Pay me Rs.1.5 crore, I’ll host 10 Ka Dum

Mumbai, August 09: After producer Siddharth Basu steps in, Khan might return to 10 Ka Dum if paid his per episode fee at Bigg Boss 4.

You heard the correct figure here first. Salman Khan is being paid Rs 1.5 crore per episode of Bigg Boss 4. And if he’s paid the same for 10 Ka Dum, he’s willing to return to host the third season.

Swami Agnivesh seeks probe into killing of pro-Maoists

Lalgarh, August 09: Social activist Swami Agnivesh Monday demanded a judicial inquiry into the killing of Lal Mohan Tudu and Sidhu Soren, leaders of the pro-Maoist tribal group People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA).

After arriving in Lalgarh, a Maoist stronghold in West Bengal’s West Midnapore district, the interlocutor between the government and Maoists said: “Judicial inquiry should be initiated into the killing of Tudu and Soren, who were allegedly killed in police encounter (shootout).”

Sonam Kapoor puts her long vacation on hold

Mumbai, August 09: Sonam Kapoor is planning to take a long-intended break and head to Paris. It will be the first such trip for the fashionista.

The Aisha actress says, “My most favourite holiday destination is Paris but I have never been there. In fact I have not gone on a holiday since I was 18 years old.”

Shilpa is Malaika’s only competition in item numbers

Mumbai, August 09: Bollywood star Salman Khan, who has gyrated to sizzling number “Munni Badnaam” with his sister-in-law Malaika Arora Khan in “Dabangg”, says apart from her only actress Shilpa Shetty can be counted among the best item girls in the industry.

“Shilpa Shetty is very good in item numbers, ” Salman told reporters on being asked which actress according to him gives competition to Malaika as far as item numbers are concerned.

Dhoti, Chappal, Aur John Abraham

Mumbai, August 09: “It’s cool to wear a dhoti, and not just at costume parties, ” is just one of the messages actor John Abraham will be spreading. All set to design and market desi homespun men’s clothes and footwear, Abraham says he wants to bring back middle-class pride among gen next.

Take for instance, the latest Bollywood release Aisha, which is all about expensive brand names. Sections of society worry that the youth in our country are completely consumerist, but Abraham is not one of them. He wants to use his brand name to, ironically, create a brand-free culture.

Girl forced to walk nude over affair

West Bengal, August 09: A girl was stripped, thrashed and forced to walk nude for 8km for her alleged affair with a boy from another community.

This was a shocking reminder of the Guwahati incident in November 2007 when a teenager was stripped and molested by a mob during an ethnic clash.

According to Times of India report, police were astonished to learn that local bodies knew very well about the incident that took place in broad daylight four months back. But the village authorities turned deaf to the girl’s plea.

Meet Akshay’s 20-year-old lookalike in Patiala House

Mumbai, August 09: The hunt for an Akshay Kumar lookalike to play his younger version in Patiala House was on for months. Now it is learnt that Usman, a 20-year-old from Stockholm, who has no background in films, has bagged the chance to play the part.

Massive search
After hunting high and low (and even considering Akshay’s cousin for the role), director Nikhil Advani was even ready to let Akshay play his character’s younger self. This, the unit felt, would’ve been a compromise. Then suddenly Usman was found.

Bihar centre for poor IIT aspirants impresses Obama envoy

Patna, August 09: Rashad Hussain, son of an Indian migrant couple from Bihar who is US special envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Sunday visited Bihar’s free coaching centre here for poor students aspiring for an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) berth.

After visiting Super 30, a free coaching centre that helps economically backward students crack the IIT-Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE), he said that President Barack Obama will also love to see the institute.

Twinkle Khanna celebrates ex-boyfriend’s B’day

Mumbai, August 09: Being friends with your Ex seems to be the flavour of the season, and now after Sangeeta Bijlani it is Mrs Akshay Kumar who seems to be getting back to her ex-boyfriend.

She was lately seen in Rock On director Abhishek Kapoor’s B’day party where Arjun Rampal and Dino Moreo accompanied their respective partners but Akshay was nowhere to be seen.

Although Gauri and Suzzane were also enjoying the party in the absence of their hubbies but attending ex’s b’day party when the husband is not in town, does raises eyebrows at Twinkle.

——-Agencies

Ranbir has hurt Priyanka

Mumbai, August 09: In one of the scenes in the film Anjaana Anjaani, Priyanka Chopra and Ranbir Kapoor were suppose to run together. But it so happened that either Ranbir was lost in Deepika’s thought or he really got too involved with the scene that he did not even bother to see whether Priyanka could match his pace or not.

New developments in Viveka Babajee case

Mumbai, August 09: A month-and-a-half after her daughter Viveka Babajee’s demise, her mother Mrs Dayawanti Babajee, recently left for her abode in Mauritius, informed the family’s spokesperson Dale Bhagwagar.

“Mrs Babajee left with a heavy heart. The police investigations are still on and she will wait for the police to inform her about further developments in the case,” said Bhagwagar.

Meanwhile, the latest development in the case is a statement submitted by Jonaid Bin Tajuddin Mohammed, who hails from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Crisis-hit Modi eyes poll power

Ahmedabad, August 09: Forthcoming elections of six municipal corporations in Gujarat will be a test for Chief minister Narendra Modi whose party has been facing crisis of credibility following arrest of his trusted aide Amit Shah in Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case by CBI.

The six municipal corporations, which consists of major urban areas of the state like Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar are going to polls after October this year.

