Month: July 2009

Air India may get 5 independent directors

by

New Delhi, July 06:The government could look at inducting as many as five independent directors on the board of Air India as part of its plan to restructure the airline.

Civil aviation minister Praful Patel has already indicated the government’s resolve to “professionalise” the board and some eminent people from within and outside the aviation industry could be roped in on the AI board.

At present, the airline has 10 directors on its board but only one — N Vaghul, former chairman of ICICI — is an independent director. The rest are either government nominees or AI employee directors.

Potter star Grint struck by H1N1

by

London, July 06: Actor Rupert Grint, who plays Harry Potter’s friend Ron Weasley in the hit franchise, has been struck by swine flu. The actor had to take a break from filming the latest installment of the Harry Potter and Deathly Hollow to recover, Sun online reported.

“Rupert Grint has taken a few days out of filming due to a mild bout of swine flu. He has now recovered and is looking forward to joining his fellow cast members at the junket and premieres this week,” a statement from the actor’s publicist said.

I will never throw a party again

by

Mumbai, July 06: Priyanka Chopra’s party for the British actor Gerard Butler in May 2009 was one of the most talked about events in Bollywood. Besides the British actor, in attendance were Bollywood’s top brass-Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Ranbir Kapoor, Karan Johar and Shahid Kapoor.

However, Priyanka says she will never throw a party again. “Hosting that party was not fun,’’ she announces. “I hate throwing parties. I would rather go to other people’s parties. Or even spend time after a shoot on a set. That is more fun than actually hosting a party.’’

Suspected Maoist linkman arrested in Lalgard

by

Kolkata, July 06: Security forces Sunday arrested a suspected Maoist linkman from a forest near this troubled area of West Bengal, police said.
Lal Mohan Murmu was picked up from the Jhitka forests, once a den of the leftwing rebels by the central and state security personnel patrolling the area.

The West Bengal government has launched a massive security operation to flush out Maoist ultras from Lalgarh and its surrounding areas in West Midnapore district.

30 feared killed in Madhya Pradesh district explosion

by

Lucknow, July 06: At least 30 people were believed killed and about 100 injured when multiple blasts and fires ripped through two explosive factories in an industrial area of Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh district, late on Sunday.

Police said eyewitnesses reported that the firestorm began in the Ideal Explosives Industries factory before spreading to the neighboring Rajasthan Explosives Private factory.

At least 15 factories in the industrial enclave were affected by the blasts and fires, which reduced the two explosive factories in the Bairhan Industrial Area to rubble.

India win ODI series in West Indies

by

St. Lucia, July 06: India won the One-day international cricket series against West Indies 2-1 after the fourth and the final match was washed out by rain at Beausejour Stadium here Sunday.

The Indian team which was under fire back home after their World Twenty20 debacle in England brought some cheers, winning their fifth ODI series on trot and their first in Caribbean soil after seven years.

India led the closely fought series 2-1 going into the final match Sunday. But early morning rain delayed the start and forced the match being reduced to 49-overs-per side.

Missile shield set to counter Iran, not Russia: Obama

by

Moscow, July 06: US President Barack Obama has said that the proposed deployment of a missile shield in Europe was intended to counter Iran and Russia should not worry about it.

In an interview with Novaya Gazeta newspaper Monday, Obama said that Washington was seeking to create a missile shield in Europe to protect the US and Europe from Iranian ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads.

An overdose of Sanjay Dutt

by

Mumbai, July 05: Well, it seems the coming time belongs to Bollywood superstar Sanjay Dutt. Reports are that the actor will have three releases on the same day BLUE, ALL THE BEST and ALADIN.

Sanjay & Ajay become Black ‘buddies’!!

It will be after a long gap that any Bollywood actor will have three releases on the same day.

The three films are expected to have a collective worth of over 150 crores.

With Dutt all set to usher in his 50th birthday this year, his string of releases surely will be great news for his well-wishers.’

—Agencies

Emraan Hashmi: Media hypes a star only for a year or two

by

Mumbai, July 05: Emraan Hashmi is one of the few actors who has kept delivering at least one big success every year. Last year it was JANNAT and this year it is RAAZ – THE MYSTERY CONTINUES. Still, why isn’t his PR machinery on an overdrive to blow the trumpet?

KAMBAKKHT ISHQ takes biggest opening of 2009

by

Mumbai, July 05: Ladies and gentleman, Bollywood is back on its feet. And how! After NEW YORK, which took the biggest opening of 2009 so far, KAMBAKKHT ISHQ has taken over the baton and has set records for the best opening day of 2009. The film has raked in close to 10 crores between paid previews and Friday which means that the weekend collections are already staring at a healthy 30 crores net.

Shahid breaks away from his lover boy image!

by

Mumbai, July 05: Ever since the first stills of KAMINEY, showing a six pack and long haired Shahid Kapoor running in front of a pack of horses was unveiled, there were talks that Shahid is going in for a new look in the upcoming Vishal Bhardwaj’s film. The first proper new look of Shahid was evident in the promos of its rocking track, “Dhan Te Nan”.

Kabir Khan: I can’t dream of making a film in the la-la-land

by

Mumbai, July 05: His KABUL EXPRESS was critically acclaimed while his latest release NEW YORK has been a commercial as well as critical success. Ecstatic with the phenomenal response that his ‘issue based’ film has generated at the box office, Kabir Khan now wants to move on to lighter subjects but still tell a story that has a definite context to it.

Kundan Shah: SANKAT CITY is a never ending fun ride

by

Mumbai, July 05: Moser Baer Entertainments forthcoming release SANKAT CITY has not only generated curiosity among common cinegoers, but its creating waves within industry circles too. Recently filmmaker Kundan Shah was all praises for Pankaj Adavani directed SANKAT CITY, who seemed to have seen the rushes of the film.

