerment & HIV. ”
BABLI PAPPI & VASOOLI BHAI JOIN THE GANG OF ‘GOLMAAL AGAIN!’
Rohit Shetty’s 4th installment GOLMAAL AGAIN recently went on floors in Mumbai at Yash Raj Studios.Well, now Sanjay Mishra (Babli), Johny Lever (Pappi) & Mukesh Tiwari (Vasooli bhai) have joined the gang for the shoot! GOLMAAL AGAIN stars Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Kunal Khemu, Tabu, Parineeti Chopra, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Sanjay Mishra, Johny Lever, Ashwini Kalsekar, Mukesh Tiwari, Murli Sharma, Vrajesh Hirjee, Sachin Khedekar, Uday Tikekar& Prakash Raj.
Dheeraj Kumar’s Small Screen Offering Yaro Ka Tashan Offers A Unique Twist
Dheeraj Kumar’s Small Screen Offering Yaro Ka Tashan being created under the banner of Creative Eye Ltd and produced by Dheeraj Kumar & Zuby kochhar & co – produced by Sunil Gupta is strongly making its presence felt and marching ahead gloriously on SAB TV Channel.
Now it so happens that Yaro, a Robot with a heart, actually falls in love with a girl next door. But the girl Sanjana is more than just a girl, she is full of thrills & swings , You can call her a type of Tom boy kyunki jab tak life mein kick nahi lagta Sanju ko kuch theek nahi lagta. Yaro who has madly fallen in love with Sanju wants to win her over so he tries all the rules in the book of love but fails mierably. His friends suggest that agar ladki ka dil jeetna ho to ladki ke favorite person ka dil jeet. In short make friends with the person Sanju loves more than her life.
Life takes an exciting turn for Yaro when he comes to know that the most favourite person whom Sanju like is none other than her dog Bhaktawar (a pug who has his own mind & choice)
On the other hand since Yaro is a robot Bhaktawar hates the smell of Yaro as it’s not human types thus making Bhaktawar creating more dislike for Yaro. Now the challenge in Yaro’s is how in this situation he will win over Bhaktawar the dog and will he ever get to befriend Sanjana, the love of his life.
To know more about Yaro’s disoriented love life watch Yaro ka Tashan from Mon to Fri 7.30 pm only on Sab TV.
That apart the character’s list of Yaro Ka Tashan is as follows:- Sanjana as Shubhi Ahuja, Goga Kapoor as Gopi Bhalla, Sushmit Kapoor as Monica castelino, Rakesh Bedi as Mr. Agarwal, Malini Kapoor as Mrs. Agarwal, Jayshree Soni as Shilpi Mahira Sharma, Shivam as Prem, Dheeraj Gumber as Amar & Umesh Bajpai as Mr. Charturvedi.
Bollywood Round Up
Yogesh. Lakhni, of Bright Outdoor Media, of course the name needs no special introduction as it is synonymous with his winning awards galore and none of the Bollywoodian events are complete without his auspicious presence.
So this time Yogesh Lakhani, of bright Outdoor, was seen rubbing shoulders with Big B, Padma Vibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj & Zakir Hussain, or is it the other way round, at Vasantutsav 2017 at Sahara Star Hotel, Mumbai.
All said & done Yogesh Lakhani of Bright Outdoor Media is associated with more than 95% of events in Mumbai. He was associated with 17th Vasantutsav 2017 where he met Amitabh Bachchan, Padma Vibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj & Zakir Husaain recently. The event was organised by Suresh & Padma Wadkar at Sahara Star Hotel, Parle East, Mumbai. This year Uttam Vag Geykar Award was given to Padma Vibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj which was presented by Big B & Yogesh Lakhani.
Not only this Yogesh Lakhani of Bright Outdoor media also recently bagged Lokmat Corporate Excellence award in media & ooh category for brand excellence in outdoor media. At the rate Mr. Yogesh Lakhani is bagging awards galore, he maY have to buy a Seaside Palatial Mansion to house all the tropies that he has bagged till this date.
And for the unintiated ones it won’t be out of place to recall that Shri. Yogesh Lakhani of Bright Outdoor Pvt Ltd is the biggest name in outdoor OOH business. He just got the best Corporate Excellence award in media & ooh category for brand excellence in outdoor media. Sunil Prabhu, Railway Minister & Vijay Darda, Chairman & Editor -in – chief Lokmat Media Pvt Ltd gave the award to him. Yogesh lakhani also met Vivek Oberoi, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis & Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar at this award function.
Wonderla Invites India to “Get Closer” with a New Brand Positioning and Strategy
Bengaluru: In a bid to ramp up the fun factor, Wonderla Holidays Limited, India’s No#1 Amusement Operator, today announced a comprehensive repositioning strategy with a new brand identity. After a successful run as the country’s premier “thrill -station” over a decade, the company is ready to expand its footprint nationally as a complete entertainment and hospitality brand. In keeping with the ambitious plans, the company initiated a complete refresh of its identity with a promise of being a “fun & energizing place where people get closer.” The new strategy will include a new logo, new sonic identity and a new mass media campaign.
Speaking at the unveiling of the Brand Refresh, Mr. Arun K Chittilappilly, Managing Director, Wonderla Holidays Limited said, “Over the last decade, Wonderla has gone from strength to strength. Our existing properties in Kochi & Bangalore including our newly opened park in Hyderabad are immensely popular with a very strong customer equity. We are one of the best performing companies in our segment not only in India but also globally. We are very proud of what we have achieved so far. But, we have bigger ambitions – to make Wonderla a national hospitality and entertainment brand to reckon with. The idea behind the change is therefore set the Wonderla brand up for these bigger ambitions.”
The new Wonderla Logo is a more modern, dynamic take on its existing Logo and represents the full potential of Wonderla as a destination for all ages.
