CJI nominates Justice AK Sikri on panel to decide CBI Director Verma’s fate

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January 9, 2019

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi has nominated Justice A K Sikri, the senior most judge of the Supreme Court after him, to be part of the high-powered selection committee which will decide the fate of CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma.

The apex court sources said that Justice Sikri will be a part of the selection committee which includes Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge.

The selection committee comprises the Prime Minister, the CJI and the leader of the single largest opposition party.

Since the CJI was a part of the bench and author of the Tuesday’s verdict which reinstated Verma as the CBI Director, he opted himself out of the panel’s meeting which was ordered to be convened within a week.

Verma’s two-year tenure as CBI director ends on January 31.

Rose McGowan’s felony charges to be reduced

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January 9, 2019

rose American actor-activist Rose McGowan’s drug possession charges will be reduced to a misdemeanor.

The ‘Planet Terror’ star was charged with felony possession in February 2017, but she has agreed to plead no contest in her upcoming court appearance on January 15 in Loudoun County, a leading magazine reported.

Earlier in March 2018, the star asked a judge to dismiss her case but he refused to do so.

Jim Hundley, McGowan’s lawyer said, “The Commonwealth and Ms McGowan have reached a plea agreement in her case. The Commonwealth has agreed to reduce the current felony charge to a misdemeanor of possession of a controlled substance.”

He further added, ” Ms McGowan will enter a plea of no contest to the reduced charge when she appears in court on January 15, and the Commonwealth will recommend a sentence that requires Ms McGowan to pay a fine.”

Addressing the actor, Hundley said, “Accepted this agreement in order to spare her family, her friends, and her supporters the emotional strain of a criminal trial. The agreement brings this ordeal to an end and allows her to focus all of her energy on what matters most to her – creating a better world. Ms McGowan will comment on the day of the plea.”

The 45-year-old star was arrested for felony possession in 2017, while she was travelling from United flight. An airport employee allegedly found two bags of white power on her which later turned out to be cocaine.

Kylie and Travis can’t wait for Stormi’s first birthday

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January 9, 2019

American reality star Kylie Jenner and her beau rapper Travis Scott is super excited for their daughter Stormi’s first birthday.

Barely weeks left for her first birthday, the baby has already started getting birthday gifts. Kylie took to her official Instagram handle to share an adorable video of Stormi where she is sitting on a couch with a ‘Louis Vuitton’ handbag.

“Daddy dropped off a new chair for Stormi and omg this girl threw the bag over her shoulder I can’t,” the reality star captioned the video.

Earlier, she dropped another video, “p.s. already wrapping Stormi’s bday gifts, “I’m too excited.” she wrote on her Instagram story.

Baby Stormi Webster will celebrate her first birthday on February 1.

Earlier, the 21-year-old star claimed that she is been thinking about Stormi’s first birthday since June and she thought of having a “super magical unicorn theme” party, but unfortunately North West and Penelope Disick beat her to it.

Earlier in July, Jenner topped Hopper HQ’s Instagram rich list for 2018 with a price tag of a whopping 1 million USD for a single post.

Here’s why Jana Kramer does not breastfeed her son Jace

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January 9, 2019

American actor-singer Jana Kramer reveals that she tried breastfeeding her 4-week-old son Jace but it did not work for any of them.

The ‘One Tree Hill’ star is contentiously being asked that if she is breastfeeding her son or not?

Being a supportive husband, American footballer Mike Caussin said, “You’ve got to do what is best for you and what is best for your child’s health. And what’s best for Jace is to be formula fed,” an online portal reported.

Alluding to the trolls that criticised the star last time when she gave birth to her first child, Kramer said, “I tried so hard the second time around because I didn’t want to get re-shamed.”

She further added, “I had two of my girlfriends over at my house, right after Jace, trying to get milk out of my boob, and I’m just like, bawling my eyes out and Michael’s like, ‘Why are you doing this?’ And I said, ‘Because everybody’s telling me what I need to do.”

She went on to add, “My girlfriend’s were pressing on my boob trying to get milk out,” she told Us. “So I was like, ‘OK. I’m stopping. I’m done.”

Her husband, the retired NFL player, Mike Caussin added now that Jace is drinking formula, everyone is happier.

The couple tied the knot in 2015. Further, prior to Caussin, the singer has been linked with American actor Scott Eastwood, Brantley Gilbert, Johnathon Schaech.

