Here’s why Kate Hudson is fit for Weight Watchers

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January 11, 2019

Kate Hudson thinks she’s a great fit for WW (Weight Watchers), even if others have questioned her new role as an ambassador for the wellness company.

Earlier in December, the ‘Almost famous’ star has experienced criticism after collaboration with WW with some people saying that she isn’t the perfect fit for the wellness company, an online portal reported.

Responding to them, she said WW is more than a diet or weight loss company, “My struggle is not in weight loss.”

“Mine is about staying healthy, trying to stay focused and balanced,” the 39-year-old star said.

“One of the things about this new re-imagining of WW is it’s not just about weight, it’s about wellness, To me, it’s all about support, you always need a support system, whether it be a trainer, a best friend, an app. Everyone’s looking at how do you get motivated, how do you stay motivated? That’s the number one thing people always ask me, exactly why I’m here,” she added.

Moreover, the ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’ star admires fit and healthy people and how they follow their diet.

The intent of the star for joining WW was to show how she is getting into shape after giving birth to the daughter, Rani Rose, in October.

Also, Hudson announced her partnership with WW to PEOPLE in December.

Hollywood scriptwriter ‘Nick Vallelonga’ apologies for his anti-Muslim tweets

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January 11, 2019

“Green Book” screenwriter Nick Vallelonga has apologised for his past anti-Muslim comments that he posted on Twitter during the 2016 US Presidential Elections.

The 59 years old writer, who recently won a Golden Globe for the film has found himself in a controversy after his old tweets resurfaced in which he claimed to have witnessed thousands of Muslims in New Jersey celebrate the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

The tweets were in response to US President Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric where he had said that he saw Muslims celebrating with his own eyes, something that was debunked later.

“@realDonaldTrump 100% correct. Muslims in Jersey City cheering when towers went down. I saw it, as you did, possibly on local CBS news,” Vallelonga wrote. Soon after the tweet resurfaced, Vallelonga’s entire Twitter profile was deleted.

In a statement, Vallelonga apologised for the comments, especially to actor Mahershala Ali, who plays one of the leads in the Peter Farrelly-directed film.

I want to apologise. I spent my life trying to bring this story of overcoming differences and finding common ground to the screen and I am incredibly sorry to everyone associated with ‘Green Book’, I especially deeply apologize to the incredibly brilliant and kind Mahershala Ali and all members of the Muslim faith for the hurt I have caused,” he said.

The film is about a black concert pianist Don Shirley and his Italian-American driver Tony Vallelonga, who served as Shirley’s chauffeur on a series of concert tours in the largely segregated South.

I am also sorry to my late father who changed so much from Dr. Shirley’s friendship and I promise this lesson is not lost on me. Green Book is a story about love, acceptance and overcoming barriers, and I will do better, Vallelonga said.

Vallelonga is the son of Tony Vallelonga who is portrayed in “Green Book” by the actor Viggo Mortensen.

Nick Vallelonga wrote Green Book. My industry just gave him a Golden Globe for writing. This remains on his timeline.

Mahershala Ali is a Muslim, and a beautiful, generous and kind man.

This is all just too disgusting. pic.twitter.com/LYVbpFZFUL

— Jordan Horowitz (@jehorowitz) January 10, 2019

SP-BSP alliance will get its math right, BJP will be defeated in LS polls: Akhilesh

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January 11, 2019

A day before his joint press conference with Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said that the alliance will get the math right in the upcoming Lok Sabha election and the BJP will face defeat.

The two parties have agreed to an in-principle alliance ahead of the parliamentary elections, SP’s national spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary had said last week.

“Last time we had come together in the Lok Sabha by-elections and BJP had lost the seats (earlier held by) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. This time too our math will be right and the BJP will face defeat,” Yadav said at a chaupal.

A formal announcement on the alliance between the two Uttar Pradesh-based parties will be made at Saturday’s joint press conference with BSP, he said.

Responding to a question, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said the BJP had strengthened because it joined hands with regional parties and his party was also gaining strength by forming a coalition.

“Our (BSP and SP) coming together has not only created fear in the BJP but also in the Congress,” Yadav added.

The BSP and SP alliance has virtually shut its doors to Congress in the state.

However, Chaudhary had said the alliance will not field candidates in Amethi and Raebareli, leaving the two Lok Sabha constituencies for Congress president Rahul Gandhi and United Progress Alliance chief Sonia Gandhi.

Yadav gave a slogan for the upcoming polls: “Humara kaam bolta hai, BJP ka dhokha bolta hai” (Our work speaks for itself, BJP’s betrayal speaks).

