Mumbai, June 10: The BSE Sensex rose 2.25 percent on Wednesday to its best close in 10 months, as markets across Asia and Europe were boosted by cash-flush investors buoyed by signs of revival in global economic growth.
Energy giant Reliance Industries and state-run explorer Oil and Natural Gas Corp were among the leading gainers as oil topped $71 a barrel, a day after settling above $70 for the first time in seven months.
Washington, June 10: Susan Lucci’s memorable “All My Children” character is about to become TV’s Ultimate Cougar.
The conniving Erica Kane, with 10 husbands down already, will fall into the arms of a much younger man on ABC’s soap opera this summer. To make life a little more complicated, it’s her daughter’s ex-husband and ex-fiance’s stepson.
Got that straight?
New Delhi, June 10: She came, she chatted up journalists, spread her charm, had a spartan lunch topped with seasonal fruits, said her goodbyes and left with the media relishing each word she uttered.
It was a happy day for Congress president Sonia Gandhi as she hosted a ‘thanksgiving lunch’ for the media after her party posted a stunning electoral win last month.
In a rare gesture that warmed the hearts of over 200 journalists at the conference hall of Ashoka Hotel, a beaming Gandhi, in a maroon sari, went around each table and spent a couple of minutes conversing with them.
New Delhi, June 10: Minister of State for Minority Affairs Salman Khurshid says his ministry is “not only about Muslims” but will have all of India’s minority communities covered by it.
The implementation of the Sachar Committee recommendations for the development of Muslims would also be a priority for his ministry, Khurshid said.
“This ministry is not only about Muslims but has all minority communities under its ambit. It needs a proper direction, minority affairs has a lot of potential.”
Mumbai, June 10: Known To be utterly gregarious and accessible Farhan has suddenly withdrawn into a shell.
Before well-wishers could presume the worst, the truth has come out in the open.
His current acting assignment Kartik Versus Kartik with Deepika Padukone which is almost done provoked these withdrawal symptoms.
Since the part requires him to be a lonely brooder Farhan has lately switched off his phone and become almost inaccessible to the world outside.
Mumbai, June 10: After scaring us with his last horror movie Phoonk, Ram Gopal Varma hopes to send more chills down our spine with Agyaat, a thriller set in a jungle. The film stars Priyanka Kothari and is set for a July 24 release.
RGV tells Patcy N more about the film and why he regrets making Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag.
Is Agyaat a horror film?
No. A horror film deals with the supernatural like ghosts and spirits. Agyaat is about a film unit that goes to a jungle for a shoot and is caught in a situation where they get killed one by one.
Mumbai, June 10: After the fabulous Jab We Met in 2007, director Imtiaz Ali is back with his next venture, Love Aaj Kal. The film stars Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone. This is also Saif’s first home production.
When the makers launched the film at a press meet at the PVR theatre in Parel, central Mumbai, all eyes were on the director and his stunning cast.
–Agencies
Mumbai, June 10: Salman Khan and producer Sajid Nadiawala’s association has been for five films in a row but then Sajid went on to make two back to back films with Akshay Kumar and left Salman alone.
Buzz had begun in industry circles about a rift between the Sajid and Salman that lead to this. But now its confirmed that all bad talks were mere rumours as Sajid is all set to begin his next starring Salman in the lead.
Lucknow, June 10: Four policemen in Uttar Pradesh’s Basti district were suspended Wednesday for allegedly running a sex racket from their official quarters, an official said Wednesday.
‘An enquiry has also been initiated against the four constables, who were caught with two call girls Tuesday night at the police residential quarters,’ a district police spokesperson told IANS by phone.
Investigations revealed that Manoj Patel, one of the suspended constables, used to run a prostitution ring with the other three police men, who would solicit clients. Basti is 275 km from here.
Mumbai, June 10: Laxmi Nanji Sangoi was looking forward to August 4 when both her sons were due to fly in from the US for her 75th birthday. Instead, the widow who lived alone was found dead on Tuesday morning in her Shivaji Park flat with her throat slit.
The body was discovered by Bhanuben, the domestic helper employed by Sangoi.
Mumbai, June 10 : Noted film actor Aamir Khan — who essayed the role of a devoted, strong and valorous lover burning in the fire of revenge — admits that he cries like a baby each time any of his flicks do well at the box office or vice versa.
Khan aka Mr Perfectionist compared himself with assiduous tennis player Roger Federer who won the French Open recently and wrote in his blog yesterday that he cried like kids each time he won a final and that was one thing the actor shares in common with him.
Islamabad, June 10: The UN is set to begin its probe into the 2007 assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto with the appointment of a former Irish policeman as the third member of a commission that has been set up to conduct the enquiry.
Peter Fitzgerald, a former deputy commissioner of the Irish National Police Force, Garda Siochana, was a member of the UN commission that probed the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Harriri, Dawn reported Wednesday.
Patna, June 10: Former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad’s kins are feeling the heat with the authorities ordering them to return the amount that they had received from railways as compensation for lands acquired for construction of Phulwaria railway station in Gopalganj dustrict.