Developing economies must get ready to cope with possible turbulence: World Bank official

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January 9, 2019

There is an urgency for emerging markets and developing economies to get ready to cope with possible turbulence, a top World Bank official has said as she called on the governments to concentrate more on their debt management practices and accelerate the pace of reforms.

Kristalina Georgieva, the World Bank’s CEO, said the global growth is moderating from 3 per cent to 2.9 per cent in 2019. That is still a robust growth performance.

“But what we see happening are troubling signs in terms of international trade and manufacturing activities,” she said.

“In this more challenging environment, there is an urgency for emerging markets and developing economies to get ready to cope with possible turbulence and to build fiscal and monetary space, to build policy buffers,” she said in a conference call with journalists on the occasion of the release of the Global Economic Prospects report.

She said the governments have to concentrate more on their debt management practices, especially in countries where this is already a serious concern.

“They need to use borrowing to fund development needs, to use borrowing for productive purposes and they have to work with creditors on transparency and sustainability of lending practices,” she said.

Georgieva will serve as the interim President of the World Bank after Jim Yong Kim departs the international financial institution on February 1.

Urging countries to accelerate reforms, Georgieva said from the Bank’s perspective, this is particularly critical for investing in human capital, lowering barriers to higher investments and boost positivity and make sure that they are integrated into the world economy in a way that helps them to expand and grow.

One of the issues of concern she said, is that the Bank’s main focus on poverty reduction is correlated to strong, steady, and equitable economic growth.

Noting that the majority of low-income countries would be impacted, she said that they would be hard-hit by a sudden weakening in a trade or by global financial conditions worsening.

“What I mean by that is situations in which financial flows go into the direction of safer locations and that makes both access and costs for countries more difficult, less favourable,” she said.

Govt eyes about $1 bn from Air India sale

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January 9, 2019

The government is eyeing around $1 billion (about Rs 7,000 crore) from the sale of national carrier Air India in the next financial year, a government official said.

The government will initiate the process of strategic disinvestment of Air India in the second half of 2019-20 and in between it would work towards selling some of its subsidiaries and monetise assets.

Air India has a debt burden of Rs 55,000 crore. In November last year, a ministerial panel headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had approved transferring Rs 29,000 crore debt to a special purpose vehicle (SPV) — Air India Asset Holding Company.

“We are eyeing $1 billion from the sale of Air India,” the official told agencies.

After a botched attempt to sell Air India in May last year, the Jaitley-led panel in June decided to scrap the stake sale plan for the time being. It was decided to infuse more funds into the carrier and cut down debt by raising resources by selling land assets and other subsidiaries.

The government had initially planned to offload 76 per cent equity share capital of the national carrier as well as transfer the management control to private players. The buyer was required to take over Rs 24,000 crore debt of the carrier along with over Rs 8,000 crore of liabilities.

However, the stake sale failed to attract any bidders when the bidding process completed on May 31.

In August 2018, the government had received Parliament nod for Rs 980 crore equity infusion in Air India under a “turnaround plan”. Earlier this month, Parliament approved a further Rs 2,345 crore equity infusion into the airline.

The ministerial panel has already cleared the strategic sale of Air India’s ground handling subsidiary, Air India Air Transport Services. Plans are afoot for selling another subsidiary, Air India Engineering Services.

The proceeds from the sale of subsidiaries and land and building assets would go to the SPV and will be utilised towards lowering the debt burden of the airline.

The national carrier had in September last year invited bids to sell its properties located across India.

Was painful to revisit cancer phase for my book, says Manisha Koirala

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January 9, 2019

Manisha Koirala has said it was “painful” to revisit her cancer phase while writing her book “Healed”, which chronicles her battle against the disease.

The actor was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012 which she successfully overcame. She has been cancer free since 2013.

“It was indeed very painful to revisit the phase for the book. To be able to remember everything in detail, revisit and stay with that, it was really painful.

“I had shut the book several times as I thought I wouldn’t be able to finish writing it. I often thought that it was a bad idea, that I shouldn’t attempt writing,” Manisha told reporters.

“Healed: How Cancer Gave Me a New Life” was launched Tuesday.

Several of Manisha’s friends from the industry turned up to support the actor, including Rekha, Anupam Kher, Jackie Shroff, Bhagyashree, Mahesh Bhatt, Imtiaz Ali and Dia Mirza.

The book is co-written by Neelam Kumar and published by Penguin Random House India.

Manisha said what kept her going was the zeal to tell her story to the world so that it inspired people who have been diagnosed with cancer.

