Lakshya Sen to lead India’s challenge at World Junior Badminton Championships

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November 4, 2018

Reigning Asian junior champion Lakshya Sen will spearhead India’s campaign at the BWF World Junior Badminton Championships at Markham, Canada starting Monday.

The 14-day championships, starting with team action continues until November 10 and will be followed by individual events, beginning from November 11 to 18.

The 23-member squad will look up to Lakshya, the world junior No. 4, to lead the mixed team’s podium charge for the first-ever medal from the Worlds since it was included in the year 2000.

China, who won the title in the last edition, have been seeded No. 1, followed by Indonesia at No. 2, while South Korea and Thailand share the third spot.

India have been seeded No. 5 and are placed in group E alongside Algeria, Faroe Islands, Kenya, and Sri Lanka. The group gives the Indian squad a great opportunity to make it to the quarterfinals.

The Canada world event is the opportunity that most of the current junior crop, including Kiran George, Priyanshu Rajawat, Alap Mishra among boys and Malvika Bansod and Gayatri Gopichand in girls, would like to use as the springboard to enhance their reputation.

“I know how important the world championships are for all of us. Personally, I have a lot of responsibility and I would do all that is possible to give my best shot at the medals, both at team event as well as in individuals,” Lakshya said.

There are 41 teams in the fray and they have been divided into eight groups of five teams each with the top group split into A1 and A2, each having three teams.

The group matches will be played on round-robin league basis with the group leader making the cut for Stage II, which is the knockout round.

India’s best show so far at the World Juniors was in 2008, when Saina Nehwal won the only gold.

Ajit Pawar can be arrested anytime in irrigation scam: Danve

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Afternoon Voice

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November 4, 2018

Senior NCP leader and former deputy chief minister of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar can be arrested “anytime” in the alleged irrigation scam, state BJP president Raosaheb Danve has said.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), however, said Pawar had no role in the alleged scam and accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to vitiate the political atmosphere ahead of elections.

Pawar was among NCP ministers who were in charge of the irrigation department at different times between 1999 and 2014 when the Congress and the NCP were part of the coalition government in the state.

The scam, pegged at Rs 72,000 crore, relates to alleged corruption and irregularities in approval and execution of various irrigation projects in the state during the Congress-NCP rule.

It was probed by the ACB.

“Police have reached the doorsteps of Ajit Pawar in the irrigation scam. Therefore, his condition is such that there is a sword hanging on his head and he can be arrested anytime,” Danve said.

He was addressing a gathering in the industrial town of Pimpri-Chinchwad near Pune Saturday evening in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

When contacted, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde of the NCP said the matter is being investigated since the last four years and it has been proved that Pawar had no role to play in the issue.

“This is an attempt to vitiate the atmosphere since elections are approaching. Those who have had relations with the accused in naptha racket (related to fuel adulteration) and who used power take benefits of government schools should not teach us but look at themselves,” Munde said.

‘Badhaai Ho’ enters Rs 100 crore club

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Afternoon Voice

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November 4, 2018

“Badhaai Ho” is the latest Bollywood film to cross the box office milestone of Rs 100 crore.

The Amit Sharma-directed film is a comedy drama about a middle age couple, played by Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao, facing unexpected pregnancy.

Production banner Junglee Pictures took to Twitter to make the announcement as the film hit the mark at nett box office India collections.

Ayushmann Khurrana, who features as the son of the expecting parents, said he was overwhelmed by the audience’s reaction to the film and its success at the ticket window.

“I’m always known for middle of the road cinema, where there is a collaboration of critical and commercial success but this kind of reaction and public appreciation really means a lot to me because frankly speaking while making the film, we never thought we were making a 100 crore film.

“But the way it is received, it just shows love from the audience is immense and audience has matured and the film was entertaining. I’m proud of my choice,” Ayushmann said in a statement.

The film also starred Surekha Sikhri and Sanya Malhotra.

Also backed by Chrome Pictures, “Badhaai Ho” released on October 18.

Priyanka talks about 12 years of association with UNICEF

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Afternoon Voice

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November 4, 2018

For more than a decade, Priyanka Chopra has been actively working as a Goodwill Ambassador of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

Having campaigned for the international body in India for nearly 10 years, the 36-year-old was appointed as its global Goodwill Ambassador in December 2016.

