Month: September 2014

Bollywood divas Deepika Padukone and Bipasha Basu entered theatres with “Finding Fanny” and “Creature 3D” respectively, but neither could rock the box office.

If Deepika’s English language quirky drama has appealed to niche audience, Bipasha’s scary film doed not have too many takers either, say experts.

Both films came out Friday. “Finding Fanny” has managed to collect approximately Rs.10 crore, while “Creature 3D” could manage to earn Rs.6.88 crore in two days.

For “Finding Fanny”, Homi Adajania went behind the camera, while Vikram Bhatt helmed “Creature 3D”.

The benchmark BSE Sensex tumbled over 185 points to dip below the 27,000-mark in early trade today on selling by funds and retail investors after industrial production growth slowed to 0.5% in July amid a weak trend in the Asian region.

The 30-share barometer slipped below the 27,000-mark by falling 185.55 points, or 0.69%, to 26,875.49 with metal, FMCG, power, capital goods and IT stocks leading the fall. The index had gained 65.17 points in the previous session on Friday.

Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) will contest forthcoming elections on its own without forging any alliance, a senior party leader said.

“If political parties truly want to develop Maharashtra, they should contest elections independently and not go in for any kind of alliance. But do these parties have the courage to face the truth and go in without an alliance?.. MNS will contest the elections independently,” said senior party leader Bala Nandgaonkar.

Tension within the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance over seat sharing for upcoming Maharashtra Assembly polls became perceptible with the BJP disapproving Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray’s statement that in the event of victory, the top post would go to Shiv Sena and that he was not averse to assuming it.

A passenger from Dubai who arrived here last night was taken into custody at the Mangalore International Airport for carrying suspicious liquid, police said.

The man belonging to Uppala in Kasaragod district in Kerala had been working in Dubai as the manager of an institution for the last nine years, police said.

A dog squad and a bomb detection squad were brought to the spot, police said, adding, the nature of the liquid was yet to be ascertained.

Delhi Police’s anti-corruption helplines have been buzzing continuously. Around 23,000 complaints have been received on two anti-corruption helpline numbers since they were launched over a month ago, and the police vigilance department has begun scrutinizing the complaints.

According to police sources, the vigilance department has received 23,000 complaints on its new anti-corruption helpline numbers — 1064 and 9910641064, a WhatsApp helpline — between August 6 and September 12.

Intelligence agencies in Pakistan have reportedly revealed the involvement of the Sindh chapter of the Tehreek-i- Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the attack on the naval dockyard in Karachi last week.

A report prepared by the agencies following a preliminary investigation into the attack said that the terrorists intended to destroy the navy workshop and other key installations in the vicinity but the attack was foiled by timely action by the Naval commandos, reported the Dawn.

Saifuddin Choudhury, a former CPI-M MP from West Bengal, died here on Sunday after a prolonged battle with cancer.

Choudhary, 62, was admitted at a private South Delhi hospital after his condition deteriorated on Friday evening. He passed away at around 8 pm, family sources said.

He is survived by his wife and two sons.

His body will be taken to Bardhaman, his native place, from Kolkatta for the last rites.

A five-time MP, Choudhary, formed his party, the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), following his differences with the CPIM leadership.

Julien Macdonald’s recently unveiled his 4m pounds ‘diamond studded’ wedding gown creation at London Fashion Week.

The bridal gown was the highlight of the Welsh star’s show which took place at the Royal Opera House, Sky News reported.

Macdonald said that it’s covered with real diamonds and fresh water pearls.

His inspiration for the collection was a mermaid who lives in a tropical sea and “lures a very handsome man,” he further added.

Naseeruddin Shah’s unresolved relationship with his father Aley Mohammed Shah still haunts him and the actor in his autobiography has opened up about how he managed to have a real conversation with his parent only at his grave.

Their uneasy relationship despite the obvious affection they had for each other, flows like an undercurrent throughout the memoir ‘And Then One Day’ that details the first forty years of Shah’s life and his struggle to find his voice as an actor, a dream that greatly clashed with his father’s idea of how his son’s life should be.

Croatia’s Mirjana Lucic-Baroni beat former world number one Venus Williams in straight sets to clinch her first WTA title since 1998 on Sunday.

Lucic-Baroni beat Williams 6-4, 6-3 to capture the Quebec City tournament. The former teen star won her only two prior WTA titles on home soil at the 1997 and 1998 Croatian Opens, beating American Corina Morariu in each final.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is set to form its youth wing soon.

According to reports, a formal announcement of its creation is expected to be made on September 27, which is the 107th birth anniversary of revolutionary martyr Bhagat Singh.

The AAP’s youth wing will aim to spread the message of clean politics among the youth.

The membership drive to enroll people below 35 years of age will be launched from Delhi, where its unit will be headed by party MLA from Tilak Nagar Jarnail Singh.

Karol Bagh MLA Vishesh Ravi will be the youth wing’s convener.

….ANI

Tom Hardy has said that he won’t work in romantic comedy again because of his negative experience while shooting his latest movie ‘This Means War’.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, ‘The Dark Knight’ actor asserted that he loved to do things he had not done before, but he didn’t understand how one could do something which was so much fun and be so miserable doing it.