“I guess I just wanted to tell the story and I wanted to encourage myself aa well as other cancer patients who have been diagnosed. That whole thing kept me going.”

On Tuesday, news broke that veteran actor-director Rakesh Roshan has been diagnosed with throat cancer and Manisha hopes he will emerge a winner.

“I am sure there is a way out. Don’t lose hope. All of this can be treated today, though it’s scary, but it can be dealt with. I am sure he will come out as a winner and I pray to God for the same,” she said.

Sushmita Sen posts video learning kathak, leaves internet in awe

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January 9, 2019

Sushmita Sen is known for treating fans with her candid, often beautiful Instagram posts from her life, including those with boyfriend Rohman Shawl. Today, the former Miss Universe took to Instagram to post a video of her learning kathak and social media is awestruck.

Sen captioned the video, ‘#12345 A simple count that can lead to such happiness, poise, awareness, balance, rhythm & grace This beautiful soul @pritam_shikhare who I consider as both my Maa & Guru, always takes me back to basics, a source that is pure & divinely childlike!! A place where I twirl & laugh, dancing with abandonment to the sound of 12345!!! I love you Pritam Maa, keep spreading your infectious positive energies, the world needs it!!! #sharing #happiness #love #ayearofcelebrations #25years #missuniverse1994 #indiaI love you guys!!!!’

The post which has been liked by over a million people including Priyanka Chopra saw users commenting about the diva and sharing their adoration on her.

One user wrote, “Love love love… U r a true inspiration ma’am. U never stop learning. I admire u and also get inspired by you. Pls bless me with ur blessing that like u I also should never stop learning.”

Another user posted, “Each and every post is such inspiring you define epitome, grace and feminine in its more purest form @sushmitasen47 ma’am. I adore you and look upto you and truly music and dance is the simplest medium to happiness Love you and keep inspiring.”

In the video Sushmita Sen was seen sporting a simple white ethnic wear with a red dupatta adding to her gorgeous looks.

Court grants bail to Alok Nath, says ‘he may be framed falsely’ by Vinta Nanda

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January 9, 2019

The rape case against Alok Nath was lodged on the basis of a “defamatory” and “false” report of complainant Vinta Nanda, the sessions court observed while granting a pre-arrest bail to the Bollywood actor last week.

Granting the relief to Nath on a surety bond of Rs 5 lakh, Additional Sessions Court Judge S S Oza said the rape complaint filed by the screenwriter is a “personal vendetta”.

In its order, which was uploaded on Tuesday evening, the judge noted that the allegation raised by the complainant might have been inspired by her “unrequited and un-reciprocated love” for Nath.

“The offence against the actor has been registered on the basis of patently defamatory, false, malicious, derogatory and imaginary report of the first informant or complainant (Nanda),” the judge noted.

“The report or complaint is inspired by the complainant’s personal vendetta towards him,” the court said.

The court observed that the complainant and Nath’s wife Ashu were college friends in the early 1980s in Chandigarh.

“The duo was working in the production unit of a television serial (in Mumbai) when they met Alok Nath in mid-80s, and a fast friendship developed between the three of them. He (Nath) proposed to Ashu in 1987 and they got married,” the court said in the order.

The complainant soon found herself to be “secluded” as she had lost her best friend, it stated.

On October 8 last year, the screenwriter shared her experience on social media when MeToo movement was at its peak, without naming Nath.

Nath is known for his portrayal of characters endorsing moral and family values in films such as “Maine Pyaar Kiya”, “Hum Aapke Hain Koun!”, “Hum Saath Saath Hain” and “Vivah” to name a few.

‘Gully Boy’ trailer unveiled: Ranveer looks promising as a rapper

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January 9, 2019

The highly anticipated trailer of Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt starrer has been unveiled and looks completely promising.

The film is based on the lives of street rappers of Mumbai named Vivian Fernandes aka Divine and Naved Shaikh ,aka Naezy, the trailer is a treat to watch as the film sees Ranveer and Alia sharing the screen together for the very first time.

The two-minute and 40 seconds clip shows the journey of the ‘Simmba’ star that plays the role of an underground rapper in India who beats all odds to become famous. Just like Ranveer, even Alia rebels against the society to achieve her dream.

The trailer also gives a glimpse of Kalki Koechlin, who will be seen portraying a music producer. The ‘Befikre’ actor took to social media to share the video, writing, “His words will set him free. #GullyBoyTrailer out now,”

The film is directed by Zoya Akhtar and is ready to release on Valentine’s Day which is februaty 14.