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‘Bhakts’ will cause Modi’s fall, predicts Shiv Sena

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uddhav thackeray

Mumbai: Incensed by pro-Narendra Modi slogans at a party-controlled BMC function on Wednesday, the Shiv Sena today said “Modi bhakts (supporters)” would lead to his fall just like those of late PM Indira Gandhi led to hers.

The Sena’s latest outburst was triggered by pro-Modi slogans of the BJP corporators rending the air during a cheque-handing ceremony at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters on Wednesday.

In the function, Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar had handed had over a cheque of the first tranche of the GST (Goods and Services Tax) compensation to the civic body on Wednesday.

“Today, those who are unnecessarily shouting pro-Modi slogans, are actually maligning his image. There was a time when the slogans in the name of Indira Gandhi were chanted too. Her ‘bhakts’ had insulted the nation by shouting slogans like ‘Indira is India’ and that insult triggered a spark of revolution which culminated into her defeat,” the Sena said in an editorial in the party mouthpiece ‘Saamana.’

Sena said one should understand the difference between being proud of Narendra Modi and being frenzied about it.

“The truth is that Indira Gandhi not only won the war against Pakistan in 1971 but also made Pakistan go down on their knees by dividing that country. We want to tell the BJP leadership that Gandhi still lost and that was because of the excessive ‘Indira bhakti’ (worship) displayed by her supporters,” the edit said.

At a time when the world was against Modi, the Sena stood by him whereas those who are now shouting pro-Modi slogans preferred to remain silent that time out of fear, it said.

“Our friend (the BJP) should remain cautious of its own ‘bhakts.’ Those shouting pro-Modi slogans today may become the reason for his own downfall tomorrow,” the edit said.

The function held at the civic body was attended by several leaders of the BJP and the Sena, including its chief Uddhav Thackeray.

When Mungantiwar was presenting the cheque, some BJP corporators and party workers started chanting “Modi-Modi,” prompting the ruling Sena camp to raise counter-slogans. During the ruckus, a BJP corporator was reportedly manhandled by some Sena workers.

“What was the need to chant Modi’s name? The chief minister and the BJP president should ask themselves this question. This (GST compensation) money neither came from the BJP’s treasury nor will it go to the Sena’s treasury. The money will be used for the welfare of Mumbai,” the Sena said.

(Agencies)

Egypt arrests Chinese Muslim students amid police sweep

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Scores of Uighurs forced to flee in Cairo and Alexandria after police sweep on Beijing’s request, rights groups say.

Some 20 Uighur students from Cairo's Al-Azhar University were arrested in Alexandria [File: AP]

Some 20 Uighur students from Cairo’s Al-Azhar University were arrested in Alexandria [File: AP]

by Al Jazeera

Egyptian police have detained scores of Chinese students from the Uighur ethnic minority on Beijing’s request, forcing dozens into hiding or to flee to Turkey, activists have said.

The sweep began on Tuesday when police raided two restaurants frequented by Uighur students in Cairo and detained at least 37 people, Abduweli Ayup, a Uighur activist in Turkey, told Al Jazeera on Friday.

Dozens more have been arrested since, Ayup, said, including 20 from Cairo’s Al-Azhar University who were stopped in the city of Alexandria on their way out of the country late on Wednesday.

They were told they would be deported to China, Ayup said.

“Students, especially those who study religion, are being targeted,” Ayup said. “The police are searching apartment by apartment … In Cairo, people are in hiding. They are terrified. They are afraid to go out.”

The detentions come amid reports that authorities in the Uighur homeland of Xinjiang in western China are seeking the immediate return of Uighurs studying abroad.

China blames unrest in Xinjiang, which has included bombings and vehicle and knife attacks, on exiled Uighur separatist groups.

A traditionally Muslim group, many Uighurs complain of cultural and religious repression and discrimination by China.

Forced return

Lucia Parrucci, a spokeswoman for the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization advocacy group, said rights groups have moved some 60 Uighur students out of Egypt to safety in Turkey on Thursday alone.

Many of those remaining in Cairo “told us that they are afraid to sleep at home out of fear of their own arrest,” she said in an email to Al Jazeera.

Some 80 Uighur students have been arrested since the sweep began, she said.

The Chinese government has forced thousands of Uighur students abroad to return home since January 2017, she said, adding that some 90 percent of the estimated 7,000 – 8,000 Uighurs living in Egypt had returned to China.

“We have learned that many of the students have been arrested directly at the airport upon their return and sent to re-education camps. None of them have been able to see family members and no information was provided to their families about their whereabouts,” she said.

Human Rights Watch urged Egypt on Wednesday not to send Uighur detainees back to China, saying they faced “persecution and torture” there.

Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW’s Middle East director, also urged authorities to disclose the whereabouts of Uighur detainees and grant them access to lawyers.

Unverified videos shared on Twitter showed more than 70 Uighurs sitting on a floor in a government building and others being driven in a truck in handcuffs.

Ayup said rights groups lost touch with the detainees on Friday.

