Month: September 2014

Angelina Jolie paid a tribute to her late mother Marcheline Bertrand at her wedding ceremony.

Prior to their nuptials, Brad Pitt had a special personalised message in honour of Marcheline inscribed inside the chapel at their home Château Miraval in France, where they walked down the aisle, reports people.com.

“Brad had a dedication to Marcheline engraved inside the chapel where we stood,” said Jolie, who married Pitt, Aug 23.

But the personal dedication wasn’t the only thing the couple did to honour her late mother.

National award winning actress Shweta Basu, who was arrested for prostitution here, has revealed that she took to the sex trade as she was running out of money.

The 23-year-old actress, who was arrested Sunday, is currently lodged in a state-run rescue home. She admitted she made wrong choices in her career.

An Egyptian court Wednesday ordered a ban on Al Jazeera for promoting “hatred” among Egyptians and “undermining national unity”, a state-run daily reported.

The administrative court also ordered the withdrawal of licenses issued to the channel on the Egyptian Nilesat communication satellites, Xinhua reported citing Ahram newspaper.

This is the third time the court has ordered “Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr” to go off the air.

The court found that the channel had incited “hatred and sedition” against Coptic Christians and undermined national unity, presiding judge Hasouna Tawfiq said.

India’s dashing opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan feels the appointment of former captain Ravi Shastri as the team director was perfectly timed and helped them bounce back strongly from the Test series loss to win the ODI series in an emphatic fashion.

“I would like to thank the entire support staff and especially Ravi (Shastri) bhai, who has given us a lot of confidence since he has joined the team. A very big thanks to my family for standing by me,” said Dhawan, who struck an unbeaten 97 to fashion India’s nine-wicket win over England in the fourth ODI here Tuesday.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will visit Bahrain Sep 6, an official statement said Wednesday.

“Sushma Swaraj is paying an official visit to Bahrain on Sep 6. This is her first official visit to Bahrain and to the Gulf region, during which she will interact with the top Bahraini leadership,” said the statement from the external affairs ministry.

Sushma Swaraj will also attend the inaugural Indian diaspora engagement meet to be organised by the Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre (OIFC).

(IANS)

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott will arrive in India Thursday on a two-day official visit, the external affairs ministry said Wednesday.

Abbott will meet President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj Friday, a ministry statement said.

(IANS)

Jharkhand Agriculture Minister Yogendra Sao Wednesday demanded a CBI probe after five arrested Maoists alleged that he had links with extremists.

“We demand a probe by the CBI or by a retired judge. Police are targeting me as I raised questions against Maoist organisation Tritiya Pratsuti Committee (TPC),” Sao said at a press conference here.

He said the TPC and police have a nexus in Hazaribagh and Chatra districts, and the organisation was collecting levy and police were supporting it.

“I am being implicated by the BJP,” Sao alleged.

Andhra Pradesh BJP today said the Narendra Modi government, which completed hundred days in power, has created a sense of confidence among the people in a short period.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has created strong confidence among people. Quick decisions taken by the PM and his cabinet colleagues have already shown the results. The rise in GDP to 5.7 per cent from the below 5 per cent during the UPA rule is an indication,” General Secretary of Andhra Pradesh BJP, J Syam Kishore said in a press release here.

In a Statement issued here today, Konda Lakshma Reddy, Ex-MLA and Chairman, and Mohd Raheemullah Khan Niyazi, TRS In-charge Nampally Constituency & General Secretary, Forum to support KCR, have said that it is heartening to note that the TS Genco has achieved Surplus power Generation now, and the TS Government is going to have a long-term Power Purchase Agreement for 2,000 MW with Chattisgarh and another Medium Term PPA for 2,000 MW from the Southern Grid.

Cyberabad police today picked up five more members of the “ snake gang” which is allegedly harassing women in some localities in old city and indulging in chain snatchings.
Cyberabad police commissioner C V Anand said that about 400 police personnel conducted cordon and search operation in the houses in Pahadisherif locality and enquired about suspected rowdy-sheeters and examined papers of vehicles during search operation.

A day before the TDP government is set to make an announcement on the AP new capital, the demand to make Kurnool as capital has intensified, and a bandh was observed in Kurnool today.

