Latest News |
- Gadkari in Beijing for five-day visit
- No IPL, I’m not a billionaire: Saif Ali Khan
- Abhay, Emraan will break stereotypes in ‘Shanghai’: Dibakar Banerjee
- Mallika now wants to learn lavani
- Kerr thanks hubby for support
- Nine-year-old fan inspires Abhishek Bachchan
- 55 Indian sports trainers arrive in Cuba
- Obama says US welcomes China’s peaceful rise
- Australian to sue Delhi CWG for unpaid bills
| Gadkari in Beijing for five-day visit Posted: 19 Jan 2011 10:28 PM PST
Gadkari, who arrived here Wednesday, said he was looking forward to meetings with senior leaders of the Chinese Communist Party for talks on a wide-range of issues. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president is accompanied by his wife Kanchan and a delegation of senior party leaders. It is a “first ever goodwill visit” by a BJP president to China, aimed at promoting party-to-party contacts. Gadkari said: “I am glad to be in China to meet the Chinese leaders. China is our largest neighbour. We share a 3,500 km long boundary with China. We also enjoy civilisational links which date back to over 1,600 years.” “Over the years our relationship has evolved, has grown, has matured, and it has become truly multifaceted. There is consensus across the political spectrum in India for cooperative and cordial ties with the People’s Republic of China,” he said in a statement. Recalling the “historic” visit of then BJP prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to China in 2003, he said it was during that “productive” visit that the two countries agreed to have Special Representatives of the prime ministers of India and China on the boundary issue. During the five-day trip, the BJP delegation will also visit Shanghai and Guangzhou. While in Beijing, Gadkari is scheduled to meet Li Changchun, one of the nine senior most leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Gadkari will also have talks with CPC’s head of the international department, Ai Ping. The BJP delegation will have an interaction with the leaders of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. In Guangzhou, the BJP delegation will visit the local neighbourhood community to study the party building at the grass root level. Gadkari’s delegation includes party general secretaries Thawarchand Gehlot and Vijay Goel, joint organising secretary Saudan Singh, secretaries Laxman Kova and Arti Mehra, his political associate Vinay Sahasrabuddhe and joint convener of the party’s foreign affairs cell Vijay Jolly. |
| No IPL, I’m not a billionaire: Saif Ali Khan Posted: 19 Jan 2011 10:11 PM PST
“We were at one point considering getting involved (in IPL), but now I think it’s quite a blessing in disguise that we didn’t, you know. It was far too expensive,” Saif told IANS in a casual chat in his hotel room in the capital. Shah Rukh Khan owns an IPL team, so do Shilpa Shetty and Preity Zinta. But Saif has stayed away. “When other people got involved, it was a more reasonable idea than when we were going to get involved. You see, I am not a billionaire. Compared to three or four years ago, last year was not something that was working for us in that way,” says Saif. “And now I feel it’s all for the best because I’d like to concentrate on films and film production rather than divert my time and give so much and not be sure I’m getting back 100 percent. It’ll take a long time to make something like that work,” he added, sipping water out of a wine glass. His association with cricket, however, goes a long way. After all, he is the son of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, former cricketer and erstwhile royal. The actor has also been rubbing shoulders with current skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni in commercials for Lay’s chips. Now there’s an all new Lay’s Flavour World Cup 2011 campaign and Saif was here to unveil the same, as its endorser. So is he planning to catch any match live during the upcoming ICC World Cup starting Feb 19? “Oh! I’d love to go and watch it live. Can you get me a ticket?” the 40-year-old asked childishly before confessing he really wants to watch a match between “India and Australia” live during the tournament. Sporting a trimmed Zappa moustache minus the goatee, which is his new look for Prakash Jha’s “Aarakshan”, the actor was visibly jet lagged after the completion of his new year vacation in Gstaad, Switzerland, with beloved Kareena Kapoor. Asked how he was taking his graduation from actor to producer, Saif said: “It seems like a natural way to go after years of working for other people. “We’ve learned a lot from other production houses like Yash Raj (Films) and Dharma (Productions). I’m really grateful to them. Now it’s time to do things on your own,” added the actor who successfully produced “Love Aaj Kal” (2009) and is currently providing support for his spy thriller “Agent Vinod” under his banner Illuminati Films. Any particular scripts that Saif the producer is looking at? “I think all sorts of…the same kind I’d look at as an actor. Anything from a weird kind of offbeat film to ‘Agent Vinod’,” he said visibly engrossed in the trailer of Aamir Khan’s “Dhobi Ghat” on a giant screen hung in his room. But will he star in all his productions? “Not necessarily at all, but probably initially. That’s the whole idea. If we make more than one movie a year then I’d like to work with other people also and the same goes for my production people,” he said, stretching himself on a chair. Asked if he was looking at rolling out a particular number in a year, Saif responded: “No. Nothing like that. I’d imagine that would be pretty dangerous. Ideally, we should be making two films a year with various budgets from big to small.” Saif’s other future projects include “Race 2″ and another home production “Cocktail”, a love triangle to be directed by Homi Adajania. |