Abdullah, an Asian student of Islam at Al-Azhar university, told the Associated Press news agency that Uighurs were being detained in the Hay el Sabia area of Cairo’s Nasr City district. He gave only his first name for fear of reprisals.

“They’re mostly arresting the young men,” Sumaya, a Uighur woman living in Cairo, told The Middle East Eye on Thursday. “But I know of women who have been taken too, though we hide when we hear the government knocking on our door.”

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman appeared to acknowledge on Thursday that Chinese citizens had been detained in Egypt, saying at a regular briefing that consular officials would visit them.

Geng Shuang, a foreign ministry spokesman, said that “as far as I know, China’s embassy in Egypt has sent consular officials to conduct consular visits”. He gave no further details.

The Egyptian police denied requests for comment.

Omar Khadr: Canada pays ex-Guantanamo detainee $8.1m

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The settlement was given to Khadr on Wednesday and was cashed immediately, according to the Globe and Mail.

The government and Khadr's lawyers negotiated the deal last month, based on a 2010 Supreme Court ruling [File: Reuters]

The government and Khadr’s lawyers negotiated the deal last month, based on a 2010 Supreme Court ruling [File: Reuters]

by Al Jazeera

Canada has paid a settlement of C$10.5m ($8.1m) to former Guantanamo Bay inmate Omar Khadr, reports say.

The payout was given to Khadr on Wednesday and was cashed immediately, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported on Thursday, citing a source involved in the transaction.

The government and Khadr’s lawyers negotiated the deal last month, based on a 2010 Supreme Court ruling that said Canadian intelligence officials obtained evidence from Khadr under “oppressive circumstances”.

According to the ruling he was subjected to sleep deprivation during interrogations at Guantanamo Bay in 2003, and information obtained from him was then shared as evidence with US officials.

A Canadian citizen, Khadr was captured in Afghanistan in 2002 at age 15 after a gun battle with US soldiers.

He pleaded guilty to killing a US Army medic and became the youngest inmate held at the military prison in Cuba. Khadr later recanted and his lawyers said he had been grossly mistreated.

Khadr spent a decade in Guantanamo before being returned to Canada in 2012 to serve the rest of his sentence and was released in 2015.

Toronto-born Khadr was taken to Afghanistan by his father, an al-Qaeda member, who apprenticed the boy to a group of bomb makers. The father died in a battle with Pakistani forces in 2003.

His case has divided Canadians. Human rights advocates such as Amnesty International say the one-time child soldier was denied due process while the then-Conservative government dismissed calls to seek leniency, noting he had pleaded guilty to a serious crime.

After his 2015 release from prison in Alberta, Khadr apologised to the families of the victims. He had said he rejects violence and wanted a fresh start to finish his education.

He currently resides in an apartment in Edmonton, Alberta and is studying to be a nurse.

Philippines police push for ID cards for Muslims Philippines police push for ID cards for Muslims

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philipines-muslims

Manila: Police in a region in the Philippines are considering issuing mandatory identification cards to thousands of Muslims living there, a proposal rights activists have condemned as “collective punishment”, the media reported on Friday.

Authorities in Central Luzon were quoted in local media as saying the policy was a counter-terrorism measure after Islamist militants took over the city of Marawi on the island of Mindanao, reports the Guardian.

The issue was discussed at a meeting between police, military and political figures and about 200 Muslim religious and community leaders at the provincial capitol building, according to news outlet Rappler.

Chief Superintendent Aaron Aquino said the ID cards would allow authorities to identify and weed out undesirable individuals and terrorists.

Aquino said the system had already been implemented in the town of Paniqui “and we want this to be replicated in all Muslim communities in the whole region for easy and efficient identification of our Muslim brothers and sisters”.

Government forces have been hammering Marawi for nearly two months after local militant factions, who claim allegiance to the Islamic State (IS), rampaged through and took control.

Human Rights Watch said authorities were threatening to “single out Muslims” with ID cards, violating the rights to equal protection of the law and freedom of movement, the Guardian reported.

“Requiring Muslim-only IDs in response to a perceived failure of Muslims to prevent Islamist fighters from entering Marawi City is a form of collective punishment,” the advocacy group said in a statement.

“ID requirements for Muslims should be rejected outright,” it added.

(IANS)

Huge quantity of explosives seized in Wayanad; four in custody Huge quantity of explosives seized in Wayanad; four in custody

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explosives-Wayanad

Wayanad: A huge quantity of explosives, including 4,700 kg of gelatine sticks, were Thursday seized from a truck at a village in Wayanad district bordering Kerala and Karnataka and four persons taken into custody, police said.

During a vehicle check at Thakarapadi near Muthanga around 8.00 am following a tip-off, a truck with Karnataka registration and suspected to be proceeding from Bengaluru to Kozhikode was intercepted, police said.

Besides the gelatine sticks, 200 kg of safety fuses and 4,700 kg of ammonium nitrate kept beneath 100 bags of onions, were seized.