From visiting Mumbai slums to travelling to Jordan to help the children affected by Syria crisis, to visiting Zimbabwe and South Africa to end violence against children, the ‘Baywatch’ star has tried to make a difference on a global scale.

“I realised I had a position of power, and I could associate myself with causes I really believed in,” Priyanka told a leading magazine.

She further said that the field trips are the “most special” as she gets to meet “incredible kids and survivors.”

“That has been one of my joyous moments, being able to help advocate children’s rights and children’s welfare around the world. That moved me so much in being able to go to places where these kids have no voice or no one listening to them, and actually shedding light on that,” added the ‘Quantico’ star.

Speaking about one change, which the meeting with children has brought about in her personality, Priyanka said she definitely does not take her privileges for granted.

“It makes you feel so small as a person. And it makes you feel like the life we lived are so self-centred. We take so much for granted. It really is a way of coming back into reality and seeing the world for what it is,” she said.

Had suicidal till 25 years of age, says AR Rahman

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Afternoon Voice

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November 4, 2018

Before the country recognised the talent of AR Rahman, the celebrated composer says there was a phase in his life where he felt like a failure and thought about ending his life almost every day.

The Oscar-winning composer says the initial low phase of his career eventually helped him emerge braver.

“Up until 25, I used to think about suicide. Most of us feel they are not good enough. Because I lost my father, there was this void… There were so many things happening.

“(But) that in a way made me more fearless. Death is a permanent thing for everyone. Since everything created has an expiry date, so why be afraid of anything?” Rahman told a agency.

The turnaround for the 51-year-old composer came when he built his recording studio Panchathan Record Inn in his backyard in hometown Chennai.

“Before that, things were dormant so may be it (the feeling) manifested then. Because of my father’s death and the way he was working, I didn’t do many movies. I got 35 movies and I did two.

“Everyone wondered ‘How are you going to survive? You have everything, grab it.’ I was 25 then. I couldn’t do that. It’s like eating everything. You become numb. So even if you eat small meals, make it fulfilling,” he adds.

The composer talks about hard times and other events in his life in “Notes of a Dream: The Authorized Biography of AR Rahman”.

Written by author Krishna Trilok, the biography, in association with Landmark and Penguin Random House, was launched on November 3.

Abu Dhabi like second home, says Salman Khan after ‘Bharat’ shoot

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Afternoon Voice

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November 4, 2018

For superstar Salman Khan, Abu Dhabi has been like a second home and the shooting of his next “Bharat”, which concluded in the UAE capital recently, was a thrilling and an enjoyable experience.

The star-studded cast and crew of the Bollywood film completed their shoot in Abu Dhabi after an intensive 15 days of filming which included 10 Indian superstars and spanned across three locations.

“There are close cultural ties between India and Abu Dhabi, which is one of the reasons I love coming here. Having spent more time in Abu Dhabi than in India over the last year, it certainly feels like a second home for me. It has been an exciting, thrilling and enjoyable experience to shoot ‘Bharat’ here,” Salman said.

The production shot in the stunning Liwa desert and purpose-built sets that replicated an oilfield in the 1970s were situated at Al Wathba and Al Ain. The production also made use of award-winning backlot of twofour54, which is home to the Gulf city’s media and entertainment industry, at KIZAD, where they created an Arabian marketplace.

According to “Bharat” director Ali Abbas Zaffar, Abu Dhabi is a “filmmakers’ paradise thanks to the diverse array of locations you can choose from and the incredible support and talent twofour54 provides”.

Due to release in cinemas during Eid Ul Fitr 2019, “Bharat” is an official adaptation of the 2014 Korean film “Ode to My Father”, which depicted modern Korean history from the 1950s to the present day through the life of an ordinary man.

The cast also includes Katrina Kaif, Tabu, Jackie Shroff, Sunil Grover, Disha Patani and Nora Fatehi.

Letitia Wright to lead John Legend’s ‘Le Brio’ remake

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Afternoon Voice

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November 4, 2018

Letitia Wright has bagged her next project, the American remake of French comedy-drama “Le Brio”.

According to media reports, the project is being produced by John Legend’s Get Lifted banner.

The original film was directed by Yval Attal and narrated the story of a young French-Arab woman (played by Camelia Jordana) who enrols in a university to pursue law, only to face racism-tainted humiliation from her controversial professor (essayed by Daniel Auteuil), who then becomes her mentor.

