Month: March 2014

Elton John to get hitched in May

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Singer Elton John and his partner David Furnish will get married in the summer of 2014.

They will marry in an English registry office in May, Furnish told the Las Vegas Review Journal at John’s birthday party Friday at Fizz, Las Vegas, reports eonline.com.

The two entered into a British civil partnership eight years ago. But, given that Friday marked the first day gays were allowed to exchange vows in England, they’ve decided to head to the altar again.

“We don’t feel the need to take an extra step legally,” said Furnish.

Stalling of parliament hit passage of laws: Sonia

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Taking a swipe at the opposition, Congress president Sonia Gandhi Sunday said the stalling of parliament prevented many important welfare measures of the UPA government from getting passed.

Addressing an election rally at the Ajmal Khan Park here, the Congress chief also took pot shots at the Aam Aadmi Party’s 49-day government in the city and the “divisive” ideology of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

She enumerated the welfare schemes brought out by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, especially the laws to abolish manual scavenging and giving rights to street vendors.

World T20: Australia put India into bat

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Australia captain George Bailey won the toss and elected to field against India in a Group 2 encounter of the World Twenty20 at the Shere Bangla National Stadium here Sunday.

Squads:

India: Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohit Sharma

Australia: David Warner, Aaron Finch, Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, George Bailey, Brad Hodge, Cameron White, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Starc, James Muirhead, Doug Bollinger
(IANS)

Robin Thicke’s dad playing marriage counsellor?

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“Growing Pains” actor Alan Thicke, who got divorced twice, is reportedly helping his singer-son Robin Thicke win back his wife Paula Patton.

Robin and Paula exchanged vows in 2005 and separated in February this year.

“Robin’s convinced that his smooth-talking dad – despite his own chequered romantic history – could help him win back his wife,” femalefirst.co.uk quoted a source as saying.

Alan is said to share a close bond with Paula, who has three-year-old son Julian with Robin, and has been trying to talk her around.

Ashoke Pandit to receive Kashmir Gaurav Samman

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Filmmaker and social activist Ashoke Pandit, who has worked on shows like “Heroine – Zindagi Ke Panno Se” and “Filmi Chakkar”, will be honoured in the capital by the All India Kashmiri Samaj.

“Receiving the Kashmir Gaurav Samman by All India Kashmiri Samaj in Delhi. Thanks for all your love and affection,” he tweeted Sunday.

All India Kashmiri Samaj is an organisation for Kashmiri Pandits and helps to voice their issues.

Children do not vote, hence ignored by parties (Election Special)

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Children cannot vote, they cannot make political demands and therefore do not have any say in electoral outcomes. Is this the reason why, year after year, political parties have been ignoring the needs of children in their poll promises?

This despite the fact that children constitute over a third of India’s 1.21 billion population. Children appear to be the most neglected segment in India, with their rights being vastly ignored.

BJP has lost its vision, says Jaswant Singh

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Expelled BJP leader Jaswant Singh Sunday accused the party of having “lost sight of its vision and frittered away its virtue for temporary political gain”.

Reacting to his expulsion, Jaswant Singh said he was “deeply saddened” over his sacking and said today’s BJP was not the party its leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani had aspired it to be.

“I am saddened to find that the BJP of today is not the party that Vajpayee, Advani and B.S. Shekhawat had envisioned and aspired it to be,” he said in a statement.

Modi has given a ‘face’ to opposition: Uddhav

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After many years, the opposition in India has got a face in Narendra Modi and this has created a storm in national politics, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said here Sunday.

“Until now, barring (former prime minister) Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Indian opposition parties lacked an acceptable ‘face’ before fighting elections. This time, people have a choice, a strong party and a good face in the form of Modi. The National Democratic Alliance has no cause for worry,” Thackeray said in an interview to party mouthpiece Saamana.

Crimea switches to Moscow time

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Crimea Sunday switched to Moscow time by moving the clocks two hours forward.

According to the Crimean parliament, the schedules of Crimea’s railway, water transport, air and telecommunications services all switched to Moscow time March 30, Xinhua reported.

“The change is to proceed smoothly without financial or other losses,” Crimea’s first Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Temirgaliyev was quoted as saying.

Kejriwal taken ill after Chandigarh road show

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AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal was taken ill after his road show in Chandigarh Sunday and cancelled his later engagements in Haryana, party sources said here.

Kejriwal, who arrived here to campaign for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate and actress Gul Panag, was went back to Delhi, cancelling his remaining road shows in Panchkula, Ambala and Sonipat in Haryana.

The AAP leader had come here after a two-day rood show in various parts of Haryana.

Two Spanish journalists released after 6 months in Syria

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Two Spanish journalists who were held hostage for more than six months by radical Islamist rebels in Syria have been released.

“I am Espinosa. Write down the number and call me back, I can’t speak much,” Xinhua Sunday quoted Javier Espinosa, the Middle East correspondent of El Mundo newspaper, as telling his newsroom over phone at 9:27 p.m. Saturday.

Indian men have tricky Thomas cup draw, women an easier Uber

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India women shuttlers were Sunday drawn in a relatively easy group in the Uber Cup that includes Thailand, Canada and Hong Kong while the men would find it much tougher having been slotted with Malaysia, South Korea and Germany for the Thomas Cup — both tourneys being held in the country for the first time.

India qualified for the Thomas and Uber Cup finals, to be held May 18 to 25, after being entrusted to host the prestigious championships for the first time in their near 60-year history.