‘This Means War’ recently grossed 54 million dollars at the domestic box office.

……ANI

Jennifer Lawrence will make her first appearance as a co-host of Met Gala Ball 2015 after being recently surrounded with controversies of her nude photo hacking scandal.

The Academy Award winner will co-host the biggest fashion event of the year alongside US Vogue editor Anna Wintour and Wendi Deng Murdoch in May, 2015, the Independent reported.

Numerous naked images of the ‘Hunger Games’ actress was recently circulated online.

……..ANI

The national capital will experience a cloudy Monday, the Met Office said.

“The skies will be partly cloudy; thundery conditions could occur afternoon onward,” said an official of the India Meteorological Department.

The day’s maximum temperature is likely to hover around 34 degrees Celsius.

Monday’s minimum temperature settled three levels below the season’s average at 22.5 degrees Celsius.

Humidity at 8.30 am was 71 percent.

Sunday’s maximum and minimum temperatures settled a degree above the season’s average at 34.8 degrees Celsius and 25.6 degrees Celsius respectively.

The Government of Manipur has set up at least four relief camps for non-local migrant labourers so that they are taken care off in the wake of a ban imposed on them by the students’ wing of the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS).

These relief camps have been set up as a precautionary measure to prevent the JCILPS from perpetrating any untoward acts on non-locals.

Meanwhile, the state government has convinced the JCILPS to suspend its curfew on non-locals till September 19.

A new study has observed that walking or cycling to work can improve people’s mental health as compared to driving.

The study conducted by University of East Anglia and the Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR) showed that people who stopped driving and started walking or cycling to work benefited from improved wellbeing.

Lead researcher Adam Martin, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said that one surprising finding was that commuters reported feeling better when travelling by public transport, compared to driving.

The Governments of Bihar and Jharkhand have sounded a flood alert in the four districts of Rohtas, Aurangabad, Arwal and Bhojpur following the release of three lakh cusecs of water from the Rihand Barrage after heavy rainfall.

According to reports, both governments are keeping a close watch on the evolving situation. The water level in the Sone River is yet to rise to the danger mark.

It is expected that the situation may change after the water reaches the Inderpuri Barrage in Rohtas District.

…….ANI

Daniel Craig will reportedly be seen in the upcoming ‘ Star Wars : Episode VII’ after he requested director JJ Abrams for a cameo role.

According to the Sun, the ‘Casino Royale’ star has already filmed the mystery role, but it is not yet clear if the actor’s face will even be seen on screen.

Sources said that the 46-year-old actor was close friends with Abrams and the actor asked for some sort of secret cameo ole.

The rumors sparked when Craig was spotted hanging out in the dressing room of star Carrie Fisher, who is returning to the franchise as Princess Leia.

…….ANI

A promoter of the Diamond League has revealed that Paralympic runner Oscar Pistorius is unlikely to be welcome at the tournament’s future events.

Pistorius was found guilty of culpable homicide after a judge ruled that he killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp by mistake. He faces up to 15 years in jail, although the judge could suspend the sentence or only impose a fine, allowing him to compete again.

Brussels Diamond League chief Wilfried Meert said that he would not invite Pistorius to the event, The BBC reported.

Tata Consultancy Services, India’s largest software exporter, opened Saudi Arabia’s first all-female BPO centre, which will provide employment to up to 3,000 women in three years.

Saudi Aramco and GE are the centre’s first customers, TCS said in a statement in Mumbai. Both the clients have already surpassed their targets of recruiting 100 women each, while the total number of those employed at the centre stands at 300, it said.

A report has said that several Arab countries have offered to take part in air strikes against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants in Iraq.

However, they also added that any action is subject to approval by the Iraqi government, reported the BBC.

United States Secretary of State John Kerry welcomed the decision by saying that he was encouraged by promises of military assistance to combat the terrorist group.

He was speaking in Paris following a tour of the Middle East trying to build a broad coalition to take on the ISIS.

….ANI

President Pranab Mukherjee, who is currently on a four-day state visit to Vietnam will be holding key discussions with his Vietnamese counterpart Truong Tan Sang ahead of the signing of strategic agreements in the oil exploration and connectivity sectors today.

He will also hold delegation-level talks and meet Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minster Pham Binh Minh and President of National Assembly Nguyen Phu Trong, who is also the general secretary of the ruling Communist Party.

In a first such reported case in the country, a five-year-old girl here has been found to be suffering from a rare breathing disorder — ROHHAD syndrome — for which there is no “perfect treatment”.

The girl breathes normally when awake, but either completely stops breathing or breathes irregularly while asleep, a doctor treating her said.

Alastair Cook’s future as England ODI team captain is reportedly in the balance with the team selectors split over whether the skipper should be axed from the role.

England coach Peter Moores strongly supports Cook to remain as skipper for the World Cup in February and March. But speculations are rife that chairman of selectors James Whitaker and other members of the committee are reluctant to back him.