He also took a dig at the BJP-led state government’s decision to levy an additional 0.5 per cent cess on excise items to fund cow shelters, saying people will have to drink more liquor now for cow safety.

Modi govt fulfilled dreams of crores of youths with 10% quota for gen category poor: Shah

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January 11, 2019

BJP president Amit Shah Friday said the Modi government has “fulfilled” the dreams of crores of youths with 10 per cent reservation in jobs and education for the general category poor, and described the constitution amendment bill as one of the most important legislations passed by Parliament.

Shad hailed the legislation in his inaugural address at the Bharatiya Janata Party’s national convention, which started on Friday at Ramlila Maidan.

This is one of the most important legislations Parliament has passed, he said.

With top party leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, present at the dais and close to 12,000 delegates present, Shah also hailed the GST Council’s decision to double the limit for exemption from payment of goods and services tax (GST) to Rs 40 lakh.

The Modi government has taken two big decisions in a week, Shah said.

In a “massive relief” to small businesses, the GST Council Thursday doubled the limit for exemption from payment of GST to Rs 40 lakh and announced that the higher turnover cap of Rs 1.5 crore for availing composition scheme of paying 1 per cent tax will be effective from April 1.

Alok Verma resigns from service, refuses to be appointed as DG Fire Services

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January 11, 2019

Alok Verma resigned from service on Friday, a day after he was shunted out as CBI director and appointed as DG Fire Services.

The 1979 batch IPS office sent his resignation to Home Minister Rajnath Singh after refusing to take charge of the post assigned to him, saying: “Natural justice was scuttled and the entire process was turned upside down in ensuring that the undersigned is removed from the post of the Director.”

The decision to remove Verma was taken on Thursday by the Selection Committee, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and comprising Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge. Chief Justice of India is also a member of the Committee but at today’s meeting, he was represented by Justice A K Sikri, the senior most judge of the Supreme Court.

The committee was of the view that being the head of a very sensitive organisation, Verma was “not functioning with the integrity expected of him,” according to sources.

Verma was posted as DG, Fire Services, Civil Defence, and Home Guards, two days after he was reinstated as the CBI Director by the Supreme Court. His reinstatement had come about two-and-a-half months after being divested of his powers and sent on leave by the government.

Ram Rahim, 3 others convicted in journalist murder case

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January 11, 2019

Gurmeet Ram Rahim was convicted in the journalist Ram Chander Chhatarpati murder case by a special CBI court in Panchkula on Friday. The quantum of punishment will be announced on January 17.

Other than Ram Rahim, three others have also been found guilty in the murder case.

Ram Rahim, the Dera Sacha Sauda chief is already in Rohtak’s Sunaria jail, serving a 20-year old prison term since 2017 for raping two of his women followers.

In the journalist murder case, the Dera chief has been found guilty of orchestrating the killing of Ramchandra Chhatrapati, a Sirsa-based journalist, after the scribe wrote against Ram Rahim in his newspaper titled ‘Poora Sach’.

Earlier this week the court directed the Haryana government to produce the Dera chief via video conference for the pronouncement of the verdict in the November 2002 journalist murder case.

Ahead of the Friday’s verdict, elaborate security arrangements were made in Haryana and parts of Punjab. Several companies of the state armed police, anti-riot police and commando force were deployed to combat any untoward situation.

NCLAT suggests appointing a former Supreme Court judge for IL&FS asset sales

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January 11, 2019

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Friday suggested that all further proceedings for transfer of assets of crisis-hit Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS) should take place under the supervision of a retired Supreme Court judge.

The new management of the IL&FS is considering assets sales to bail out the company from its financial mess and payback to its lenders over Rs 90,000 crore.

“As it appears that a process required to be followed, similar to corporate insolvency resolution process, for the purpose of proper resolution of IL&FS and its subsidiaries,” said a two-judge bench headed by Justice S J Mukhopadhaya.

It further added that in such a case, a Committee of Creditors may be required to be formed for determining liability, feasibility and financial matrix for a resolution plan for one or other assets.

“Appellate Tribunal will suggest to government and IL&FS to get matter supervised by a retired SC Judge,” the bench added.

NCLAT also directed IL&FS to submit all details of the arbitration proceedings going against it and its 348 group companies.

“IL&FS will provide details of all arbitral proceeding against it and its 348 subsidiaries. We observe that proceeding, if any pending before IL&FS or its 348 subsidiaries may proceed with claims and counterclaims,” it said.

NCLAT directed to list the matter on January 28 for next hearing, when it would hear the matter of granting moratorium to IL&FS and group companies.

