Dornier aircraft crash: ‘Human remains’ recovered; DNA tests to be carried out

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July 14, 2015

Days after the debris of the missing Dornier aircraft was recovered off the Tamil Nadu coast, “certain human remains” have also been found in the line of wreckage by Reliance vessel ‘Olympic Canyon’.

“The DNA tests of the remains will be carried out at the Tamil Nadu Forensic laboratory,” said SP Sharma, IG, Indian Coast Guard.

Sitanshu Kar, Principal Spokesperson, Ministry of Defence, took to Twitter to post a picture of the recovered watch.

Kar added that human remains including bones and a wrist watch of one of the crew members were recovered from three different location of the crash site during Monday night’s search.

The remains were identified by the the doctor on board ‘Olympic Canyon’.

Meanwhile, search ‘Operation Talash’ was terminated on Monday night after “ getting maximum pieces of debris.”

He added that the recovered remains were handed over to the Board of Enquiry at Coast Guard Air Station in Chennai.

Kar also said that Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has expressed his heartfelt condolence to the families of the crew members.

While the aircraft debris was found on July 10, the human remains from the line of wreckage were recovered on July 12.

The vessel had recovered the flight data recorder, cockpit voice recorder, two engines, propellers, tail and tail cone, airframe parts, maevest, single line replacement unit, parts of the fuselage and part of the landing gear from the sea bed.

However, the fate of the three crew members is still now known.

The items were recovered from a depth of about 990 metres and 17 nautical miles south east of Cuddalore.

The ill-fated Indian Coast Guard’s (ICG) Dornier plane CG-791, along with crew members Deputy Commandant Vidyasagar (pilot), Deputy Commandant Subash Suresh (co-pilot) and Navigator/Observer MK Soni, had gone missing shortly after taking off for a routine sortie on June 8.

AAP has gone bankrupt, says Arvind Kejriwal; seeks donations from public

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Afternoon Voice

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July 14, 2015

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has gone bankrupt, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has implied.

Kejriwal said that the Aam Aadmi Party has run out of money.

“After we came to power, our funds (got) exhausted,” said Kejriwal.

Appealing for more donations to the AAP, the party chief said, “Now we want funds to run our party and we want it from the public.”

“(Earlier) the public funded us, we never took any money under the table. We gave a record of every rupee we got,” the Delhi CM added.

“We are indebted to the people for their help. But now we need funds for day to day expenses,” Kejriwal said further.

Justifying his demand for funds from public, the AAP chief explained, “You would say I am a bizarre CM, am asking for funds like this. We can get money the wrong way but that is not who we are.”

Kejriwal’s party has been accused in the past of receiving unaccounted donations running into crores.

Also, the Delhi government was recently slammed for earmarking over Rs. 500 crores for spending on advertisements.

Congress, AAP flay Amit Shah’s ‘Acche din will take 25 years’ remark, BJP denies it

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Afternoon Voice

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July 14, 2015

The Congress and AAP on Tuesday flayed BJP president Amit Shah’s reported statement that it would take 25 years to bring ‘achhe din’ (good days) in the country, even as the BJP dubbed it a “part of larger conspiracy to defame the party”.

“Would people have voted for BJP had it told them that it will take 25 years for good days to arrive?” Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a tweet.

“It will take 25 years to bring good days, Amitji, your good days have come. Enjoy and do finish all the cases against you. Let the people go to hell,” Congress leader Digvijay Singh tweeted.

The Bharatiya Janata Party denied the statement.

“Amit Shah never said that it will take 25 years to deliver ‘achhe din’. In fact, he said it will take 25 years to restore India’s ancient glory and world number one status,” BJP’s national secretary and media convenor Srikant Sharma said.

“It is a baseless report and part of larger conspiracy to defame BJP,” Sharma said.

Addressing party cadres in Bhopal on Monday, Shah reportedly said it would take 25 years to deliver ‘achhe din’.

Salma Hayek was ‘terrified’ of turning 50

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Afternoon Voice

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July 14, 2015

Actress Salma Hayek has admitted that she used to be “terrified” of turning 50.

The “Everly” actress, who is turning 49 in September, has admitted that she used to be scared of getting old, because she was told her career wouldn’t last past the age of 35, reports mirror.co.uk.

Hayek said: “In the past, when I tried to imagine what I’d look like and what my life would be like at this age, I was terrified. I imagined myself looking old, but instead I think I still look Okay, and I’m fine with my appearance.