Amrita Rao: From girl next door to babe

by

Mumbai, July 05: Change is the only constant thing and seems like it holds true in the case of our Bollywood actress Amrita Rao!

When every other actress was seen vying for being the hottest, sexiest & glamorous girl of town, Amrita Rao was one such actress who preferred to go other way round and started her career with ‘homely girl’ roles.

But now it looks like, the ever changing times & demanding industry has it’s impinge on our seedhi sadhi ladki Amrita too. Let’s have a run through over her films, transforming from a simple girl to sexy siren.

Federer Wins Record 15 Grand Slam Titles

by

Wimbledon, July 06: Federer claimed outright record of 15 grand slam titles with victory at Wimbledon here as Pete Sampras watched on from stands.

Related Stories
Sampras watches Federer in finalBut the Swiss second seed was given a huge fright by the American sixth seed who led by a set, had four set points in the second and didn’t drop serve until the final, heartbreaking game of the match.

In an extraordinary conclusion, the last set was the longest ever played in a men’s Wimbledon final.

Shruti Haasan – Sonali Bendre revisited!

by

Mumbai, July 05: When Dia Mirza forayed into Bollywood she was tagged as a look-alike of Aishwarya Rai by all and sundry. Such close was the resemblance that Dia was hailed as the mirror image of Ash and made huge waves all over.

When Deepika Padukone stepped in tinsel town a lot of hullabaloo was created of her being the perfect mix of Aishwarya Rai & Bipasha Basu. With the beauty like Ash & poise like Bipasha, she became the most sought after lady of B-town.

Shruti’s all set for grand entry into Bollywood!

India looks forward to seal the One-Day series

by

St. Lucia, July 05: India will endeavor for yet another win against West Indies in order to seize the series here at Gros Islet.

Indian players’ hope will more be on the way to surmount this match as if they get through the match with a win then they will have 5 straight series wins under their belt and 2 straight wins alongside WI.

Three rockets fired from Pak side, two land in Indian villages

by

Amritsar, July 05: Three rockets were fired from the Pakistan side of the border with two of them landing inside in as many Indian villages, injuring a youth besides triggering panic among villagers, a top BSF official said on Sunday.

“Last night around 9.50 pm, three rockets were fired from the Pakistan side, out of which two landed in Dhandae and Baherwal villages close to the Attari international border. A youth was injured in the incident,” BSF’s Inspector General (Punjab Frontier), Himmat Singh told PTI over phone.

CPI(M) convenes urgent Central Committee meeting

by

New Delhi, July 05: Indications of disciplinary action against its two top leaders emerged on Sunday with the CPI(M) convening an urgent meeting of its Central Committee to discuss the action as well as its implication.The CPI(M) Polit Bureau, which met here for the past two days to find an end to “disunity” among Kerala leaders and organisational problems in the state unit, decided to forward “proposals” to the Central Committee meeting here next weekend.”The Polit Bureau discussed the organisational issues related to the party’s state unit.

Three poverty-stricken sisters commit suicide

by

Raipur, July 05: Three sisters of a poverty-hit family allegedly consumed pesticides and committed suicide Sunday in a Chhattisgarh village. Police said the suicides were linked to a domestic dispute.

The deaths took place in Daruan Kapa in Bilaspur district, about 160 km from the capital Raipur.

The three sisters – Monika, 22, Mausmi, 20, and Tulsi, 18 – consumed pesticides at their house in the morning and were rushed to a private hospital. They died in the afternoon, Station House Officer A.K. Dwivedi told IANS by phone.

Detonators-laden van missing in Maoist area

by

Raipur, July 05: A private van loaded with detonators went missing in Chhattisgarh’s restive Maoist stronghold of Bastar region Sunday, police said.

Officials at the police headquarters here said a massive search operation was launched to trace the vehicle, which was reported missing somewhere in the forested area of Bastar district.

Nepali woman gang raped in Delhi

by

New Delhi, July 05: A 21-year-old Nepali woman, who had come to Delhi a few weeks ago was gang raped by three men in east Delhi, police said Sunday.

The woman from Nepal had come to Delhi June 21. She was staying in north Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar area. She was promised a job in the Gulf by a person called Manoj, police said.

The assault on the woman occurred late Saturday when Manoj took her to the Delhi international airport and abandoned her there.

Indian business in Gulf has declined 20 percent: FICCI

by

New Delhi, July 05: Indian companies with interest in the Gulf have witnessed their business in the region decline by 20 percent, an industry lobby said here Sunday.

According to Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), strict visa rules in many countries in the Middle East are obstructing easy flow of manpower for project execution.

Also, direct and indirect subsidies to domestic companies there have made it more difficult for Indian businesses to offset their losses, FICCI said in a statement.

Eight-million-year-old elephant fossil remains found in UAE

by

Abu Dhabi, July 05:) Paleontologists Sunday announced that they found an eight-million-year-old fossilised remains of an elephant, a hippo and a giant ostrich in western Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Archaeologists from Yale University and Abu Dhabi’s Authority on Culture and Heritage (AUCH) have been studying fossilised remains from the Miocene Era, some six-eight million years ago, the AUCH said in a statement.

Minister’s guard booked for nuisance

by

Hyderabad, July 05: An Armed Reserve (AR) constable, who found himself on the wrong side of the law, was booked for creating nuisance outside a minister’s residence in Jubilee Hills on Friday night.

Armed Reserve constable K Chandrasekhar Azad was posted as guard at the private residence of minister D K Aruna on Road No. 56, Jubilee Hills. After his shift was over, the AR Headquarters deputed another constable to replace him.