Here’s how Akshay and Kareena announced first day of shoot for ‘Good News’

By

-

January 23, 2019

Bollywood stars Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor took to social media to announce the first day of shoot for their upcoming film ‘Good News’ in an innovative manner.

The Bollywood stars alluded to the #10YearsChallenge that has gone viral on social media and posted a picture collage of themselves from their film ‘Kambhakt Ishq’ that was released 10 years ago along with one from the sets of their current film.

In the photo, Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor can be seen looking at each other with their hands clasped together.

Akshay Kumar captioned the post, “2009 to 2019, the #GoodNews is that not much has changed, or so we hope First day of shoot it is, do send in your best wishes #10YearChallenge.”

Kareena Kapoor posted another picture on Instagram from the sets of the film and captioned it, “Good News started …New Beginnings.”

Karan Johar, on Monday had taken to twitter to announce the date of the film’s release and had written, “#GOODNEWS releases on the 6th of September, 2019!!! AKSHAY KAREENA DILJIT KIARA!!! Directed by RAJ MEHTA!!”

Notably, ‘Good News’ will see Akshay and Kareena reunite after 10 years and will also star Diljit Dosanjh and Kiara Advani.

The film revolves around a couple trying to have a baby and was earlier supposed to release in July.

2009 to 2019, the #GoodNews is that not much has changed, or so we hope ? First day of shoot it is, do send in your best wishes ?? #10YearChallenge #KareenaKapoorKhan @karanjohar @apoorvamehta18 @raj_a_mehta @DharmaMovies #CapeOfGoodFilms @ShashankKhaitan pic.twitter.com/XvdlCmPtV1

— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) January 23, 2019

Bradley Cooper had originally turned down ‘A Star Is Born’

By

Web Team

-

January 23, 2019

Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga starrer ‘A Star Is Born’ has scored 6 nominations at the Academy Awards. While Cooper has now bagged a ‘Best Actor’ nomination for his performance in the film, he had originally passed on the lead role in the movie.

The musical romantic drama has been nominated for: Best Picture, Best Actor In a Leading Role (Bradley Cooper), Best Actress In a Leading Role (Lady Gaga), Best Supporting Actor (Sam Elliott), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Sound Mixing.

The Hollywood actor, who ended up directing the film, was approached years ago by Clint Eastwood, who was potentially directing the film at the time to play the lead character in the film. Bradley had, however, turned down the offer.

“I was too young. I always thought I didn’t have enough experience to play this guy. I was 38 at the time, I’m 43 now, and I just thought, ‘I don’t know if I could buy me like that.’ And then life happens,” an online portal quoted Cooper as saying.

While he initially refused the part, it was after starring in Clint Eastwood’s ‘American Sniper’ and spending a year performing in ‘The Elephant Man’ on Broadway that Cooper finally felt that he was ready for the role.

‘A Star is Born’ is a remake of 1937 film of the same name. The story revolves around an established singer (Cooper) who helps a struggling artist (Gaga) to find fame while he struggles with his own demons.

Over 100 Indian MSMEs to feature in Singapore export forum

By

Web Team

-

January 23, 2019

Over 100 Indian firms will feature in the Singapore export forum during a business conclave on Thursday that aims to promote India’s export-oriented industries in the strategic ASEAN region.

The business forum along with an exhibition is being organised as part of the India Week, showcasing India’s favourites for the global markets — ayurveda, cinema, food, lifestyle, handicrafts, literature, music, tourism and yoga.

“The forum aims to promote this very important export-oriented industries in the ASEAN region from Singapore which is a regional hub and gateway to the South East Asian markets,” India’s High Commissioner to Singapore Jawed Ashraf told PTI.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional intergovernmental organisation comprising ten countries in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, military among others vital matters.

The ASEAN countries include Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, Laos and Brunei.

Ashraf said that the Indian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) account for 45 per cent of total Indian exports and 40 per cent of the country’s manufacturing output.