Boman Irani supports the fund raiser play ‘The Melody of Love’

Mumbai, August 09: After being chosen as the Brand Ambassador of the NGO “AHEAD’ which works for the development of the physically challenged people, Boman has already taken a positive step towards their betterment. Inspite of his hectic schedule the humble actor was present as the Guest of Honor on Sunday the 8th at Bandra’s Manik Sabha Griha for the play “The Melody of Love’.

Akshay Is The Original Khiladi – Priyanka Chopra

Mumbai, August 09: It’s typical Indian mentality to always appreciate the first. So, even if Shah Rukh Khan did a wonderful job in “Kaun Banega Crorepati 3′, the audience is full of praise for Amitabh Bachchan the first host of the popular reality show on Sony till date. That’s the ignominy that most “second’ performers face.

Afghan war kills 1,325 civilians in 2010

Kabul, August 09: More than 1,300 civilians have been killed in Afghanistan so far this year, mostly by Taliban insurgents, a leading Afghan rights group said Sunday.

Taliban militants were responsible for about 68 percent of the 1,325 deaths while Afghan and NATO troops were to blame for 23 percent, Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission said.

Violent but “unknown factors” killed the rest, it said.

TRS to strike TDP while the iron is hot

Hyderabad, August 09: After demolishing the TDP in the recent byelections, the TRS is busy giving the finishing touches to its strategy to decimate the party in all of Telangana by engineering defections.

The bait is likely to be thrown both to TDP leaders and cadres. The strategy would be fine-tuned in the next few days.

Prophet’s Mosque ready to welcome millions of visitors

Makkah, August 09: The Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques has charted an intensive plan to receive visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque during Ramadan, which starts next week, Shaikh Saleh Bin Abdul Rahman Al Hussain, chief of the presidency in Makkah, has said.

Speaking to reporters, Al Hussain said 1,970 workmen, including engineers, technicians and workers have been working at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah to keep it clean and provide services for visitors.

Authorities close mosque used by 9/11 attackers

Berlin, August 09: German authorities said they have closed a Hamburg mosque that used to be a meeting place for the 9/11 attackers.

Hamburg officials said in a statement the Taiba mosque and a cultural association connected with it were banned on Monday.

The prayer house, formerly known as Al Quds mosque, used to be a meeting and recruiting point for some of the 9/11 attackers before they moved to the US.

Weekly news magazine Focus reported that the mosque has again become the city’s “main centre of attraction for the Jihad scene”.

Scholarships for bright Muslim students

Hyderabad, Augsut 09: The 15th Syed Khaleelullah Hussaini Memorial Scholarship awards were presented on Sunday to students of weaker sections, studying in Standard VIII to X at Taher hall in Moghalpura of the Old city.

Speaking on the occasion, MA Rahim Quraishi, president of the All-India Majlis Tameer-e-Millat (AIMTM) said they would encourage students of weaker sections by providing financial assistance.

Shiv Sena walks out of Rajya Sabha over Babhali barrage

New Delhi, August 09: The question hour in the Rajya Sabha witnessed much disturbance Monday as Shiv Sena members staged a walkout when their demand for discussing the Babhali barrage row was not taken up.

As the house met for question hour, the Shiv Sena members led by Manohar Joshi were on their feet, demanding that the Babhali barrage issue be taken up for discussion.

The chair, however, rejected their demand, stating that the matter was sub-judice and hence cannot be taken up in the house.

Categories Uncategorised

Muslim women law board decries fatwa against woman qazi

Lucknow, August 09: In yet another row over fatwa, the All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) on Sunday decried the recent fatwa issued by Darul Uloom, Deoband restricting Muslim women from becoming qazi.

Somalia fighting kills ’15 militants’

Mogadishu, August 09: Fierce skirmishes between security forces and fighters alleged to have links with al-Shabab group, kill 15 militants in the semi-autonomous northeastern region of Puntland, government forces say.

On Sunday, a group of Somali security forces mounted an attack on fighters, in response to an earlier assault by militants on an army post near the commercial capital, according to Yusuf Ahmed Kheir, a security official in the Puntland region.

Airtel gets new CEO

New Delhi, August 09: Sanjeev Kumar Saxena has been appointed as the new chief executive officer (CEO) of Bharti Airtel of Delhi and National Capital Region.

Saxena, a chartered accountant has worked with Bharti Airtel for 15 years. Prior to this assignment he served as the chief executive officer of upper North (Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir) and chief operating officer of Orissa circle.

Shoaib Akhtar working hard to revive international career

Karachi, August 09: Pakistan’s discarded fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar is yet to give up hopes of reviving his international career and is eyeing a spot in the country’s squad for next year’s World Cup.

Sources close to the enigmatic pacer told IANS that Shoaib is working hard on his fitness and wants to play in the 2011 World Cup before saying goodbye to the game.

Shoaib was overlooked for the Test series against Australia and England after featuring in two Twenty20 Internationals against Australia in England earlier this summer.

Andhra Maoist arrested in Jharkhand

Ranchi, August 09: A top Maoist leader from Andhra Pradesh carrying a bounty of Rs.10 lakh was arrested from Jharkhand’s Bokaro district, police said Monday.

According to police, Narasimha Reddy alias Gangana alias Rahulji was arrested from Kudra village of Bokaro district, around 135 km from Ranchi.

Police sources said he was picked up sometime back but police announced his arrest Monday.

Reddy is member of Andhra Pradesh state committee of banned group, Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist).