Amsterdam, August 02: Record crowds gathered here Saturday to watch the annual gay pride parade pass by boat on the city’s waterways.
It is estimated that around 560,000 people from around the world looked on as the 80 boats and their occupants, decked out for the event, as they cruised the Amstel river and the Prinsengracht, one of the city’s main canals. Organizers and police say that is about 60,000 more than in 2008.
Mumbai, August 02: Shiney Ahuja is currently in judicial custody being accused of raping his maid servant. Ironically in the same jail is gangster Abu Salem, on whom his character in the Anurag Basu film Gangster (2006) was based upon.
Now Shiney has got another filmy companion. It is filmmaker Sunil Agnihotri, known for his mega hit fantasy serial Chandrakanta and his Akshay Kumar double role starrer Jai Kishen (1997) and Akshay’s solo starrer Daava (1997).
Mumbai, August 02: Rohit Dhawan, the son of filmmaker-editor David Dhawan has finally got third time lucky Rohit was earlier supposed to make his directorial debut with a film titled Come on Pappu. This film was to star Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor and a chimpanzee but its producers Percept Picture Company supposedly backed out due to lack of funds.
Mumbai, August 02: The only topic of discussion aaj kal is nothing but Love Aaj Kal. Whether it is the film’s lead cast- Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone, or its music or the costumes that the stars have worn in the film, there’s tremendous hype surrounding it.
So much so that at an event held at Juhu Shopper’s Stop a huge crowd had gathered. They all wanted to have a dekko of Saif Ali Khan who was expected to arrive there to promote the film The clothes that Saif and Deepika have worn in the film were put up for sale.
Amman, August 02: Jordan would lodge a protest with Israel over fires that started in Israel last month and spread across the border, damaging a number of citrus farms in the Jordan Valley, the official Petra news agency reported Saturday.
“Jordan will lodge a protest with the Israeli Foreign Ministry tomorrow,” Petra quoted an official source as saying.
The Israeli ambassador in Amman will also be summoned to explain what happened and “give guarantees that it will not happen in future,” the official said.
Rio de Janeiro, August 02: The Twitter social-networking craze has taken hold in Brazil, where the number of users is growing faster than in the US, Britain, Spain, Japan and other developed countries.
Brazilian politicians, athletes and celebrities of all kinds have succumbed to “Twittermania,” a phenomenon that has become a true source of first-hand information and threatens take over terrain from the country’s press services.
Rome, August 02: Michael Phelps Saturday broke the world record in the men’s 100m butterfly to win world championship gold in the Foro Italico in Rome.
Phelps said that it was like a show-down between him and Serbian Milorad Cavic, which he managed to win in a time of 49.82 seconds.
American-born Cavic had said before the race that he was prepared to buy Phelps a polyurethane bodysuit, if his (Phelps’) suit was not fast enough.
Mumbai, August 02: Rishi Kapoor plays the role of Veer Singh in Love Aaj Kal and he narrates his own love story with Harleen Kaur played by Giselle Monteiro to Saif Ali Khan’s character. But in the film, as he narrates to Saif his love story, he imagines his younger self as Saif, so that’s how we see Saif playing the Sardar in the film.
Though Kapoor gets married to Harleen Kaur’s character the aged, Harleen shown with him in the climax is none other than his own off-screen wife, Neetu Singh.
Islamabad, August 01: Pakistan’s Supreme Court has ruled that the state of emergency former President Pervez Musharraf imposed in 2007 was unconstitutional and declared invalid the appointments of judges he made during that period.
Beauty queen-turned-actress Celina Jaitley was so overwhelmed with a ban on use of horses, elephants and camels by police here that she sent flowers to the officers.
Celina JaitleyBeauty queen-turned-actress Celina Jaitley was so overwhelmed with a ban on use of horses, elephants and camels by police here that she sent flowers to the officers.
Hyderabad, August 01: There is a new offering to propitiate the Goddess of Wealth this festive season, golden coloured five and 10 rupee coins.
The coins, released by the Reserve Bank of India a few months ago, are a big hit and in great demand before and during the Varalakshmi Vratham pooja by devotees who wanted to offer something new and novel to their favourite deity. That is if they can find these coins.
The coins have been snapped up by those lucky enough to lay their hands on them. In fact, people are hoarding them since they are new and look very snazzy.
Hyderabad, August 01: In an effort to facilitate developmental activities in Palamuru (Mahaboobnagar) district, the Government employees hailing from the district formed `Palamuru Employees Forum’. The objective of the forum is to facilitate development of Palamuru and also help people from the district to get their works done in the capital city.
New Delhi, August 01: The Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday handed over a seven-page dossier to Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner to India Rifat Masood on Mumbai attacks. Meanwhile, Home Minister P Chidambaram clarified that Pakistan had been given enough proof to prosecute Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed for his involvement in Mumbai terror attacks.
The fourth dossier, prepared by the Home Ministry, aims at clarifying Pakistan’s specific doubts.