“As such, it is important to promote enterprises from the MSME sector in export markets,” Ashraf said.

Singapore Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Chairman T Chandroo will address the Indian industries at the forum, which is held under the banner of “India-Singapore Trade: Sustainability, Strengths and Strategies Making it work for Smaller Businesses”.

The President of Federation of Indian Export Organisations, Ganesh Kumar Gupta, will give an insight into the wide range of exports available for the regional markets.

Karan Johar apologises for Pandya-Rahul ‘Koffee with Karan’ episode

By

Web Team

-

January 23, 2019

Breaking his silence on the controversy following comments by cricketers Hardik Pandya and K L Rahul on his chat show, filmmaker Karan Johar said that he apologises for what happened and admits the conversation “may have crossed boundaries”.

The filmmaker also said that he feels very responsible for the remarks made on “Koffee with Karan” and has spent sleepless nights wondering how to “undo this damage”.

Pandya and Rahul were widely slammed for their remarks labelled misogynistic and sexist and have been provisionally suspended by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), pending an inquiry.

“I’m not justifying the conversation that happened on the episode. I’m saying that perhaps things were said that may have crossed boundaries and I apologise because it was my platform where it happened,” Johar told in an interview.

The filmmaker, who is in Davos for the World Economic Forum, said that the boys have “paid the price” for what happened on the episode.

“I haven’t spoken about it really… I feel very responsible because it was my show and my platform. I invited them as guests and so the ramifications and repercussions of the show are my responsibility. I have had so many sleepless nights, just wondering about how I can undo this damage. Who is going to listen to me? It has now gone into a zone that is beyond my control,” Johar told the channel in the interview posted on Twitter on Wednesday.

Calling himself a feminist who has been brought up by strong women, Johar said that he asks the same questions to everyone.

“I don’t defend myself when I say this, the questions I asked the two boys are the questions I ask everyone, including women. When Deepika (Padukone) and Alia (Bhatt) were on the show, I asked them those questions. I have no control over the answers that come my way. And post the show, I have a control room of about 16-17 girls. The show ‘Koffee with Karan’ is run entirely by women. I’m the only man there. None of them came up (with issues).”

According to Johar, some of them thought Pandya was wild, “crazy or cracked” and some said he was funny too.

“No one came and told me that ‘Karan, this is was inappropriate’,” he added.

Asked if that he has any regrets about the episode, Johar said he regretted what has happened to them.

“And then there was talk about me actually enjoying the TRP. I don’t care about the TRPs. This is a spin-off… It’s not my career, it’s theirs. I don’t care about the ratings. People don’t understand that an English language show is never dependent on its ratings. We are nowhere in the radar of ratings. It was not ratings, it was meant to be my show and I want to say it is frivolous. It is sometimes completely borderline ridiculous, irreverent, candid and stops making sense… That’s the show,” he added.

After the controversy, the episode featuring the two cricketers was taken down by Hotstar.

“Certain remarks/comments made by the guests on the episode 12 of Koffee with Karan may hurt the sentiments of our users/viewers. As a responsible platform, we have removed the episode from Hotstar with immediate effect,” Hotstar had tweeted.

10% quota move will backfire on BJP; ‘bahujans’ feeling duped: Tejashwi

By

Web Team

-

January 23, 2019

The move of granting 10 per cent quota to general category poor will “backfire” on the BJP as the “bahujans” (majority) are feeling duped, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has said.

The Modi government met a key demand of those castes, which had so far not been covered under reservation benefits, earlier this month as it got a Constitution amendment bill passed in Parliament to give 10 per cent quota in education and jobs for the general category poor.

Yadav slammed the government’s move as hasty and said that like demonetisation it was implemented hurriedly. Reservation was not a poverty alleviation programme, he added.

The government has amended the Constitution without any report from any commission or social and economic survey, he told agencies.