Wayanad: A huge quantity of explosives, including 4,700 kg of gelatine sticks, were Thursday seized from a truck at a village in Wayanad district bordering Kerala and Karnataka and four persons taken into custody, police said. During a vehicle check at Thakarapadi near Muthanga around 8.00 am following a tip-off, a truck with Karnataka registration and suspected to be proceeding from Bengaluru to Kozhikode was intercepted, police said. Besides the gelatine sticks, 200 kg of safety fuses and 4,700 kg of ammonium nitrate kept beneath 100 bags of onions, were seized.

A car, which was used to escort the vehicle, was impounded, police said.

Those taken into custody were Sakthinesan and Krishna Kumar, hailing from Thrissur district of Kerala, the driver and cleaner of the truck respectively besides the car occupants Suruli Rajan and Rajan, both belonging to Dharmapuri district in Tamil Nadu, police said.

They are being interrogated, police said, adding, the truck was also impounded.

A car, which was used to escort the vehicle, was impounded, police said. Those taken into custody were Sakthinesan and Krishna Kumar, hailing from Thrissur district of Kerala, the driver and cleaner of the truck respectively besides the car occupants Suruli Rajan and Rajan, both belonging to Dharmapuri district in Tamil Nadu, police said. They are being interrogated, police said, adding, the truck was also impounded.

(PTI)

Tom Holland Confirms No Appearance

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Tom Holland

Tom Holland Confirms No Appearance

Tom Holland stated that he won’t be appearing as Spider – Man in the upcoming movie Venom, starring Tom Hardy. Tom Holland The is currently starring as the web slinger in Spider – Man: Homecoming, the 1st ever Marvel & Sony Pictures crossover, but said that he won’t be starring in the other Sony movie, which is based on Spider – Man’s greatest foe.

Julia Stiles Feels That Twitter Is Gross

Julia Stiles feels that Twitter is gross because people like US President Donald Trump are active on the micro – blogging site. Julia Stiles also stated that while she once thought the social media platform had a positive side by making people condense their thoughts, she now has an aversion to using the site.

Woody Harrelson lost Dumb And Dumber Role

Woody Harrelson averred that he lost out on a role in 1994 iconic comedy Dumb And Dumber in a pool game wager. Woody Herrelson also added that one of the directors, Peter Farrelly, had been his roommate & wanted to cast him in the role, that later went to actor Jeff Daniels.

Famke Janssen Wants To Enact The Role Of Jean Grey Again

Famke Janssen averred that she would love to enact the role of Jean Grey again onscreen if the makers approach her in future. Famke Janssen who had enacted the role of a telepathic – telekinetic mutant in the “X – Men film franchise, averred that it was a role that has been an ever – giving gift.

Gerard Butler Gets Rejected

Gerard Butler reportedly got rejected by a young woman he met at a restaurant here due to his age. She felt he was way too old for her, reported an online portal.

Elle Fanning Was Keen To Work With Sofia Coppola

Elle Fanning stated that she was eager to collaborate with Sofia Coppola and was excited when the filmmaker approached her to enact the role in her recently released film, Beguiled. Elle Fanning, who had previously worked with the director in 2010’s Somewhere, would have agreed to do any project with Sofia Coppola.

Alicia Vikander Feels That Romance Is More Important Than Marriage

Alicia Vikander averred that she does not relate with the idea of marriage and
romance is more important for her. The Light Between Oceans star, who is dating Michael Fassbender, said she is not in a hurry to walk down the aisle with her partner.

Tom Holland Believe That Nobody Is Ready For Avengers: Infinity War

Tom Holland thinks nay believes that no one is ready for Avengers: Infinity War, which he believes is the biggest movie of all times. Tom Holland will be reprising his role as Peter Parker aka Spider-Man in the upcoming Marvel Comics Universe movie, and also believes that not even the most devoted Marvel fans will be prepared for it.

Sylvester Stallone Teases

Veteran action star Sylvester Stallone has teased that Creed 2 could be inspired by Rocky I. Slvester Stallone shared a photo shopped movie poster in which Apollo Creed’s son Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) from the 2015 title stands toe to toe with his father’s biggest opponent & killer Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), who featured in the 1985 film, on Instagram & vowed that “history will always repeat itself”.

Adrien Brody To Be Honoured

Oscar winning actor Adrien Brody will receive the lifetime achievement award at Locarno Film Festival. Brody is expected to attend the prominent Swiss fest dedicated to indie & cutting – edge fare, where his tribute will include a 4th Aug, 2017 screening of Roman Polanski’s The Pianist, for which he won the Academy award for the “Best Actor” in 2003.

Will Ferrell Used To Hate His Hair

Will Ferrell used to despise his hair when he was a kid. In fact Will Farrell felt quite self -conscious back then but has now started to like his hair. He avers, “The 1st day of the 7th grade, brand – new school, I let it fro out, and I thought it looked so different. I thought people would be like, “whisper, whisper” and I felt so self – conscious. No one cared. But I hated my hair, and now I’ve grown to like it.”
Emily Ratajkowski Is Losing Out On Roles

Emily Ratajkowski has recently lost 2 films because of getting branded as “too sexy”. The We Are Your Friends star believes that she has not got all the roles she wanted in her career because of her looks.