| Abhay, Emraan will break stereotypes in ‘Shanghai’: Dibakar Banerjee Posted: 19 Jan 2011 10:04 PM PST
“I have been aware of how people look at Abhay… they see him as this black sheep and dark horse. And I know when people think of Emraan, they think of a kiss. But in this film, equations will change and they will be seen in a very different light,” Dibakar told IANS. “I needed two characters who were dramatically different in this film. Abhay came in first and then I pursued Emraan. They’ll be breaking all kinds of stereotypes in this film,” added the director of “Khosla Ka Ghosla” and “Love Sex Aur Dhokha”. “Shanghai” will go on floors this April. |
| Mallika now wants to learn lavani Posted: 19 Jan 2011 09:57 PM PST
“I’m not a trained dancer, but I enjoy dancing. My favourite dance is Bollywood dance, but now I want to learn lavani. I’m not getting a teacher, but as soon as I get a good one I’ll start my lessons,” Mallika told IANS. Currently the actress is hosting a dance reality show “Chak Dhoom Dhoom” on Colors channel. |
| Posted: 19 Jan 2011 09:52 PM PST
The 27-year-old Australian beauty gave birth to her first child Jan 6 and she posted a shot of herself posing with Flynn on her Kora Organics website, reports dailystar.co.uk. Calling the baby “our beautiful little son”, the model paid tribute to husband Orlando Bloom, who was with her throughout the birth, insisting, “I could not have done it without him”. “We are so happy and are enjoying our time together as a family. He is our little ray of sunshine. Thank you everyone for your beautiful well wishes and your lovely thoughts,” she posted on the blog. |
| Nine-year-old fan inspires Abhishek Bachchan Posted: 19 Jan 2011 09:50 PM PST
Abhishek met his young fan in the capital during the CNN IBN Citizen Journalist awards ceremony Wednesday night, where Aishwarya along with 16 other people were awarded for their courageous endeavours that have brought a change in the system. “First of all, I would like to say that she (Aishwarya) is as beautiful as her namesake and I am proud of her. She is far more courageous than we are and is an inspiration for all of us,” said Abhishek, who was the chief guest at the programme. A class three student, Aishwarya from Lucknow had filed an RTI query for removal of a garbage disposal site in front of her school. Remarkably, her initiative resulted in the cease of garbage dumping and a public library has been constructed in that place. However, when she was called on stage, Aishwarya looked more excited about taking Abhishek’s autograph rather than accepting her trophy. The young girl even told him that she was a huge fan of his wife and actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, to which he candidly replied: “I am also a great fan, but of this Aishwarya (pointing towards the girl).” The Bachchan family is known for its generosity, a characteristic which was quite evident in Abhishek during the programme whether it was helping the elderly winners walk up and down the stage after presenting them with the award or touching their feet for blessings or showing affection towards young awardees. At the end of the ceremony, Abhishek said: “I feel very blessed and humbled to lead the life that I do after knowing the kind of troubles people go through but at the same time the positivity with which they deal with troubles is very motivating.” “Their zest for life is infectious. The kind of initiatives that these people from very young to adults is very inspirational. Whatever I can do in my capacity, I pledge today I would love to help in whichever way possible,” he added. The awards ceremony would be telecast Jan 26. |
| 55 Indian sports trainers arrive in Cuba Posted: 19 Jan 2011 09:44 PM PST
Fifty-five sports trainers from India have arrived in Cuba, signalling a fresh chapter in sports cooperation between the two countries. “Two groups of Indian trainers, one for high-performance sports and the other for community sports, will be here for the next six weeks to receive training and suggestions on how to transform India into a sports power,” Cuban Ambassador to India Miguel Angel Ramirez was quoted as saying by Prensa Latina news agency. The presence of Cuban coaches in India is not a new phenomenon. B.I. Fernandez has been coaching Indian boxers for more than a decade and recently played a major role in India’s success at the Commonwealth and the Asian Games. At the New Delhi Commonwealth Games, Indian boxers won four bronze medals and three golds while in the Asian Games, the men’s team recorded their best-ever haul, bagging seven medals. “The Indian sports minister decided to send a large group of sports trainers to Cuba to improve the performance of Indian athletes, taking into consideration the progress made by India at the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games and the fact that the help of Cuban coaches has been well-established and recognised.” “India is becoming a global power in boxing courtesy the Cuban coaches,” the ambassador said. A longstanding bilateral agreement for sports cooperation was signed between the two countries when Mani Shankar Aiyar was sports minister in 2007. Two years ago, a large delegation of Cuban sports experts visited India to draw up a report on how to improve the performance of athletes, which was subsequently implemented successfully. Besides boxing, India will use Cuban expertise in diving, fencing, athletics, weightlifting, archery and wrestling. Other disciplines such as volleyball and martial arts are also likely to be shortly incorporated. As a part of the new agreement, coaches and athletes from different sports will travel to Cuba to receive advice and training. The Indian government also wants to extend its current cooperation with Cuba in community sports. |