The “Black Panther” star will step into Jordana’s shoes for the remake.

French producer Dimitri Rassam has teamed with Legend on the project, which will be co-financed by Endeavor Content.

A director will soon be attached to the project. The film goes on floors next year.

Rassam is also developing the German and Italian remakes of “Le Brio”.

Pete Davidson talks about breakup with Ariana Grande on ‘SNL’

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Afternoon Voice

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November 4, 2018

Comedian Pete Davidson, who recently appeared on the Weekend Update desk of ‘Saturday Night Live’ (SNL) to talk about the midterm elections, addressed his recent breakup with American singer Ariana Grande.

He had earlier appeared on the show to talk about his brief engagement to Grande and had also joked about the same. However, this time, he closed the show’s segment by addressing his breakup quite strongly and sincerely, according to a leading portal.

First, he hinted at the breakup by saying that he only started to pay attention to the midterm elections after moving back with his mom. After poking fun at the appearances of candidates including Rick Scott, Peter King, Dan Crenshaw, and Greg Pence as well as Democratic incumbent Andrew Cuomo, Davidson then shed some light on his breakup and also spoke about Grande.

He began by saying “I know some of you are curious about the breakup. But the truth is, it’s nobody’s business and sometimes things just don’t work out. And that’s okay.

“She’s a wonderful, strong person and I genuinely wish her all the happiness in the world,” he added.

Davidson concluded the segment by urging people to vote on Tuesday.

The ‘SNL’ star previously mocked his relationship with Grande after proposing to the episode’s musical guest, Maggie Rogers, in a promo clip. Soon after, Grande called out her ex-beau on Twitter, but deleted the tweets later.

Grande recently released a new single thanking all her exes called ‘Thank U, Next’, in which she has also mentioned her brief engagement with Davidson and their split. The song was launched just hours before the ‘SNL’ episode featuring Grande went on air.

On October 14, news broke that their romance had come to an end, as the couple called off their engagement.

Grande and Davidson got engaged in June after just a few weeks of dating each other. The news of their breakup also came in less than a month after the sudden death of Grande’s ex-boyfriend Mac Miller, who passed away following an apparent drug overdose.

Justin Bieber gets another face tattoo

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Afternoon Voice

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November 4, 2018

American singer Justin Bieber, a well-known tattoo aficionado, has got inked once again.

For the second time, he got the tattoo etched on his face.

Speaking to a online portal, tattoo artist Bang Bang aka Keith McCurdy confirmed the news and revealed that the ‘Baby’ singer is yet to go public with the new tattoo.

McCurdy also revealed that along with Justin, his new life partner Hailey Baldwin too got a tattoo.

He further said that the tattoo which Justin got etched on his face is “thin and delicate” and that it is located next to his eyebrow.

In July, Bieber had got his facial tattoo around his other eyebrow.

The artist further mentioned that more and more couples like Bieber and Baldwin are getting inked together, and that it is gradually becoming a trend.

Famous for his songs ‘Baby’, ‘Boyfriend’ and ‘Sorry’, Bieber recently released a new music video ‘No Brainer’ along with DJ Khaled.

I’m the mom who’s always checking in, says Irina Shayk

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Afternoon Voice

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November 4, 2018

Supermodel Irina Shayk says she suffers from the ‘mom’s guilt’, which makes her keep checking on her little one from time to time.

The 32-year-old catwalk star, who shares 19-month-old daughter Lea De Seine with actor Bradley Cooper, said she tends to be overcritical of herself.

“I’m the mom who’s always checking in. I’m really hard on myself. Everyone has it. Time passes so fast. You just have to try to live in the moment.

“I’m not good, but I’m working on it. You just have to let it go and not be hard on yourself,” Shayk told a leading magazine.

The model said she wants women to realise picture-perfect things on social media are a far cry from the reality.

“I feel like with Instagram and stuff, you always feel like you see a perfect picture. For me, I almost always post a picture of my work. It looks perfect. You never see a picture from paparazzi walking out, and I’m never posting my personal life or something like that on Instagram.

“So I feel like with the social media stuff you feel pressure, too. Sometimes people are like, ‘Oh, you look different.’ I look different because I’m not with the perfect light, the perfect makeup. I’m just walking around being me,” she said.

Shayk and Cooper have been in a relationship since 2015.