Ansel Elgort Feels That She Has 2 Personalities

Ansel Elgort stated that he believes he has a dual personality. The Fault In Our Stars actor also averred that he sees his professional life & regular life as different and prefers to “blend in” when he is off work. He further avers, “My work life & my regular life are very different – I feel like it’s 2 different personalities. There’s actor Ansel, where I have to play a role and be “on”. I take photos with everybody who asks, and I try to be professional.”

Maria Menounos Makes A Revelation

Actress & anchor Maria Menounos revealed that she is recovering from surgery to remove a brain tumour. Maria Menounos also announced that she he will be stepping down as host of a news channel in an emotional post on Instagram. She wrote, “First I wanna say thank you all for the well wishes, prayers & support. It’s been a crazy time here in our home. I want you all to know that I’m ok! Seriously I’m recovering well and should be as good as new very, very soon!”

Cara Delevingne Find It Hard To Cry

Actress & model Cara Delevingne said she finds it difficult to cry despite being outwardly expressive. Cara Delevingne averred that she is reluctant to expose her emotional frailties in front of other people. “I find it hard to cry in front of even one person. If I cry, I want to cry alone. For me, to cry meant I had to, in my head, beat myself up & make myself feel really s**t, but what I learnt that day was I actually had to be strong to be vulnerable.”

Amy Poehler Doesn’t Think Of Making A Career

Amy Poehler had never imagined that she could make a job out of being a comedienne. In fact Amy Poehler states that her success in entertainment industry was slow. “I wish I had some great story to tell you about when I wrote my dad a USD 1 million cheque & averred that, “You’re going to see my name in lights!”… But It (success) was slow. I didn’t grow up with any actors or writers around me, so I didn’t imagine it was a job I could do.”

Gwyneth Paltrow Creates “An Uproar With Neighbors”

Gwyneth Paltrows plans to build a 14,000 sq ft mansion in Montecito, California, has not gone down well with her neighbours. “She’s created an uproar with neighbours on all 3 sides,” Andrew Rice, a spokesman for one neighbor, Michael MacElhenny, told an online portal.

Gemma Arterton Won’t Star In Christopher Robin

Gemma Arterton is no longer attached to star in Christopher Robin. Representatives for the actress had been speaking with Disney for weeks, but talks did not progress from there.

Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie Trying Hard

Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie, who are caught up in a battle for the custody of their children, are working hard to keep a healthy relationship for their sake. The 2 actors have come a long way since Angelina Jolie filed for divorce last year, but it is reportedly still hard & painful for them to talk about.

Melanie Brown Has Just 961 Pounds

Former Spice Girl Melanie Brown has spent 38 million pounds on her extravagant lifestyle, and now she just has 961 pounds left in her bank account. The singer attended court in Los Angeles on Fri to face Stephen Belafonte, who she says tormented her with years of physical & mental abuse.

Gillian Anderson Blasts

American – British actress Gillian Anderson has hit out at the decision to hire an all – male writing team for The X – Files. Gillian Anderson stars as FBI agent Dana Scully alongside agent Fox Mulder, played by David Duchovny, but she’s blasted the lack of female representation amongst the show’s creative team.

Adele Fans Gather For Tribute

After Adele was forced to pull out of the 2 final shows of her tour, her fans showed their love & support in a beautiful way. After damaging her vocal chords, Adele the pop superstar was left with no choice but to cancel her tour, telling hert fans that she had been left “heartbroken”.

Rihanna On Oscar Dreams

Singer Rihanna, who is acting in Valerian & Ocean’s Eight, said while nobody works especially to win awards like Grammy or
Oscar, it’s always nice to get some “validation”. She spoke about her life as an actor in an interview. She averred, “I’d love to get there 1 day. Who doesn’t want to be told they are doing a great job? Any “validation” that your work is impacting is rewarding. I work hard & put my all into everything I do but the rest isn’t up to me.”

Shania Twain Didn’t Know Where To Begin

Singer Shania Twain averred that she had a tough time recovering from her divorce with former husband Robert John “Mutt” Lange after being together for 17 years. Shania Twain averred that it was difficult for her to carry on her career without Robert John “Mutt” Lange by her side, professionally. She averred, “I didn’t know where to begin. I didn’t know where to pick up. So, I went back to square one & figured out that finding myself alone wasn’t such a bad thing, and maybe it was an opportunity to reacquaint myself with independence again, and test that independence and get back in touch with where I started.”

Yogesh To Do His Next Film Only After Tying The Knot

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Yogesh

Yogesh To Do His Next Film Only After Tying The Knot

Yogesh, the tall & lanky actor considered as Kannada cinema industry’s Dhanush, has decided to keep quiet for some time till his marriage that is slated to take place on 2nd Nov, 2017. Kolara is released this week in over 250 theatres. Yogish aver that he has 1 finished subject Dhuniya 2. The hassle was the court case for this title. Although Yogish father T P Siddaraju is the producer of Dhuniya, someone registered the Dhuniya 2 at the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC). When the actual producer T P Siddharaju had announced Dhuniya 2 there was no trouble but at the time of completion Kirik Party the trouble started. Meanwhile Yogish has accepted Kolara Kannada film because his mother Ambujakshi wanted to see him in an action filled violent role. On his marriage with Sahitya an employee in H R department of Accenture, Yogish avers that it will be a 1 day marriage in a temple & a reception at Rajarajeshwari Nagar. After marriage Yogish is very serious on his career build up. He is now not set for ordinary roles. So far he heard nearly 300 one line subjects in his career. Amongst so many subject narration’s the role of Chappar brought in worry for Yogish. He discarded such roles what he had already done.

