Singer Adele, who has had an uneasy relationship with her father Marc Evans, may be patching up with him. It is believed that they reunited as Adele was penning new album 25 — which she has mysteriously called a “make-up record”.
“Adele and I are fine, it was a misunderstanding. We’ve patched things up, everything’s fine but I don’t want to make further comment. We’re fine,” Evans was quoted as saying by The Sun newspaper, reports dailystar.co.uk.
In 2011, soon after the release of the One And Only hitmaker’s second album 21, Evans told a newspaper he had been a “rotten father” to Adele.
The 53-year-old, who walked out on her when she was a young, said his heavy drinking “made Oliver Reed look like a teetotaller”.
In response, the furious singer had told a fashion magazine: “If I ever see him I will spit in his face. To come back after 10 years and be like, ‘Maybe her problem with men comes down to me’. It’s like, ‘F**k off! How dare you comment on my life?’ It makes my blood boil.”
Singer Rita Ora has claimed she was ‘abused as a kid’ at the age of 14.
Ora reveals she was groomed by a 26-year-old man when she was studying as a drama student at the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
“I was 14 when I had my first relationship with a guy. I would say he was about 26.
“I don’t want to say that I suffered it, because I wanted it. I don’t want to say that I was forced to do it. I don’t want people to think I was abused as a kid but I was definitely more mature than I should have been at 14,” Ora said.
The “Body on me” hitmaker has admitted the attention she received from the man made her feel “sexy” at the time.
“I can’t begin to tell you how confident I felt when a man was interested in me. I felt like I was sexy, I felt like I had a form of respect, I felt like he listened to me.
“Now I know he listened to me because he obviously wanted to have sex with me. I felt good that men fancied me,” she added.
Actress Reese Witherspoon says she would love to reprise her role as Elle Woods if the third instalment of “Legally Blonde” ever happens.
During an appearance on talk show “Fashionably Late with Rachel Zoe”, the 39-year-old actress shared her thoughts about the possible third “Legally Blonde” movie, saying that the world’s “ready to see Elle”, reports aceshowbiz.com.
“I think it would be cool. I think we’re ready to see Elle and see what she’s up to lately,” Witherspoon said when asked about the movie.
“A lot of writers over the years have come up with different ideas for it,” she added.
Witherspoon even related the proposed project to the current position of women in politics.
“I actually think it’s kind of great right now because we’re talking about women in politics and how important that is to get more women. And I think it’d be kind of a cool thing to have her be a Supreme Court Justice or somebody who runs for office, president,” she said.
Although Witherspoon seemed to have immense interest in making the project, the actress clarified that she didn’t know if the film would really happen.
“I don’t know. Call MGM. I have no idea,” she said.
In an era of climate change and the imperative that we move beyond carbon as quickly as possible, the recent Volkswagen (VW) diesel scandal and the actions by the company yet again showcases the dire need to revisit corporate ethics. The company admitted that 11m of their vehicles were fitted with “illegal” software that circumvent their way into passing the test.
The meltdown in VW’s global image has been swift. Many buyers felt duped into having bought a polluting car with a “green” marketing campaign. Some outraged consumers would keep off the brand permanently. Calculated deceit is unforgivable especially when “the consequences could have a direct impact on our planet”, echoed an aggrieved tweet. The financial hit – in fines, lawsuits and lost sales – to the venerable carmaker might take years to tally. Though VW isn’t the first auto-scamster, this one is potentially one of the most damaging yet.
Corporate governance is found wanting again. Corporate and people are not one and the same, and that has never been more obvious than in the area of criminal law. People who committed low level crimes involving drugs/violence have been prosecuted, while corporates that have defrauded, injured or killed thousands through negligence, indifference or deliberate criminal acts have simply had to write a cheque to settle their cases. The problem with corporate fines is that they tend to be absorbed as business costs. While innocent shareholders and employees are penalised, those responsible for the wrongdoing remain untouched in the cozy executive suite.
Not long ago, Toyota and General Motors were imposed a whopping $1.2b and $900m penalty for concealing accelerator and ignition switch defects. Clearly the threat of a billion-dollar sanction isn’t much of a deterrent to crimes of this magnitude. Penalties need to be coupled with criminal prosecution of the decision-makers to cut corners and conceal their malpractices.
The scandal also raises questions about the corporate ethics. This is an extraordinary example of how a company’s reputation, particularly one built over decades can be damaged, if not decimated, in mere days. It is unimaginable that management or the internal audit of such iconic companies would condone potentially criminal behaviour to boost the company’s value.
Countless failures and scams in banking, pharmaceuticals, food & beverage and other industries have not altered the reality of corporate behaviour. In this information age, nothing stays secret for long and hoping that no one noticed is plain insane. The phrase “German engineering” once synonymous with quality will now be the butt of jokes.
Is there scope for the German government to sue VW for damaging the “Made in Germany” brand all over the world? How likely is that VW ex-CEO was completely unaware of the emissions scandal for a long time? Who wrote the “illegal” software? The prolonged litigation will rightly cost VW in billions.
One of Bollywood’s most loved actresses, Kajol, who will be back on the big screen with ‘Dilwale’, says she was in a “comfort zone” working with Shah Rukh Khan and director Rohit Shetty, and that she chose the film for its “unpredictable” element.
Asked about what made her say ‘yes’ to the film, considering that she is often quite “choosy” when it comes to selecting her movies, Kajol said: “I wanted to do something which is unpredictable…and this film is definitely not predictable. I wanted to do something that I have not done before and I really liked the role and character in this film.”
The fact that it has Shah Rukh as a co-actor and Rohit Shetty as a director made it her “comfort zone”, she said. “I think that matters a lot. I think that made a difference.”
Kajol spoke during an exclusive media interaction with select scribes at the Ramoji Film City, where the last leg of Rohit Shetty’s directorial is being shot.
Bollywood buffs are looking forward to the film, given Kajol and Shah Rukh’s roaring onscreen chemistry, a proof of which lies in films from ‘Baazigar’ to ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’ to ‘My Name Is Khan’. Together, they have made people believe in the magic of love.
The actress says working with Shah Rukh, who is also one of her closest friends in the industry, is not only a joy, but also a learning process.
Kajol was asked to describe how she and SRK have changed as individuals from the time they worked together in 1993 released film ‘Baazigar’ till now.
Actress Soha Ali Khan is super excited about her husband, actor Kunal Kemmu’s upcoming film “Guddu Ki Gun” and hopes the film proves to be a box office success and “changes things for him”.
“Everyone knows and admits that he (Kunal Kemmu) is a great actor. But box office success is important for everybody. And I hope that this is the one that changes things for him,” the actress said here in an interview.
Kunal made his acting debut as a child artiste in the 1990s, but his first film as a lead was “Kalyug” in 2005. In a decade-long career, Kunal only has multi-starrer films like “Traffic Signal”, “Golmaal 3” and “Go Goa Gone”.
“Guddu Ki Gun” is an adult comedy where Kunal plays a Bihari salesman Guddu, who is a playboy and his manhood is, strangely, gold.
Soha calls it a “family film”.
“I’m excited for the film as you know the concept of this film is so unique. I hope it delivers. People want to see the film… believe it or not but it is a family film,” she added.
Directed by Shantanu Ray Chhibber and Sheershak Anand, “Guddu Ki Gun” also stars debutante Payel Sarkar. The film is set to release October 30.
Actress Alia Bhatt, who has starred with Shahid Kapoor in romantic comedy film “Shaandaar”, says she will feature in her own story in upcoming film “Udta Punjab” and will not be “standing opposite” Kareena Kapoor Khan in the film.
I’m not standing opposite her (Kareena) in ‘Udta Punjab’. There are four different tracks in the film. Her track is different from mine. Similarly, Shahid and Diljit Dosanjh will have their own track,” Alia said.
“Udta Punjab”, which is currently under production, will be the first time when Alia will star alongside another actress in a film.
Asked whether she feels competitive in Bollywood, the daughter of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and yesteryear actress Soni Razdan, said: “Competition is inevitable in life. But I don’t think that one should pay too much attention to what all is happening around. We are all happy people doing good work and just proud and happy for each other, in fact.”
So does she feel any pressure being a star kid?
Alia said: “When I made my debut, I didn’t make it in my family production. So it has nothing to do whether I come from a film background or not. Secondly, my expectations and pressure that I feel is to please the people who watch and appreciate my work.”
“I just wish to please them (audience) and keep them happy. I try and hope to do as many versatile characters as I can.”
Alia started her career with “Student Of The Year” and has since impressed cine-goers with “Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania”, “2 States” and “Highway”.
Authorities have failed to learn any lesson from the past despite the occurrence of three major fire incidents at Crawford Market and its vicinity, even the reasons also yet to known.
A major fire broke out at south Mumbai’s Crawford market yesterday morning. Several fire incidents have occurred at the market earlier too but officials have failed to learn any lessons from the past. More than 60 shops were gutted in the incident but there was no report about any casualties. The fire reportedly began at around 5:19 am in the food section of the market. The fire is believed to have been caused due to a short circuit. Over 60 shops, mostly of perfumes and packaging material, were gutted.
“Our control room received an alert at 5:23 a.m. that a massive fire broke out at Crawford market. Soon 10 fire engines and eight water tankers were pressed into action,” a fire brigade official said.
On November 25, 2011, a major fire had broken out near Crawford market. The fire originated from Sahara Mall and spread to Manish market on the Mohammad Ali Road. The fire had quickly spread to the markets in the vicinity and damaged property, which is estimated to be in crores. However no casualties were reported.
In another fire incident, 11 godowns were gutted at Crawford market on February 4, 2012 but no casualties were reported.
Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta visited the spot and asked locals who gathered around the market to keep a safe distance from the mishap site. The fire department immediately rushed 10 fire engines and eight water tankers to the market and fire department officials said it was under control. The flames were doused within an hour, a report said, and a short circuit is suspected to have led to the disaster. The 108 ambulance service and EMS van of Nair hospital has been pressed into service. The fire department and police are investigating the reason behind the occurrence of fire incident.
“This is the third major fire incident which has occurred at Crawford market since last four years. Even though the BMC has initiated a major crackdown on the restaurants flouting fire safety norms but they are yet to inspect the market. The civic body should conduct a fire audit to avert such type of incidents” said a trader from Crawford market on the condition of anonymity.
“Often shopkeepers fail to dispose the waste materials which results in piling up of unused materials. If any short circuit occurs then fire will spread across the market” said a Viren Shah a resident of Masjid Bandar.
Crawford market is located in the vicinity of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and the shops are mostly housed in old structures. The narrowness of the access road towards the market is proving to be a big hurdle for the firefighters.
All of a sudden Indira Gandhi’s trusted aid and Congress leader made a statement. Indira spoke of her granddaughter Priyanka Gandhi as her virtual political heir shortly before her death, predicting that, she will shine and the next century will be hers. Looking at the Rahul Gandhi’s failure in politics, this can be a publicity gimmick by Congress man to get Priyanka in active politics. Anyway, if Priyanka enters active politics then this would be great news for Congress and she can be an asset for party to restore its lost glory. Congress veteran ML Fotedar has claimed that the former prime minister had an intuition about her death just days before she was assassinated and wanted her granddaughter Priyanka to carry forward her political legacy. Fotedar, a long-time political advisor to Indira, claimed that she saw her reflection in Priyanka and was convinced that she could be a great leader in future. No one knows why this gentleman was mum all these years and suddenly revealed the feelings of Mrs. Gandhi at this juncture? May be Congress is planning to change it leadership and future strategies.
However, during 1999 election campaign, Priyanka Gandhi said in an interview to BBC: “I am very clear in my mind. Politics is not a strong pull, the people are. And I can do things for them without being in politics”. Nonetheless, the question of her joining politics formally would be bothersome: “I have said it a thousand times, I am not interested in joining politics…”
Priyanka has always refused to be a part of politics, she just wants to stay connected with people and whenever party or her family needs her she is seen campaigning or participating for Congress. She can very well connect with people and also has her own mesmerising way of connecting to people. She has however continued to regularly visit her mother’s and brother’s constituencies of Rae Bareilly and Amethi where she directly interacted with the people. She is a popular figure in the constituency, drawing large crowds everywhere; a popular slogan in Amethi in every election has been Amethi ka danka, bitiya Priyanka (the clarion call from Amethi is for Priyanka [to stand elections]). In the general election, 2004, she was her mother’s campaign manager and helped supervise her Brother Rahul Gandhi’s campaign. In a press meeting during these elections she said that “politics is all about serving the people and I am already doing that. I may continue doing only that for five years more. In the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, 2007, while Rahul Gandhi managed the statewide campaign, she focused on the ten seats in the Amethi Rae Bareilly region, spending two weeks there trying to quell considerable infighting within the party workers over seat allocations.
On the whole, the Congress party was routed in the state, managing 22 seats out of 402, its lowest tally in decades. However, in what is widely seen as a status for Priyanka Gandhi’s quiet organizational and vote-drawing ability, the Congress which had only two area seats (out of ten) in the 2002 assembly, now managed to wrest seven, while posting significant gains in all the seats, and this despite initial dissidence within the party.
Congress party always had high and low but they ruled the country for maximum years and comparatively they were much better for this country. BJP and its allies succeeded in tarnishing their image by creating anger against them, but they too lost their glory in short span of ruling. BJP as political party rarely ruled this nation, most of the time they remained as an Opposition. Now at such juncture, Fotedar’s description of Indira’s wish can be another twist in future politics. He, however, regretted that Indira’s suggestion on Priyanka did not go down well with Sonia Gandhi. Somewhere his statements indicate that the old leaders of Congress are not happy with Sonia and Rahul’s leadership. Revealing the dramatic circumstances of Indira’s last days, Fotedar said she had visited Kashmir in late October 1984, drawn by its scenic beauty and an ardent desire to visit a Hindu and a Muslim shrine that the late leader reposed particular faith in. The old time Gandhi loyalist’s recollections are due to be made public soon in the form of a book ‘Chinar Leaves’ that will be released on October 30 in the Capital. Fotedar’s due to be released book also seems to support former minister Natwar Singh’s claim that family pressure rather than an “inner voice” was the reason for Sonia declining the prime minister’s post in 2004. Much later, Fotedar wrote a detailed letter to Sonia putting down Indira’s thoughts on Priyanka after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 during campaigning for the Lok Sabha election. Apparently, the contents of the letter were not well received.
In another interesting claim, Fotedar said the late Madhavrao Scindia lobbied former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh against supporting the Congress’s claim to forming a government in 1999 after the Vajpayee government lost a confidence motion by one vote. Scindia, according to Fotedar, was miffed at the possibility of Sonia nominating Manmohan Singh as the prime minister and worked to prevent such an eventuality. Fotedar’s revelations indicate a cooling of relations between him and Sonia as he wryly recalled the late Congress leader Sitaram Kesri warning him that he will get nothing from the current Congress president.
The book also claims that Sonia was miffed at Fotedar when he told her about Indira’s will and left the room in a huff as she was taken aback with her mother-in-law’s views. This, the author says, happened when he went to meet Sonia who had sought his counsel on fielding son Rahul into politics with a ticket in Amethi. Fotedar’s about-to-be-released book documents facts about a will Indira Gandhi dictated to him two days before she died. He also writes how Indira wanted to die walking and not like her father who had suffered a lot towards the end.
Let’s see, how Congress is going to induct Priyanka into active politics to fulfil the dreams of Indira.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has announced that the Railways would soon start country’s first-ever double decker Shatabdi Express that would ply between Mumbai and Goa.
“One double decker AC train between Mumbai and Goa should run as Shatabdi. We will make it happen as soon as possible. This would become the first-ever double decker Shatabdi,” Prabhu said on the sidelines of an event at the Goa University on Saturday.
On demand of a special Goa Rajdhani Express train, he said he will “definitely look into it”.
Residents of Goa seeking Rajdhani luxury train services have to rely on the Trivandrum Rajdhani which passes through Goa and makes a halt at Margao in South Goa.
Responding to concerns to allow more tourists to make train journeys into Goa, Prabhu said the Railways can also start holiday train for tourists.
“We can even start an IRCTC holiday train. We can do it and also run such a train so that we can bring more tourists to Goa,” Prabhu said.
On the plans for doubling the Mumbai-Goa-Konkan railway line, Prabhu, who hails from Maharashtra’s Konkan, said that the single line track was overwhelmed and needed doubling.
“Konkan Railway when it was created was only a single track. We need a multiple track because it is very difficult to move freight traffic as well as passengers on a single track,” he said.
The Konkan Railway Corporation (KRC) runs a net loss but the doubling of the track would help it earn more revenue from the additional traffic, Prabhu said.
He apprised that the cost of the doubling of track along the 736 kms long railway stretch is expected to cost around Rs 10,500 crore and the work will be taken up in stages.
KRC is expected to raise the money through loans as well as through IPO route.
Prabhu said the route will also be electrified in a bid to not only be more efficient but also save the environment through the ecologically sensitive route that the railway passes.
Singer Adele, who has had an uneasy relationship with her father Marc Evans, may be patching up with him. It is believed that they reunited as Adele was penning new album 25 — which she has mysteriously called a “make-up record”.
Singer Rita Ora has claimed she was ‘abused as a kid’ at the age of 14.
Actress Reese Witherspoon says she would love to reprise her role as Elle Woods if the third instalment of “Legally Blonde” ever happens.
One of Bollywood’s most loved actresses, Kajol, who will be back on the big screen with ‘Dilwale’, says she was in a “comfort zone” working with Shah Rukh Khan and director Rohit Shetty, and that she chose the film for its “unpredictable” element.
Actress Soha Ali Khan is super excited about her husband, actor Kunal Kemmu’s upcoming film “Guddu Ki Gun” and hopes the film proves to be a box office success and “changes things for him”.
Actress Alia Bhatt, who has starred with Shahid Kapoor in romantic comedy film “Shaandaar”, says she will feature in her own story in upcoming film “Udta Punjab” and will not be “standing opposite” Kareena Kapoor Khan in the film.
A major fire broke out at south Mumbai’s Crawford market yesterday morning. Several fire incidents have occurred at the market earlier too but officials have failed to learn any lessons from the past. More than 60 shops were gutted in the incident but there was no report about any casualties. The fire reportedly began at around 5:19 am in the food section of the market. The fire is believed to have been caused due to a short circuit. Over 60 shops, mostly of perfumes and packaging material, were gutted.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has announced that the Railways would soon start country’s first-ever double decker Shatabdi Express that would ply between Mumbai and Goa.