“For too many generations, women have suffered from this terrible lie that age 50 is like falling off a cliff. Women have believed for so long we’d act and feel as if we were finished, and we surrendered to that myth.”

The ‘Tale of Tales’ star, who had her first child Valentina aged 41, went on to add that she no longer worries about turning 50, as it’s an age where women can be “productive”.

She said: “Fortunately, we’ve stopped believing that. Fifty is a great age where we can be very productive and happy and not feel limited by anything. I’ve realised I can still be beautiful and attractive as I approach 50. I feel very good about my life.”

Amanda Seyfried calls for cannabis to be legalised

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Afternoon Voice

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July 14, 2015

Actress Amanda Seyfried says she thinks cannabis is a “wonderful thing” and has called for it to be legalised in the US.

“I think it’s a wonderful thing, and lots of people use it responsibly, and it should be legal,” Seyfried said.

The 29-year-old actress doesn’t understand why the drug and it’s paraphernalia are seen as taboo.

“I don’t understand how people can die all the time from alcohol poisoning, yet pot is so stigmatised. They could have put a bong in every scene as far as I’m concerned,” She told The Sunday Times newspaper.

The ‘Ted 2’ actress also said that she wishes she could use cannabis but because she has experienced panic attacks in the past, she doesn’t think it would be a good combination.

“Because I suffer from anxiety attacks…you can’t mix the two. So it’s the worse thing for me,” she said.

Ariana Grande will not be charged for donut-licking drama

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Afternoon Voice

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July 14, 2015

Pop sensation Ariana Grande will not be charged with criminal mischief for donut-licking incident for which she received a lot of flack.

According to the representative of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the owner of the donut shop has decided not to press any charges against the 22-year-old singer, reported Us magazine.

The controversy started when Grande was caught on camera visiting the donut shop and licking a donut kept on an open tray, and said she “hate Americans” and “hate America.”

However, “The Way”, crooner claimed that her outrageous actions at the time reflected personal viewpoints on healthy eating.

She also released a video on YouTube apologising for her behaviour, justifying it as an exercise in anti-obesity activism and said that she is “extremely” proud to be an American and has always loved her country.

Dialogue is the only way forward

By

Mahendra Singh

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July 14, 2015

The meeting between Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Narendra Modi is a good step as dialogue is the only way forward to defuse tension between the two nations. Both leaders expressed their commitment to counter terror. Modi has agreed to visit Pakistan for the SAARC summit next year. Both nations must communicate with each other at various levels. The plan for meetings between two national security advisers will be vital to resolve several issues. Even in our offices, we give a nod to the proposals put forward by juniors, who then feel that they are contributing to the desired outcome. Often land owner accepts the inputs offered by grassroots workers.

The government is setting up a urea plant at Turkmenistan. This is what I have been advocating. The government must establish factories in foreign countries so that local and Indian people can find employment. It has generally been observed that Indians work better overseas. ONGC Videsh Limited will open an office in Ashgabat and the government needs to remain vigilant. Only officers and workers selected on merit should go there, no corruption, no favoritism must be permitted. The act of employees deputed on overseas employment must be closely monitored by the government.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has appealed to the central government to confer Bharat Ratna to Mahatma Jyoti Phule and his wife Savitribai Phule. He has already forwarded a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard. In the letter, Fadnavis mentioned about the pioneering social reforms undertaken by the couple who belonged to the “mali” community in fighting against the evils of casteism which was deep rooted during the 19th century. He also added that Savitribai Phule was the first to start a girls school and advocate the widow remarriage. Fadnavis mentioned that they were social thinkers whose work is great inspiration for generations to come. Savitribai’s work in the field of education and her contribution to the Satya Shodhak Movement (a movement to bare the truth about religion) is well known.

We listen to all sorts of stories being reported in media pertaining to the Vyapam scam. Moral degradation has taken deep roots among the higher functionaries. The government must strengthen primary education by undertaking massive reforms. On the other hand, private schools have commercialized education. After Aam Aadmi Party’s Jitendra Tomar who was embroiled in a fake degree controversy Maharashtra Education Minister Vinod Tawde too is facing the heat for the same issue. Conferring Bharat Ratna to the departed souls is good (though they are above it) but to see that our ministers are genuinely educated is important today.

Took more than a month to feel normal: Nawazuddin Siddiqui

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Afternoon Voice

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July 14, 2015

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui said he had to take various steps for one and a half months to detach from the character he plays in director Ketan Mehta’s ‘Manjhi – The Mountain Man’.