Shradda Srinath Replaces Rachita Ram

Everything went on well and the most talented & luckiest heroine Rachita Ram should have been in Dhuniya Vijay’s film. The director of the film Preetham Gubbi too had confirmed the acceptance of Rachita Ram. Now the development is that Rachita Ram has backed out of the film. Shradda Srinath now comes in the heroine spot. From offbeat films it is the 1st major break for Shradda Srinath in a leading star cinema. Shradda Srinath despite her busy schedule in Tamil films agreed to adjust the dates to play the heroine in Dhuniya Vijay’s film. Apparently the film Johny Mere Naam…Preethi Mere Kaam is the hit film in the combination of Dhuniya Vijay & director Preetham Gubbi (story writer of Mungaru Male). On a special set the major portions of the film’s shoot has been completed. This is the set where all language & religion people could be found. Rangayana Raghu, Achyuth Kumar, Sadhu Kokila, Dattanna and others are in the cast. V Harikrishna is scoring the music. Dhuniya Vijay is producing the film after his 1st film as producer of Jayammana Maga.

Rakshit & Rashmika Engaged

The engagement of popular star actor & director besides being producer, Rakshit Shetty & Rashmika Mandanna of Kirik Party took place. The Serenity Hall of Virajpet was the rendezvous for engagement. It was at 6 pm on a Mon evening and nearly 500 guests had attended. It was the exchange of diamond ring by Rakshit Shetty & Rashmika Mandanna. This was a coastal Karnataka & Hilly region of Coorg combination in life. The Coorg special food was a treat for the guests. The would be couple entered into engagement. Rakshit Shetty & Rashmika Mandanna recently visited Dubai to get the SIMA awards for the film Kirik Party. This was the debut of Rashkima Mandanna. Kirk Party has grossed over Rs.50 crores in the market & completed silver jubilee recently.

Srinivas To Introduce Vikram

The noted producer of Kannada & Telugu films and also distributor of films like Bahuhali, Kanakapura Srinivas has set the date for the audio release of his film Bharjari on 15th Jul, 2017 at one of the leading hotels in Bengaluru. Meanwhile the breaking news is that Kanakapura Srinivas is introducing Vikram Ravichandran in a bilingual Kannada & Tamil. Vikram Ravichandran the 2nd son of trailblazer V Ravichandran had acted as child actor in the past. 1st Vikram Ravichandran was seen in Malla later in Hatavadi & Crazy star Kannada films of his father V Ravichandran. His birth name is R Suryan and he is also known for his prolific dancing ability. He is behind the production team of his stalwart father. With Manoranjan 1st son of V Ravichandran is coming up soon as Saheba on Kannada screen, the platform is all set for Vikram Ravichandran for a bilingual. In a short while the precise announcements will be made he stated. On long standing Puneeth Rajakumar call sheet Srinivas intends to take up in next year.

Parthibhan To Star In A Title Role

For the 1st time 2 well known distributors & producers Kanakapura Srinivas & Jack Manjunath have combined to release Dada Is Back a Kannada cinema starring Tamil actor & director Parthibhan in the title role. The 2 additional Daadas in to business of the film is a big boon for the film. Both have shown interest in distribution on equal share precisely on the strength of the film. This film is going to create a new wave is the belief. Director of the film is Santosh. He earned rich laurels for his 1st film Gombegala Love. Arun & Shravya are the young pair. The title Daada refers to Parthibhan and under him hero Arun works in the film. As the prominent stay is Parthibhan a Tamil actor & director, the Tamil version dubbed will be released in the later days. Santosh in fact had narrated his script to Amitabh Bachchan, Mammootty, Mohan Lal but finally came to Parthibhan. Parthibhan has dubbed for the film, he was very comfortable to work. The film moves in 3 track says Santosh. Nagesh Acharya cameraman of the film was also present at the media briefing recently at Green House Raj Milan, Bangalore.

Himansee Makes Her Debut

Very cute & talented dancer Himansee from Hyderabad has made Arangetram in cinema even before the traditional system in her Bharatanatyam dance. Himansee’s father is a businessman in Hyderabad & mother is a housewife. She has been learning dance from the age of 12. Currently she is studying in final year of B Tech – 4 years professional course and practicing dance regularly. When the offer of her debut film Navila Kinnari came to Himansee, she was excited and took it as a challenge to deliver the requirement in a language not known to her. She has performed in 2 classical dances for this film. She learnt Kannada to emote properly and liked the environment of work of her 1st ever film. The classical dance of Himansee is for a great cause of Kannada school in the film. Senior journalist VL Prakash, Hulikal Nataraj a rationalist worked on the script & screenplay. Venki Chella has directed the 1st film of Himansee.