Blaming the TDP for its plan to favour pro-TDP landlords lobby, several student organisations called for a bandh in Kurnool. Several business establishments voluntarily participated in the bandh and most of the schools remained closed.

Even as the leader of the house and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is preparing to give clarity on setting up of new Capital in Andhra Pradesh on Sept 4, the lone Opposition Party YSR Congress Party is trying no stone unturned.

TDP senior leader Errabelli Dayakar Rao today called upon party workers to work for the victory of BJP-TDP combine candidate Turpu Jayaprakash Reddy (Jaggareddy) in Medak Lok Sabha bye-elections.

He was addressing a public meeting at Patenchervu. Errabelli said party cadre should work for the victory of BJP candidate and defeat for TRS candidate.

TRS has no right to criticize Jaggareddy and he always worked for development, the TDP leader said.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will travel to Bahrain on Saturday where she is likely to seek stepped-up investment in India from the oil-rich country while highlighting wave of new initiatives taken by the new government to spur economic growth.

It will be her first visit as External Affairs Minister to the Gulf region which is source of nearly two-third of India’s crude oil requirements and is the largest trading partner.

During her visit, Swaraj will hold talks with top leadership of the country on a range of bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest.

With the Congress extending support to the Telugu Desam Leader Sathish Reddy, he is all set to become deputy chairman of Andhra Pradesh Legislature Council unanimously.

GITAM University, Department of Civil Engineering is going to organize a National Seminar on ‘Advances & Durability aspects of Next Generation Concrete’ on the eve of ‘Concrete Day’ celebrations at its Hyderabad Campus on 6th September, 2014. Prof. N.Siva Prasad, Director, GITAM School of Technology informed in a press release on Wednesday.

To give a fillip to health facilities in the state, Telangana Government today issued orders to appoint as many as 325 Civil Assistant Surgeons across the state. The surgeons on appointment will have to work for one year on contract basis.(NSS)

Accusing the ruling Telugu Desam Party of bidding good-bye to democratic norms, Opposition Leader YS Jaganmohan Reddy today demanded voting followed by a debate in the State Assembly on the much touted Capital issue of Andhra Pradesh State.

Former MLA Byreddy Rajasekhara Reddy, who was an accused in a murder case, has surrendered before the Kurnool District court today, according to information.
Rajasekhara Reddy was an accused in the murder of Nandikotkur Market Yard Vice-chairman. The former MLA has gone under-ground for the past four months, and surrendered before the court this morning. (NSS)

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said that when he was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, he had assured the state’s police officers and staff that they would not be hassled by the human rights commission when tackling Maoists.

Singh, who was addressing personnel at the Rajasthan Police Academy, revealed that he had then told the police officers that if the need arose, he would himself face the commission.

Singh was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh from October 2000 to March 2002.

A strong plea for re-starting of Revenue Division office at Husnabad in Karimnagar district, has been made by a delegation of all-party leaders which called on the Telangana State Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao here today.

With increasing pace of globalization, businesses worldwide have broader access than ever before to markets across the world. The goods are sold in more countries in larger quantities and in greater variety. But with increased volume of trade and global economic scenario, there are chances of increased trade disputes on frivolous grounds. Adherence to trade facilitation rules of the Paris based International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) will help reduce the risks of trade disputes substantially, if not eliminate them altogether.

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned from Japan after his five-day visit today, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj went to the Indira Gandhi International Airport to receive him as she was elated over the success of the trip.

“EAM @SushmaSwaraj ji told me that the visit has generated lot of positivity & optimism in India about our ties with Japan. Glad to know,” Modi tweeted later.

Sources said Swaraj decided to go to the airport to meet Modi especially to convey her happiness over the “success” of the visit.

The Andhra Pradesh State Legislative Assembly on Wednesday witnessed heated debate over the issue of new capital of residuary State.

As soon as the House met at 9 AM on Wednesday, the YSRCP moved an adjournment motion seeking discussion on the new capital. The YSRCP alleged that Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has created confusion by making contradictory statements on the location of the new capital. The opposition members surrounded the Speaker’s podium seeking debate on the issue.

Telangana BJP senior leader N Indrasena Reddy on Wednesday alleged that the Telangana Government was planning to pass the annual budget through an ordinance.