“To make such a provision, the government must have supporting data and figures, but the Modi government doesn’t have that. They implemented it in a hurry, just like demonetisation. The BJP will bear the consequences of it,” the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader said.

Asked if the government’s move to give reservation to the general category poor will have an impact on the Lok Sabha polls, Yadav said that contrary to the general perception, the reservation for the “so-called poor upper caste” persons will “backfire” on the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).

“The Bahujan class is feeling duped… While it was stated that there is a cap of 50 per cent on reservations, but, suddenly the government opens a pandora’s box and exceeds reservations beyond 50 per cent, that too without any demand, agitation or movement by beneficiary classes,” the former Bihar deputy chief minister said.

“Now, the honourable Supreme Court will have to play by its own yardstick,” he said.

‘Bahujans’, a reference to communities seen as traditionally backward and poor, were denied further reservation in the name of this 50 per cent limit, Yadav said.

Reservation is for ensuring representation to those who have been suffering for ages due to all kinds of inhuman atrocities and restrictions in the name of caste, he said.

“If atrocities were heaped in the name of caste, how can assertive steps or remedial measures be in the name of economic status,” Yadav asked.

The RJD leader alleged the government was changing the narrative from caste-based atrocities to economic status to suit its “upper caste mindset”.

“On what basis did the government give 10 per cent reservation to those who are already enjoying de facto 50 per cent reservation and in reality much more than that. And what about the caste-based census data? Why it is being hidden by the government? Is it banana republic or a democracy” he asked.

PM to talk BJP workers in North Goa on Jan 27

By

Web Team

-

January 23, 2019

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address BJP’s booth-level workers from North Goa parliamentary constituency through video conference on January 27, a senior party leader said on Wednesday.

The booth-level workers will assemble in Panaji where they would be able to interact with Modi through a screen, BJP’s Goa unit Chief Vinay Tendulkar told reporters here.

This would be the prime minister’s second interaction with the BJP workers from Goa. On January 20, Modi had addressed the party workers from South Goa constituency, and Kolhapur, Hatkanangle, Madha and Satara parliamentary seats in Maharashtra through video conference.

Tendulkar said that the Union minister Nitin Gadkari would also inaugurate the third bridge across the Mandovi river in Panaji, connecting the capital city to North Goa district, on January 27.

Child born out of marriage between Hindu woman and Hindu man is legitimate, entitled to father’s property: SC

By

Web Team

-

January 23, 2019

A marriage of a Hindu woman with a Muslim man is not a ‘regular or valid’ but the child born out of such wedlock is legitimate, the Supreme Court on Tuesday held. It also said that the legal effect of such an irregular marriage is that a wife is entitled to get dower but cannot inherit the husband’s property.

The court held that the child born in an irregular marriage is legitimate just like in the case of a valid marriage and is entitled to inherit the property of the father. A bench of justices N V Ramana and M M Shantanagoudar upheld the order of the Kerala High Court by which it was ruled that the son of a couple – Mohammed Ilias and Valliamma (who was Hindu at the time of marriage) – was legitimate and was entitled for share in his father’s property according to law.

“We conclude that the marriage of a Muslim man with an idolater or fire worshipper is neither a valid nor a void marriage, but is merely an irregular marriage. Any child born out of such wedlock is entitled to claim a share in his father’s property,” the bench said.

The top court while dismissing the appeal against the high court order said that since Hindus are idol worshippers, which include worship of physical images or statues through offering of flowers and adornment, it is clear that the marriage of a Hindu woman with a Muslim man is merely an irregular one.

It was hearing a property dispute matter in which Shamsuddin, son of Ilias and Valliamma, claimed share in the ancestral property through inheritance after the death of his father.

It said “the legal effect of an irregular marriage is that in case of consummation, though the wife is entitled to get dower, she is not entitled to inherit the properties of the husband. But the child born in that marriage is legitimate just like in the case of a valid marriage, and is entitled to inherit the property of the father.”