Mr Saswata Das, Partner & Executive Director, WOW Design, the agency responsible for developing the new logo explained, “We had to rev-up the Identity of an extremely successful brand with a very well recognised logo to increase its relevance in current times. The primary challenge was to resonate with an audience of age bracket as diverse as 5 to 45 years. What we did was to crack an overarching theme for the Brand which laid the foundations of the Design Strategy. Then we recreated the logo for Wonderla to generate an engaging experience. I am sure the new brand positioning and refreshed look is going to create a lot of pull for the Brand in future.”
In keeping with the new positioning, Wonderla will also be rolling out a new brand campaign and a theme song that will be going on air from 6th April. Happy mcgarrybowen, the creative agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has developed this new campaign.
Speaking about the new campaign; Mr. Kartik Iyer, CEO, Happy mcgarrybowen said, “Wonderla is an iconic name for anyone who has lived in South India. The theme park has been a favoured destination in Kochi and Bengaluru for families and tourists alike. With the opening of a new park in Hyderabad, this was the perfect opportunity for a Brand refresh. Out with a spanking new identity and keeping Wonderla’s aspirations of becoming a national brand name, the teams worked together to come up with a positioning and brand idea that delivers on a simple insight that people get closer when they have fun together. A lot of effort has gone into capturing the essence of the Wonderla experience. The new campaign is only a first step to all the exciting things planned for the brand.”
‘Asia Jewels Fair 2017’ to dazzles Bangalore city!
Bengaluru: Asia Jewels Fair ’17, one of South India’s most Glamourous Jewellery Exhibition is hosting its 11th edition in Bengaluru city from 12th to 14th April. The Grand jewellery fair will take place at the Ritz-Carlton situated at 99, Residency Road in Bengaluru from 10.30 a.m to 8 p.m. This show is a very exclusive one as for the first time the expo will showcase never seen before best jewellery designs from top handpicked jewelers from across India..all under one roof.
His Highness Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the 27th and present titular Maharaja of Mysore and head of the former ruling Wadiyar dynasty & His wife Ms Trishika Kumari will grace the occasion of Inaugurating “Asia Jewels Fair 2017”
Asia Jewels Fair ‘17 is a niche event exhibiting exclusive and high-end branded gold and diamond Jewellery among others. The event showcased some of the latest collection from, Fine gold Jewellery, Diamond Jewellery, Platinum Jewellery, Traditional Jewellery, Wedding Jewellery, Precious stone Jewellery, Kundan Jewellery to name a few.
“Asia Jewels Fair is one of the finest jewellery exhibitions in the city. Pre book your jewellery for the upcoming Akshay Tritya festival & for all the prospective grooms and brides, a fair like this is a one stop-shop that brings some of the best jewellery, design and precious stones under one roof. It is the perfect destination to buy exquisite and world class jewellery in South India.”
On display were luxury jewellery designs from top leading brands of Bangalore, New Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Surat, Kokata , Hyderabad creating the most glamorous & spectacular platform for all branded jewellery. Adding to the exquisite display was a dazzling array of International jewellery designs, from top most brands all over India like:
· Creations Jewellery
· AVR Swarna Mahal Jewelry
· Sri Ganesh Diamonds & Jewellery
· Nikhaar Jewels
· Yoube Jewellery (Mumbai)
· Davanam Jewellers
· Diamond Mantra
· Orra Fine Jewellery
· Ananya Jewels
· Entice Bengaluru
· Design Source By Archana Aggarwal ( Delhi)
· Sehgal Jewellers Delhi
· Shrians Jewels (Delhi)
· YS18 (Jaipur )
· Enshine ( Surat )
· Bond Forever (Kolkata)
· Manepally Jewellers (Secunderabad)
· Vummdi Bangaru Kannan & Sons (Chennai)
· Sanghvi Dhanrupji Devaji & Co (Mumbai)
· K Jewels & More (Delhi)
Kannada organisations call for state-wide bandh on May 6
Bengaluru: Various Kannada organisations have called for a state-wide bandh on May 6 demanding that the state government implement permanent irrigation projects in the state to solve existing water crisis amid prevailing drought conditions.
The organisations have stressed that irrigation projects be implemented in Kolar, Chikkaballapur and other areas of Karnataka as several regions have been witnessing severe water scarcity.
(Agencies)
Bengaluru youth ends life after posting video of suicidal intention
Mumbai: A 20-year-old student from Bengaluru committed suicide by jumping from the 19th floor of a top hotel here after posting a video on social networking sites describing the step he was taking to end his life, police said on Monday.
The victim, who succumbed to the fall instantly, has been identified as Arjun Bhardwaj, who was studying in a prominent Mumbai college.
Initial investigations reveal that he hails from Bengaluru and is son of a businessman.
“We have recovered a suicide note which indicates that he was disturbed. We are investigating further,” Joint Police Commissioner Deven Bharti told IANS.
The social media profile of the youth is being checked by police to asertain the motives behind the drastic measure while his family has been informed of the tragedy.
(PTI)
Rakhi Sawant arrested for objectionable remark against Valmiki
Mumbai: Rakhi Sawant, the controversial TV and Bollywood actor, was today arrested for allegedly hurting Valmiki community sentiments.
Sawant had reportedly made some objectionable remark against Valmiki, the mythological sage who wrote Ramayana.
Rakhi Sawant was arrested following a warrant which was issued by a Ludhiana court on March 9 on the basis of a complaint filed against her for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of Valmiki community with her comments on a programme on a private television channel last year.
Rakhi Sawant had failed to appear before the court during the last hearing held on March 9 despite the court issuing her repeated summons.
The next hearing of the case is scheduled for April 10.
(Agencies)
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