Indo – Pak Finale Match Watched By 72.31 Mn Viewers

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Pakistan beat India

Indo – Pak Finale Match Watched By 72.31 Mn Viewers

The grand finale of ICC Champions Trophy 2017 between arch rivals India & Pakistan was watched by a whopping 72.31 million viewers on Star Sports network & DD National, as per BARC India data for all India 2+ TG. The previous best record of the tournament was also held by the group stage match between the 2 countries.

BBC Announces Biggest Investment

BBC has announced its biggest investment in children’s services in a generation. It is an additional £34 million across the 3 years to 2019 / 2020, over & above its existing budgets. This new investment will enable BBC to reinvent how it serves its youngest audience in the years ahead. It will fund an enhanced online offer for children, with new forms of content & interactivity. The funding will mean that this can be delivered alongside BBC’s children’s television channels, CBeebies & CBBC.

GTPL Hathway Makes A Tepid Market Debut

Cable TV & broadband service provider GTPL Hathway did not have a wild debut day on the bourses. The shares of the multi – system operator (MSO) did not climb much during the day after opening at the issue price of Rs 170. Being the 1st stock to list after the implementation of the Goods & Services Tax (GST), the scrip plunged to a low of Rs 162.25 on Tues & then recovered to close at Rs 171.65. During the day, it touched a high of Rs 175.

Icc Champions Trophy Hits Show Launches

Compared to previous months, Jun, 2017 witnessed a drop in the number of show launches on the varied Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) as the ICC Champions Trophy took centre stage. Even as India entered the final and lost to Pakistan in the cricket contest, only 5 Hindi entertainment shows were introduced in Jun, 2017 which spanned across comedy, fantasy & mythological genres. These shows were launched on Colors, Star Plus, &TV & Sony Sab. In the IPL month of May, 2017 Hindi GECs launched 8 new shows in varied genres.

Dekkho To Tap Into Unscripted & Independent Creator Market

Online video streaming platform Dekkho has announced its plans to establish itself as the top destination for talent discovery in the country and showcase premium content from non – production house talent. Having collaborated with 80+ creators to curate premium videos across genres such as food, fashion, travel, lifestyle, comedy & gossip, the platform is now gearing up to run multiple digital promotions & events to identify emerging talent and get them on – board over the next 3 to 4 quarters. Dekkho will largely focus on youth based videos & regional content across 6 languages, primarily serving the 18 – 30 year old mobile audience.

Siti Networks Leads As Msos Add 1.67 Mn Pay TV Subscribers

Leading operators in India gained at least 1.67 million pay TV subscribers in the 1st quarter of 2017, with multi – system operator (MSO) Siti Networks adding 800,000 subscribers, as per informitv’s Multiscreen Index. The 100 leading television services in the informitv Multiscreen Index gained 3.46 million subscribers between them in the 1st quarter of 2017, an increase of 0.79%.

Net Active Dth Subs Grew 12%

The total active subscriber base of the 6 private direct – to – home (DTH) operators grew 12% in the calendar year 2016 to 62.65 million from 55.98 million in the previous year. The figure is based on the Performance Indicator Report released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on the telecom & broadcasting sectors. The net active subscriber base includes the number of temporarily suspended subscribers who have been inactive but for not more than 120 days.

Sun Direct – Astro – Reliance Digital TV & The Sniffing Of A Deal

For billionaire Anil Ambani, holding on to his anaemic direct – to – home (DTH) business makes no sense. The future of Reliance Digital TV under the debt – laden Reliance Communications is dark, as it struggles with a tiny 2% market share in a rapidly growing DTH universe of 62.65 million active subscribers. The way out is its acquisition by Malaysia based Astro in a separate deal, along with the merger of RCom’s wireless business with Aircel.

Network18 Sells Burrp To Bookmyshow

Big Tree Entertainment, the owner of entertainment ticketing platform BookMyShow, has fully acquired Mumbai based local food & restaurant recommendation engine Burrp in an all – cash deal from Network18. The financial details of the deal have not been disclosed. This Network18 divestment has been made to Foodfesta Wellcare, a subsidiary of Big Tree Entertainment. The acquisition includes transfer of Burrp’s key assets to BookMyShow, including employees & existing restaurant partnerships.

Comedy Central’s Slate Of New Shows

Comedy Central will offer what it calls a heavy shower this monsoon. Everything will be LITT UP as Comedy Central is gearing up for the return of the duo – Harvey & Mike with the launch of season 7 of legal dramedy Suits on 14th Jul, 2017. Comedy Central is also premiering new shows such as Mom Season 4 on 5th Jul, 2016 & Schitt’s Creek on 25th Jul, 2017. Mom revolves around the adventures of Bonnie and her daughter Christie while Schitt’s Creek is a comedy drama about a billionaire couple Johny Rese & Moira who lose all their money and are forced to relocate to a small town of Schitt’s Creek that they once bought as a joke.