The court said that on other hand the effect of a void marriage is that it does not create any civil right or obligations between the parties and the children born out of such wedlock are illegitimate. The bench said that under Muslim law, a marriage is not a sacrament but a civil contract and there are three types of marriage – valid, irregular and void.

The court said that high court relied on principles of Islamic law to conclude that such rules do not treat the marriage of a Muslim with a Hindu woman as void, and confers legitimacy upon children born out of such wedlock. Referring to this law, the bench said that a marriage which is not valid may be either void or invalid.

“A void marriage is one which is unlawful in itself, the prohibition against such a marriage being perpetual and absolute. An invalid marriage is described as one which is not unlawful in itself, but unlawful for something else…(like absence of witnesses),” the bench said.

Shamsuddin’s claim over property was opposed by his cousins who alleged that his mother was not the legally wedded wife of Ilias and she was a Hindu by religion at the time of marriage. They claimed that she had not converted to Islam at the time of her marriage, and thus Shamshuddin being the son of Valliamma, is not entitled to any share in Ilias’s property.

The top court said that it was not disputed that Valliamma was the wife of Ilias and contrary to the claims, birth register records maintained by statutory authorities indicate that Shamshuddin was their son.

“On the contrary, he is the legitimate son of Mohammed Ilias, and consequently is entitled to inherit the shares claimed in the estate of his father,” it said.

It said that it was also not denied that Ilias and Valliamma were living together as husband and wife at Thiruvananthapuram.

“Under these circumstances, in our considered opinion, the trial court and the high court were justified in concluding, based on the preponderance of probabilities, that Valliamma was the legally wedded wife of Mohammed Ilias, and the plaintiff (Shamshuddin) was the child born out of the said wedlock,” it held.

The bench also upheld the finding of the high court that though Shamshuddin was born out of a ‘fasid’ (irregular) marriage, he cannot be termed as an illegitimate son of Ilias.

Letters to the Editor: January 23, 2019

By

Web Team

-

January 23, 2019

Ban luxurious medical treatment to higher authorities at public cost

Persons seated in high posts enjoy luxurious medical treatments in private hospitals in India and abroad. When the system cannot provide such luxury to normal citizens at public cost, persons seated on high posts in the legislature, judiciary or bureaucracy must not also have any such entitlement. This privilege is available only to such a privileged class. However, they should be given priority treatment in private wards of government hospitals. A beginning can be made by banning medical treatment in foreign countries at public cost. Another option can be to provide Mediclaim policies for families to entitled ones with premium paid by concerned governments and public authorities.

Medical reimbursement at the public cost must be compulsorily put on respective public authorities. There may be legislation in this regard because the Supreme Court turned down CIC verdict allowing disclosure of amounts of annual medical reimbursements claimed by individual judges of the Supreme Court. Some MLAs have claimed medical reimbursements in tunes of crores of rupees each.

Subhash Chandra Agrawal

Beg to differ with Sunil Gavaskar!

Beg to differ with Little Master Sunil Gavaskar when he says that Pandya-Rahul episode has taken the sheen off India’s unprecedented Test series win in Australia. The episode involving Pandya and KL Rahul of unsavoury remarks on a TV show has been blown out of proportion. Both got the punishment they deserved as they have been suspended from playing till pending enquiry which anyways one thought was harsh. Both are young cricketers who bragged on an ‘Idiotic’ show of an action they may never have committed.

Our Test series win in Australia was history in the making which cannot be changed and Kohli’s Team is proud of that win notwithstanding the current controversy. The cricket Board sent a strong message by suspending erring cricketers (that too what they did in their personal lives) and the matter should end there. Hope better sense prevails and both Pandya and Rahul are reinstated in the team after an apology from them!

S.N.Kabra

Karnataka drama once again!