Congress shaking in fear: Modi

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The Congress is “shaking in fear” with the approaching Lok Sabha poll dates as it knows very well it will be ousted, BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi said here Sunday.

Addressing a huge rally here, Modi said the ruling Congress at the centre was “scared”.

“Why is the Congress so scared, why is the Congress shaking in fear,” he asked the cheering crowd.

“The Congress knows its place very well. It knows after May 16 (vote counting day) where its place will be. That is why it wants to stop Modi.”

India Inc expects economy to grow at 5.5 percent next fiscal

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The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Sunday said a survey by it pointed to improved economic growth in the next fiscal.

“The GDP growth for the year 2014-15 is projected at 5.5 percent. The participating economists expect the industrial sector to also recover in the next fiscal with an estimated growth of 3.3 percent,” the industry chamber said in a statement here.

Agriculture and services sector growth in the next financial year is pegged at 3.3 percent and 7 per cent, respectively, according to FICCI’s ‘Economic Outlook Survey’.

Threatened with beheading for removing Mamata posters: Bengal official

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A government official in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district has alleged that he was threatened with being beheaded by a ruling Trinamool Congress legislator and his men who also abused and assaulted him for removing posters of party supremo Mamata Banerjee.

Ten Trinamool workers have been arrested, though party leaders have rubbished the allegations.

Woman alleges gang rape in Delhi

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A woman was allegedly gang raped by a doctor and his friend here, police said Sunday.

The woman also claimed that the same doctor, his friend and two other men also raped her about three years ago. One of the accused in the earlier gang rape has been arrested.

Police suspect the woman’s claims. However, they are taking action as per law.

The woman, 40, informed police that a doctor named Relia, 75, and his friend Kishore Chand Narang, 80, gang raped her at a Hauz Khas house in south Delhi Saturday afternoon.

Over 70 percent polling in Andhra local body elections

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Over 70 percent polling was recorded Sunday in the elections to 146 municipalities and 10 municipal corporations in Andhra Pradesh, which passed off peacefully barring minor incidents.

State election commissioner P. Ramakanth Reddy told reporters that the voter turnout in some places was 75 to 80 percent. The final polling figures will be available later.

We cannot ban opinion polls: CEC

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Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) V.S. Sampath said here Sunday the Election Commission cannot ban opinion polls as parliament has already framed a law.

“Parliament has framed a law and the exit poll has been under it. But there is no prohibition on opinion poll so we cannot ban it,” he said at a press conference here.

The CEC was here to review the poll preparations in Jharkhand where balloting in the 14 constituencies will take place April 10, 17 and 24.

Big B observed Earth Hour (Movie Snippets)

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Megastar Amitabh Bachchan is all for saving planet earth. He turned off the lights for an hour as part of the global environment campaign.

“Had put the lights off at 8:30 p.m. till 9:30 pm for Earth Day, environment campaign last night (March 29) at home … did you?” he tweeted Sunday.

As part of their commitment to the planet, people are asked to switch off the lights for an hour on Earth Hour, held every year in March.

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Alia Bhatt hits the road, again

Five ways to ward off acne

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The onset of summer often means a nightmare for people with oily skin. Choose the right skin care products to protect your face from zits, says an expert.

Dermatologist Kiran Lohia, managing director of Lumiere Dermatology, shares a few acne defense tips:

* Wash your face only twice a day: When you overwash your face, your skin signals your oil glands to overproduce oil, making it even more greasy. So, limit the excessive skin cleansing so that your skin can naturally balance itself.

Congress, BJP luring actors for LS polls, says Akhilesh

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The Congress and the BJP are facing a crisis of contestants as big leaders are shying away from the Lok Sabha polls to escape humiliation. That is why both parties are luring film actors, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said here Sunday.

Without naming the Congress candidate for Ghaziabad Lok Sabha seat — film star-turned-politician Raj Babbar, Akhilesh said it was the same leader who was instrumental along with former prime minister V.P. Singh in obstructing the construction of a power project in Dadri.

Dalai Lama mourns Tibetan leader’s death

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Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama Sunday mourned the death of Baba Phuntsog Wangyal, who founded the Tibetan Communist Party in the 1930s, describing him as a true Communist and trusted friend.

“I am deeply saddened to learn about the passing away of Baba Phuntsog Wangyal. He was a true Communist, genuinely motivated to fulfill the interests of the Tibetan people. In his death, we have lost a trusted friend,” the Nobel laureate said in a statement.

Wangyal died at the age of 92 in Beijing.

Naqvi should prove allegations or apologise: Sabir Ali

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leader Sabir Ali on Sunday stepped up attack on Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, daring the BJP leader to prove allegations that he had links with Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal or apologise. “I am ready to go to his (Mr. Naqvi’s) place or he can come to mine and have a discussion and give proof. If he is right, I am ready to be hanged…,” he said, and claimed that Mr. Naqvi may have considered Mr. Ali a “threat” to his position in the party.

Indian women trounce Bangladesh in World T20

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Indian women recorded their first win in the World Twenty20 with an easy 79-run victory over Bangladesh here Sunday.

India, who lost their first two matches to Sri Lanka and England, dominated the proceedings right from the word go.

Winning the toss, India elected to bat and openers Mithali Raj (41) and Harmanpreet Kaur (77) gave the team a dream start.

A 107-run partnership for the first wicket between the two put India in the driver’s seat but a poor display by the middle order saw India being restricted to 151 for five in 20 overs.