“I had to apply a lot of practices on myself for one and a half months in my quest of trying to come out of myself. I set off to Jaisalmer and would vanish for 8-10 days. I went to places where people didn’t know me, just to get a reality check, to feel like a normal person,” Nawazuddin told the media at the trailer launch in Mumbai on Monday.

The movie, based on the life of Dashrath Manjhi who worked tirelessly for 22 years to break open a mountain to build a road in Bihar, will release on August 21.

The film, which stars Radhika Apte opposite Nawazuddin, has music by Sandesh Shandilya.

Priyanka Chopra wraps ‘Gangaajal 2’, to shoot ‘Bajirao Mastani’

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Afternoon Voice

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July 14, 2015

Actress Priyanka Chopra says she has completed the shooting for Prakash Jha’s directorial ‘Gangaajal 2’, and will soon start shooting for ‘Bajirao Mastani’.

The ‘Fashion’ actress, who was shooting for ‘Gangaajal 2’ in Bhopal, is now back in Mumbai for the shoot for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s venture.

“Back in Mumbai!! The feeling of completing a film is always the same! Bitter sweet.. #Gangaajal2 too much fun! Back to #BajiraoMastani tom,” the 32-year-old actress tweeted.

The trailer of ‘Bajirao Mastani’ will be released on digital platforms on Wednesday, ahead of its theatrical release alongside Kabir Khan’s directorial “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” on July 17.

‘Bajirao Mastani’ is based on the love story between 18th century Maratha warrior Peshwa Bajirao I (Ranveer Singh) and his second wife Mastani (Deepika). Priyanka plays Kashibai, the first wife of Peshwa Bajirao.

Politics over Iftar

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Afternoon Voice

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July 13, 2015

By organising the social event political parties are trying to appease Muslim voters.

Political parties are using Iftar party as an occasion to forge new alliance ahead of assembly elections in five states. Congress party has already organised Iftar party to invite like-minded parties and discuss strategies before the commencement of the monsoon session of parliament beginning on July 21. The party aims to gather the support of opposition parties to corner the Modi government which already has been battling issues like Vyapam scam, Lalit Modi row. Thus the Modi government is likely to face the tough challenge after coming to power in May last year.

Congress has already sent invitations to Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP), Mayawati (BSP), Sharad Pawar (NCP), Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), H D Deve Gowda (JD-S), E Ahamed (IUML), Kanimozhi (DMK), D Raja (CPI), Farooq Abdullah of the National Conference and Sudip Bandhopadhyay (TMC). RJP chief Lalu Prasad Yadav won’t be attending Sonia Gandhi’s Iftar party as he had already scheduled a march to Raj Bhavan in Patna on the same day. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and JD(U) president Sharad Yadav are among the invitees. All secular, non-National Democratic Alliance parties have been invited for the dinner on Monday night.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), which was part of the Congress-led UPA until two years back, and AIUDF, which has a tie-up with the Congress in Assam, are also invited. The regional parties which are not part of the BJP-led NDA, but have still been kept away, include the AIADMK, BJD and TRS, which rule Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Telangana respectively.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will also skip the Iftar party but send her representatives. Sources said Mamata had accepted Sonia’s invitation but communicated that she has work in Kolkata.

Another opposition leader who will not be attending Sonia’s Iftar party is Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal but will send his representatives.

Congress is utilising the opportunity to send a message of larger opposition unity at a time when BJP and the Modi government are on the backfoot following a series of controversies after revelations of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje extending help to “fugitive” former IPL boss Lalit Modi.

With the Modi government and BJP rejecting demands for resignation of Swaraj, Raje and MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, fireworks are expected during the session which will conclude on August 13.

On the other hand, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday evening hosted an Iftar party which was attended by Pakistan’s envoy to India, two parliamentarians from the Trinamool Congress and a large number of Muslims.

Pakistan’s High Commissioner Abdul Basit was among the early arrivals at the party hosted at the Palika Services Officers Institute at Nehru Park in Chanakyapuri area

Rajya Sabha member Derek O’Brien was one of the two Trinamool leaders who attended the Iftar on behalf of party chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and a large number of Aam Aadmi Party leaders were present at the event.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar invited JD(U) and RJD members to his residence for Iftar party, while Uttar Pradesh government celebrated the evening at Raj Bhawan in Lucknow.

On the other hand, BJP corporator Geeta Jain had announced that she will organise the Iftar party through her own pocket. She changed her stance after Shiv Sena, Congress had raised objections against her decision to use corporation’s fund for organising the religious event.