BTVI Makes New Hires

Anil Ambani – controlled BTVi has appointed former Times Network VP revenue Shilpa Shetty & former TV18 South branded content head for CNN – News18 Seema Pisharody to jointly work towards the English business news channel’s revenue generation. The duo will be closely working with Megha (Monica) Tata to grow the channel. BTVi has been strengthening its management team. Recently, it had hired Anuj Katiyar as the marketing & research head.

Sony Pictures TV Networks Commissions Detective Show Carter

Sony Pictures Television Networks has commissioned Carter, a new series starring Jerry O’Connell & Sydney Poitier, for its international channels, including AXN. In Carter, Harley Mackay (Jerry O’Connell) is a detective on a hit American TV show who is forced to return to his sleepy hometown after an embarrassing public meltdown in Hollywood. Once back, Carter taps into his acting experience to become a real – life detective, partnering with long – time friend & no – nonsense veteran of the force, Sam St. Clair (Sydney Poitier).

Sky Sports & ECB Ink 5 Year Partnership

UK sports broadcaster Sky Sports has agreed to a new 5 year partnership with the England & Wales Cricket Board that includes live rights to international & county cricket from 2020, including every match from the new T20 competition. Taking its partnership with English cricket into its 3rd decade, the deal will give customers more live cricket than ever before, said the two parties.

TRAI To Begin Arguments

The Madras High Court will hear the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) pleadings on Mon & Tues as the other respondents, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) & the DIPP, have completed their arguments. Broadcasters Star India & Vijay TV was the first to complete their arguments. The HC had resumed hearing in the matter from 27th Jun, 2017. Earlier, the Madras HC had put off the hearing to 27th Jun, 2017. The matter was supposed to come up for hearing on 12th Jun, 2017.

TDSAT Asks Scod18 To Pay Rs 1.9 Cr

The Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has permitted multi – system operator (MSO) Scod18 Networking (You Scod18) to make an interim payment of Rs 1.9 crore to broadcaster Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL). The tribunal said that ZEEL would be required to restore the signals of its TV channels to the MSO as soon as the latter paid this amount & signed an RIO (reference interconnection offer) agreement.

NK Sinha Assumes Charge

Former Ministry of Culture Secretary Narendra Kumar Sinha has assumed charge as secretary in the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB). Sinha is an IAS officer from the 1980 Bihar cadre. Sinha has replaced Ajay Mittal, who has been transferred to the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) as secretary. Mittal, an IAS officer from Himachal Pradesh cadre, had taken charge as I&B ministry secretary in May, 2015 following Sunil Arora’s retirement.

Star Sports Launches Campaign

As table tennis players battle to be the best in India’s newest franchise-based professional sports league Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), Star Sports has unveiled its campaign for the tournament, See Champions – Be Champions. The inaugural season of the UTT league runs from 13th Jul, 2017 to 30th Jul, 2017. The UTT league, the broadcaster said, promises to provide nearly 3 weeks of action packed table tennis. The finesse of Sharath Kamal and the elegance of Han Ying in a table tennis arena is a sight to behold for any sports enthusiast. Holding true to its commitment of making sports a more engaging & immersive experience for viewers, Star Sports has launched a captivating film in the build – up to UTT league.

Colors Bangla To Launch Celebrity Chat Show Golmaal Express

Colors Bangla will air a new celebrity chat show Golmaal Express from 2nd
Jul, 2017 at 5.30 pm. Golmaal Express blends family entertainment with gossip, singing, pranks and a whole lot more within the confines of a car. Radio Mirchi’s popular RJ Somak Ghosh will play host to an array of guests ranging from musicians to actors, directors to anchors.

Zee Marathi To Launch Afternoon Band

Marathi GEC Zee Marathi is launching an afternoon band that will run from 1 pm to 2 pm. Zee Marathi, which leads the genre, is planning to launch some new afternoon shows. However, it has not decided on the genre or nature of the shows. Currently, Zee Marathi has 4 hours of original prime – time programming, which starts from 6.30 pm & ends at 10.30 pm. With the launch of the afternoon band, the total hours of original programming will extend to 5 hours. The channel presently airs 10 original shows.

Star Plus Reclaims Top Spot

Hindi GEC Star Plus reclaimed in the top spot from Sony Pal in urban + rural Hind – speaking market (HSM). Star Plus registered 59.37 crore impressions in the week ended 23rd Jun, 2017 up 1.6% from the previous week. With 56.05 crore weekly impressions and a fall of 5.13%, Sony Pal dropped to the 3rd position.

UK court confirms Dec 4 as final hearing date in Vijay Mallya case

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Vijay Mallya. Photo: Reuters

Vijay Mallya. Photo: Reuters

London: A UK court today rejected fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya’s request to shift the final hearing date in his extradition case to next year and fixed it for December 4.

Mallya, who is wanted in India for Kingfisher Airlines’ default on loans worth nearly Rs 9,000 crores, has been in the UK since March 2016 and was arrested by Scotland Yard on an extradition warrant on April 18.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), arguing on behalf of the Indian government, told the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London that they had “excellent cooperation” with the Indian authorities in the case and now had sufficient material to establish a prima facie case for the extradition of the 61- year-old former chief of erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines.