Caracas, August 01: Venezuela’s leftist government has ordered 34 radio stations off the air, accusing them of broadcasting without a proper licence.
The stations in question have to cease transmission, Public Works Minister Diosdado Cabello, who also heads the country’s telecommunications regulatory agency, said Friday.
The closure orders are an indication of a growing rift between the government of President Hugo Chavez and Venezuela’s private media.
New Delhi, August 01: Amid a stand-off between ASI and worshippers here, Government on Saturday made it clear it would not allow prayers in monuments protected by the heritage body except in 12 structures where they were being offered for years.
“We have made it very clear that such prayers in protected monuments will not be allowed,” Home Minister P Chidambaram told reporters when asked to comment on Friday prayers being offered at a mosque in Qutub Minar, a monument protected by Archaeological Survey of India.
Hyderabad, August 01: The State Assembly Friday witnessed a heated exchange of words between Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu over filling up the vacant Government posts for tribals.
Replying to a query by TDP MLAs, the Tribal Welfare Minister P Balaraju said the Government has directed all departments to fill the 3,903 backlog vacancies and the process will be completed soon.
TDP members asked the Government to spell out a time-frame to fill up the posts but the minister said the process will be completed at the earliest.
Hyderabad, August 01: Lok Sabha member Vijayashanti’s exit from the Telangana Rasthra Samithi (TRS) appears imminent.
In a move apparently intended to snub the former film actress, the TRS Friday announced a new politburo in which Vijayashanti did not find a place. The party has also sought an explanation from her over reports in the media about her plans to join the ruling Congress.
Hyderabad, August 01: Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Friday constituted a Politburo headed by party president K Chandrasekhara Rao.
When the rebel leaders and party secretary general Vijayashanti are challenging the leadership to set right the things in the party, the TRS leadership appointed a Politburo, the highest decision-making body of the party. Interestingly, leaders, who are in the news that they may switch their loyalties to other parties, also found place in the Politburo.
Hyderabad, August 01: Home Minister Sabita Indra Reddy assured the House that the women police stations would be given full powers to register cases and a new law would be brought to check the acid attack menace.
She was replying to a question tabled by TD members Seetha Dayakar Reddy, A Uma Madhava Reddy, H Hemalatha, T Vanitha and D Anasuya.
The TD members quest ioned the Government whether it was true that crimes against women were on the rise, and sought details of the incidents and the steps taken to curb it.
Hyderabad, August 01: Vice -President Hameed Ansari will release a book Muraq- A-E-Chugtai at a function to be held at Jubilee Hall in Public Gardens during his brief visit to the city on Saturday.
The Vice-President will arrive at Begumpet airport in a special aircraft of Indian Air Force at 12.25 pm. After a brief reception at the airport, the Vice-President will leave for Raj Bhavan to have lunch. Later, he will attend the book release function scheduled at 3 pm and return to the Begumpet Airport by 4 pm. Hameed Ansari will leave for New Delhi at 4.05 pm.
–Agencies–
Al Ahsa, August 01: King Abdullah, Custodia of the Two Holy Mosques, has instructed the King Abdul Aziz National Dialogue Center (NDC) to promote the “culture of family dialogue” around the Kingdom in order to address social problems identified as resulting from a lack of dialogue and communication.
Muhammad Al-Shuwei’ir of the NDC said the “ambitious program” to train individual family members in dialogue would start from Al-Ahsa due to its successful social and domestic development centers.
Hyderabad, August 01: Even as the State Government stepped up its efforts for setting up of mineral water plants in 1,100 villages in the State, experts and civic organisations smell a rat.
They are doubting the hasty move of the Government to invite bids from manufacturers without conducting a study to identify the needy villages for setting up the mineral water plants.
Hyderabad, August 01: With Praja Rajyam Party president Chrianjevi blissfully ignorant of what was happening in the party, one more `rebel star’ quit PRP Friday. Veteran actor nicknamed `rebel star’ UV Krishnam Raju resigned from the party expressing displeasure over the party not utilising his services in a befetting manner.
He had sent in his resignation letter to party chief Chiranjeevi.
Speaking to reporters later, Krishnam Raju said that he could not adjust in the party. “PRP has failed to utilise my services. I also could not extend my services to the party,’’ he added.
Washington, August 01: Saudi Arabia on Friday bluntly rejected US appeals for relations with Israel as a way to help restart Mideast peace talks.
After talks with US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Foreign Minister, said his country is not interested in taking steps suggested by US Mideast peace envoy George Mitchell until Israel accepts Arab demands to withdraw from all occupied Palestinian territories.
He said Israel has not shown any interest in peace deal
Mumbai, August 01: Reliance Trends, the apparels and accessories specialty format of Reliance Retail played host to the charming and gorgeous Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone and the most sought after romantic movie director Imtiaz Ali at its store.
Saif-Deepika story doesn’t get sidelined in LAK