It refers to unholy political drama once again erupted in Karnataka where again huge money is being spent on saving or uprooting state government by taking MLAs in hiding in costly resorts far away from the state. Evidently, such heavy spent of money for political games is to be recovered indirectly from the public through bribes and corruption involving those seated at high posts of the legislature. There must be a mechanism to permanently end such nuisance.

Chief Ministers should be elected by secret and compulsory votes of all MLAs through EVMs on nominations filed by at least 34 per cent MLAs. Members not participating in such election may lose voting right in state assembly though retaining membership. Any such elected Chief Minister may only be removed by the same process but with the compulsion of naming an alternate leader in the same motion. It will be simply a modified version of Supreme Court verdict in the matter UP government (Kalyan Singh) vs Jagdamba Pal where Chief Minister was elected through a secret vote of MLAs for the only time in the history of India.

Such an elected Chief Minister will be compelled to have cordial relations with opposition in running the House proceedings, and also tackling factionalism in ruling parties apart from ensuring full terms and stable governments.

Madhu Agrawal

Staggered working hours

Mumbai peak hour rush and traffic congestion all make Mumbai most life most miserable in all respect. It is high time to stagger the working hours so that we can see some free movement during busy hours. In the past when the population was not much, we followed a staggering time for offices in focal points like Fort area and that was a success. Why don’t we follow the same system in the public interest and make sure the commuters get some reprieve? Morning hour train rush and getting other transport after getting down all become chaotic if all the offices function at the same time. A better council should prevail in bringing about a change in the event of a bus strike or disruption of the local train due to some rail fracture, overhead wire disruption. It is a good thought to stagger the timings.

Jayanthi Anandambal Maniam

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

2008 Mumbai blast case: Pak court temporarily halts hearing

By

Web Team

-

January 23, 2019

A Pakistani has temporarily halted the hearing of the 2008 Mumbai attack case to let the prosecutor produce more witnesses.

Ten Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists had sailed into Mumbai from Karachi and carried out coordinated attacks, killing 166 people and injuring over 300 in November 2008.

The trial, underway in an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan against seven activists, has made little headway in more than 10 years as the Pakistani establishment has been claiming lack of enough evidence against them.

A divisional bench of Islamabad High Court, comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhter Kiyani, on Tuesday conducted hearing on a petition by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) seeking stay on anti-terrorism court proceedings.

The Express Tribune reported that the court initially granted one week stay in trial of the Mumbai attack case to let the prosecutor to summon some of the 19 witnesses for testimony.

During the hearing, FIA prosecutor Akram Qureshi appeared in the court.

Justice Kiyani remarked several witnesses were not appearing due to fear and the whereabouts of some others were unknown.

The FIA prosecutor told the bench that many witnesses had been traced out. Justice Kiyani inquired if those witnesses will appear in the court to which Qureshi said some of the witnesses have been traced and they are ready to appear before court.

Justice Amir Farooq inquired about the next date of hearing in the trial court. The FIA prosecutor replied the case is set for hearing on Wednesday (January 23) in the anti-terrorism court (ATC), while requesting for a stay on the hearing.

The court accepted the request and suspended proceedings of the ATC till the next week. The court directed the registrar to set the hearing of the case in the next week.

Seven LeT suspects — Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum — are facing charges of abetment to murder, attempted murder, planning and executing the Mumbai attack since 2009.

Except Lakhvi, the other six are kept in the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.

Priyanka Gandhi appointed AICC general secretary for UP East

By

Web Team

-

January 23, 2019

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was on Wednesday appointed AICC general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East by her brother and party chief Rahul Gandhi, the party said.

Jyotiraditya Scindia was appointed AICC general secretary for UP West, a party spokesperson said.

The party also replaced Ashok Gehlot as AICC general secretary Organisation with KC Venugopal.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad was appointed AICC general secretary in charge of Haryana, the party said.

Priyanka Gandhi will take over as AICC general secretary for UP East in the first week of February, the party said.