“We have completed a review of materials and I am happy to state that we have had excellent cooperation with the Indian authorities in this case,” CPS barrister Mark Summers told the judge. “We are ready and willing to proceed and would invite the court to fix a hearing date at the earliest.”

The CPS also informed the court that the Indian authorities had been “anticipating issues” that may block the extradition and had already been engaging on prison conditions in India by giving “detailed assurances” on the matter.

However, Mallya’s defence team claimed they had received hundreds of pages of “further material being relied upon” as evidence only on last evening and that more time should be provided for them to review the material and keep a final date for hearing open in April 2018.

“Mallya is keen to engage as constructively as possible with these proceedings…but there remains ongoing uncertainty on the final case. We also need a detailed opening note explaining how all the evidence fits together,” said barrister Ben Watson, arguing on behalf of Mallya.

The judge, Chief Magistrate Emma Louise Arbuthnot, agreed with the CPS to “progress with some rigour” and retained December 4 as the date for a final hearing in the case.

She directed the Indian side to provide a detailed opening note on the case to Mallya’s defence team by July 31, after which another hearing to asses the progress in the case would be held on September 14.

The judge was also firm about the “skeleton” document on the case that would have to be submitted by both sides by November to not exceed 35 pages.

She once again told Mallya that she would allow him not to attend the next hearing in September, adding that she had inquired about restraining media within barriers outside the court on the request of his defence team at last month’s hearing but it would be a “step too far”.

When asked about his appearance despite being granted an exemption by the chief magistrate at last hearing on June 13, Mallya today said, “I do as my lawyers advise.”

Watson earlier told the judge that “Mallya likes to attend the hearings if possible.”

The Indian authorities believe their case is on a strong footing and all the evidence has been presented to the Crown Prosecution Service to argue India’s case for extradition.

“All documents and witness statements have been presented from the Indian side and the CPS is very happy with it. They are confident that all the evidence is in good order. So we are in good situation and all we hope is that the other side stop delaying,” official sources told PTI.

In a statement, the Indian High Commission today said evidence presented makes out a strong prima facie case against Mallya. Despite delaying tactics, it has been possible to have an indicated date in December 2017 for the hearing and the UK counsel CPS will continue to work towards an expeditious hearing of the entire case, it said.

“In addition to the charge-sheets done by CBI, the Enforcement Directorate has also filed a charge-sheet against Mallya and the court has also issued a non-bailable warrant against him on July 5, 2017,” the statement added.

After the hearing, Mallya told reporters outside the court, “Let them present whatever they want. We will present our case.”

In April, he had attended a central London police station for his arrest and was released on conditional bail a few hours later after providing a bail bond worth 650,000 pounds, assuring the court of abiding by all conditions associated with extradition proceedings, such as the surrender of his passport and a ban on him possessing any travel documents.

The first case management hearing in the case took place on June 13, when December 4 had been pencilled in as a tentative final hearing date.

If the Chief Magistrate rules in favour of extradition at the end of the trial, the UKhome secretary must order Mallya’s extradition within two months of the appropriate day.

However, the case can go through a series of appeals before arriving at a conclusion.

India and the UK have an Extradition Treaty, signed in 1992, but so far only one extradition has taken place under the arrangement –Samirbhai Vinubhai Patel, who was sent back to India last October to face trial in connection with his involvement in the post-Godhra riots of 2002.

However, unlike Mallya, he had submitted to the extradition order without legal challenge.

(PTI)

Bengaluru Metro staff go on strike, services resume after negotiations

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Bengaluru Metro

Bengaluru: Thousands in Bengaluru struggled this morning as metro services came to a halt for nearly seven hours over a protest by its employees against the arrest of their colleagues. The services have been resumed after negotiations with the workers who were on strike was successful.

Metro trains across the IT city have not been running since 5 am.

Metro officials alleged that on Thursday morning, employees at a station in the city were attacked by Karnataka policemen posted for security.

About 35 metro staff allegedly retaliated, after which six employees were arrested. Four of them have been released but the metro staff is demanding that the remaining two be let off. Two constables of the Karnataka State Industrial Security Forces were also arrested on the complaint of a Metro staffer.

Officials say negotiations are on to get the staff to resume service.

Around three lakh people use the Bengaluru Metro in a day.

The final stretch of the first phase was recently inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee.

Extra police security was provided at metro stations recently because of strident protests over the three-language rule and the use of Hindi in metro signboards and announcements.

A #NammaMetroHindiBeda – “Our Metro, We don’t want Hindi” – campaign on social media escalated when pro-Kannada groups threatened to blacken signs and vandalise stations if Hindi was not dropped.

Earlier this week, signs at some stations were masked to cover up the Hindi portions.

Officials said the Bengaluru Metro, jointly funded by the state and centre, followed a central government order to enforce the three-language rule. Pro-Kannada groups call it an imposition and an attempt to promote Hindi at the cost of regional languages.

(Agencies)

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