The appellate tribunal was hearing a petition filed by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) and IL&FS.

Earlier, passing an order on January 1, 2019, NCLT had permitted the government to reopen and recast the accounts of IL&FS and its subsidiaries, IL&FS Transportation Network Ltd and IL&FS Financial Services, for the past five years.

On October 15, NCLAT had stayed all proceedings against IL&FS group and its 348 firms till its further order, over an urgent petition moved by the government.

MCA had approached the appellate tribunal after the Mumbai bench of national company law tribunal (NCLT) turned down its plea to grant 90-day moratorium.

This matter is scheduled to be heard on January 28 for hearing.

The NCLT had on October 1, suspended the board of IL&FS on government’s plea and authorised reconstitution of the board by appointing seven directors two days later.

Govt spending over Rs 20,000 crore to fix accident prone spots: Nitin Gadkari

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January 11, 2019

The government is spending more than Rs 20,000 crore to rectify accident prone black spots on roads across the country in order to reduce fatalities in such incidents, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday.

Speaking at the launch of a research report by Nissan India and SaveLife Foundation, Gadkari said the first priority of his ministry is to save more lives from road accidents which account for over 1 lakh deaths each year in the country.

“One of the major reasons for road accidents is flawed engineering. We have already identified the black spots…We are spending more than Rs 20,000 crore only for implementing this and making underpasses, flyovers etc,” the road and transport minister said.

He said road safety issue requires more public awareness besides a serious approach in important factors like issuance of driving licences.

“We have also suggested to state governments to include chapters on road safety in primary education..Government is also taking preventive measures in auto industry like seat belt reminders,” Gadkari added.

As per the report ‘Rear Seat Belt Usage and Child Road Safety in India’, 90 per cent of the total 6,306 respondents said they do not use rear safety belts.

The report also revealed that despite 92.8 per cent respondents being aware of the safety benefits of child helmets, only 20.1 per cent owned a child helmet.

As per the latest data released by road and transport ministry, 9,408 children lost their lives to road crashes in 2017 alone.

“While there have been various initiatives undertaken to raise awareness around road safety in India, the importance of wearing rear seat belts has been completely neglected,” Nissan India President Thomas Kuehl said.

SC closes case against Johnson & Johnson for faulty hip implants

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January 11, 2019

The Supreme Court on Friday closed the case seeking action against US-based pharma major Johnson and Johnson for implanting faulty hip implants into patients, saying that steps have been taken by the Centre to provide compensation up to Rs 1.22 crore to them.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice S K Kaul considered the response filed by the Union Health Ministry which said that a compensation scheme has been formulated by it to ensure proper compensation to the victims of faulty hip implants.

Disposing of the PIL filed by one Arun Goenka, the top court asked the Centre to widely publicise its compensation scheme to ensure that all the victims of such implants seek help for their grievances.

Earlier, the Centre had informed the apex court that the report of its panel on alleged “faulty” hip implants, made by the pharma major was ready and would be filed within a week.

The PIL had alleged that “faulty” and “deadly” hip implants have been fitted into the bodies of 4,525 Indian patients who had undergone the replacement surgeries since 2005.

‘God of Cricket’ ends association with Spartan Sports

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January 11, 2019

Known as the god of the cricket by his fans across the globe, Sachin Tendulkar has terminated his association with Spartan Sports where he was an investor and an advisory board member as well, after the company defaulted on payments that is running into crores.

The 45 years old Tendulkar, who holds a plethora of records in international cricket, was signed up by the Sydney based company in 2016 which was co-founded by Indian entrepreneur Kunal Sharma. Besides Tendulkar, the company has also signed other leading names from the sport, such as India’s World Cup winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, big-hitting West Indies opener Chris Gayle and Eoin Morgan among others.

A recent court ruling in Australia ordered the sports gear and equipment company to be liquidated, which in turn could affect the players associated with Spartan Sports.

He will stall company’s plans to grow sports goods business in India and other Asian countries. While (Tendulkar is the) first high profile exit from the names associated with Spartan, others like Dhoni and Mitchell Johnson had threatened or undertaken legal action, a source told PTI.

Future of company is uncertain as it stares at liquidation. Group company SSG (Wholesale) Australia is already under liquidation. The company’s efforts to reorganise business after liquidation of group company has not yielded any results,” he said.

Spartan Sports owes creditors to the tune of Rs 60 crore and the players could suffer major losses if the liquidation process gets underway. Former Australia captain Michael Clarke, who had signed a bat sponsorship deal with the company, stopped using the Spartan logo on his bat during the final phase of his career whereas pacer Johnson filed a case against it.