Kuwait, June 10: Two police officers have been arrested in Kuwait for raping two expatriate women from the Philippines.
The officers were arrested by officials from the Operations Department of the Ministry of Interior after being informed by a Kuwaiti, reported Al Qabas daily, quoting a police source.
Bhatinda, June 10 : A young pair allegedly committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance near Lambi Bus Stand in this district last night, police said today.
The deceased were identified as Joga Singh (26) and Ranjit Kaur (24), who was already married.
The woman had eloped with her lover a week ago. However, both of them had later returned to their homes following persuasion by their families.
Lucknow, June 10: Four policemen in Uttar Pradesh’s Basti district were suspended Wednesday for allegedly running a sex racket from their official quarters, an official said Wednesday.
“An enquiry has also been initiated against the four constables, who were caught with two call girls Tuesday night at the police residential quarters,” a district police spokesperson told IANS by phone.
Investigations revealed that Manoj Patel, one of the suspended constables, used to run a prostitution ring with the other three police men, who would solicit clients. Basti is 275 km from here.
Mumbai, June 10: Besides sharing screen space with Kareena Kapoor in one of the biggest fiascos of their careers Tashan Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan now have something else in common.
They both play double roles, characters belonging to two different time zones in their forthcoming films and have to spend hours preparing for their double makeover.
Akshay Kumar currently shooting for Vipul Shah’s Action Replay spends a minimum of an hour every morning getting into a 1970s’ sporty look without the help of prosthetics.
Mumbai, June 10: The child star of multiple Oscar winning film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, has been provided a new house by the ‘Jai Ho’ trust, formed by the makers of the film.
“The 250 sq ft flat situated in Santa Cruz west will be in the custody of the trust and will be transferred to Azharuddin when he turns 18,” Nirja Matoo of the Jai Ho trust .
Azhar’s family will shift in the new house in a day or two, she said adding that the trust is still hunting for a house for the other child star Rubina Ali.
Mumbai, June 10: Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapoor are the latest couple to sizzle around the industry. Well it was recently reported that Shahid has opted out of the IIFA Awards 2009, where he was supposed to perform with Priyanka from their upcoming film Kaminey.
Buzz up!
Shahid is busy with his commitment for Ken Ghosh’s flick. On the other side, Priyanka too is busy shooting in Singapore for Yash Raj movie Pyaar Impossible.
Mumbai, June 10: Aamir`s wife Kiran Rao is pregnantAamir Khan is going to be third time lucky. We hear that the perfectionist star’s wife is three months pregnant. Kiran was recently admitted to Breach Candy Hospital in South Mumbai for fever, where it was discovered.
Sources at the hospital, where she is consulting a doctor for her pregnancy, reveal that Rao was admitted on May 31 for fever.
“She was admitted to the fourth floor of the old hospital building. She was in the hospital for a week, ” said a source, on the condition of anonymity.
Washington, June 10: Republicans have a response to President Barack Obama’s decision to try Guantanamo detainees in federal court using the US justice system: Obama is “importing terrorists.”
In a statement Tuesday, GOP House Minority Leader John Boehner said the decision to try Ahmed Ghailani for his alleged role in the bombings of the US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in New York is part of a long-term, nefarious Democratic gambit.
London, June 10: Pakistan wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, who was named the man-of-the-match after his team’s 82-run victory over the Dutch, said he was relieved after the Greenshirts managed to qualify for the Super Eights in the ongoing World T20 Championship here.
Akmal, who struck a 30-ball 41 and then set a new T20 International record with four stumpings at the Lord’s yesterday, attributed his match-winning performance in Pakistan’s do-or-die game against the Netherlands to ”hard work”.
London, June 10: Michael Jackson, who is all set to make his comeback Saturday, is making strange requests for a child choir for his concerts.
According to mirror.co.uk, Jackson wants every child to know sign language and wants “exactly equal” numbers of black, white, mixed-race and Asian child singers for his concerts.
The weird request was sent to casting agents on behalf of promoters AEG Live, who are organising his 50 concerts at O2 Arena here.
The children are also supposed to range from 5 to 13.
Hyderabad, June 10: It was revenge and not ransom for which the 12-year-old boy from the Old City, Syed Mohd Usman Quadri, was killed. The kidnappers wanted revenge against Usman’s father, a realtor and demanding ransom was just a ploy to deceive the investigators, police said.
Police solved the mystery behind Usman’s killing and nabbed three brothers who plotted the kidnap and killing. Usman’s father, Syed Abdul Khader Quadri, is a realtor and the main accused, Khaja Aneesuddin alias Anees alias Hashmi, used to get him prospective customers.
Mumbai, June 10: The organisers of IIFA Awards 2009 are unperturbed by Kareena Kapoor’s announcement that she would not attend this year’s event to be held at Macau. In fact, they feel that the Bachchans, consisting of Amitabh, Jaya, Abhishek and Aishwarya, can make any event a success.
Buzz up!