| Obama says US welcomes China’s peaceful rise Posted: 19 Jan 2011 09:42 PM PST
“I absolutely believe that China’s peaceful rise is good for the world and it’s good for America,” Obama told a joint press conference Wednesday after talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao at the White House. The US president said the development of China has brought unprecedented economic growth to more people and more quickly than any time in history, Xinhua reported. “We also think that China’s rise offers enormous economic opportunity,” he said. Obama praised China’s efforts to expand the country’s domestic demand, that offers opportunities for US businesses and ultimately translates into US jobs. Earlier, Hu Jintao said important consensus was reached during his talks with Obama. Addressing the joint press conference, Hu said talks between them were conducted under candid, pragmatic and constructive atmosphere. The Chinese president said China and the US share expanding common interests and common responsibilities. “We believe expansion of military exchanges and cooperation will be conducive to deepening mutual trust between our two countries,” Hu said. China and the US agreed to work together with relevant parties to promote denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and achieve lasting peace in East Asia, Hu said. Referring to the issue of human rights, Hu said China is always committed to protection and promotion of human rights and is willing to conduct talks and dialogue with the US on the basis of mutual respect and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs. |
| Australian to sue Delhi CWG for unpaid bills Posted: 19 Jan 2011 09:33 PM PST
An Australian company is suing the Delhi Commonwealth Games Organising Committee over unpaid bills, said an official who has given his lawyers the names of other businesses that may want to join the legal action. ABC.net.au reported that the Australian company that was behind the opening and closing ceremonies is now taking legal action against the organisers for unpaid bills. Ric Birch, who was the mastermind behind the opening and closing ceremonies, said that they have not yet been paid for the two events on Oct 3 and 14 last year. “I supplied the services of 12 people over the course of the year leading up to the Games, which included choreographers, producers and myself as executive producer. “They’re all production people who were intimately involved in the creation, production and direction of the opening and closing ceremonies,” he was quoted as saying. Birch said his efforts to get in touch with the organisers of the Delhi CWG were initially ignored. “Then finally in December I got a very short note from Lalit Bhanot who is secretary general of the organising committee. “He sent a note saying that now they wanted to claim a performance guarantee because Mr Birch’s performance was not up to the mark. So I am mortified as you can imagine,” he said. Birch is suing the Delhi CWG Organising Committee in an attempt to recover hundreds of thousands of dollars in outstanding fees, the media report said. He has given his lawyers the names of other businesses that may want to join the legal action. Birch said: “There were up to 15 other companies involved with the opening ceremony and many more companies involved with the Commonwealth Games overall. “Of those about half – the individuals, not the corporations – (have been paid) three months late but they were finally paid…But none of the companies have received their payments which were due under contract by the end of October last.” He went on to say that he had never faced such problems while working on Commonwealth Games or the Olympics in Mexico or China, Barcelona or Los Angeles. “We had an anagram which came about by the ceremonies that everyone was heartily sick of the Delhi Organising Committee so we decided that India stood for ‘India – I’ll never do it again’,” he said. Not just the private sector, the Australian Commonwealth Games Association is owed more than $100,000 in travel subsidies, abc.net.au said. Perry Crosswhite, the association’s chief executive who is also pursuing the Delhi Organising Committee, said: “Besides all the usual letters and calls and so forth, we’re taking the matter up with our international body, which is the Commonwealth Games Federation who are very concerned about it as well.” “We’ve also (spoken) with the Indian high commissioner to see whether she could help as well and she’s trying to.” The Organising Committee of the Deli Games, headed by Suresh Kalmadi, has been in trouble in India over a series of corruption scams. Several officials have been suspended and two, T.S. Darbari and Sanjay Mahendroo, are behind bars. |
There is “consensus across the political spectrum in India for cooperative and cordial ties with China”, said BJP president Nitin Gadkari, who is here on a five-day visit.
Some of his Bollywood peers own one. But Saif Ali Khan says he has moved on from his dream of owning an Indian Premier League (IPL) team since he’s “not a billionaire” and wants to focus on acting and production instead.
Filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee, who has brought actors Emraan Hashmi and Abhay Deol together for the first time for his film “Shanghai”, says they will be seen in a new light in his movie.
She enjoys typical Bollywood dancing, but now “Maiyya maiyya” girl Mallika Sherawat is keen to learn lavani, a popular folk dance of Maharashtra.
Supermodel Miranda Kerr has taken to cyberspace to show off her baby son Flynn and thanked hubby Orlando Bloom for being there with her.
Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan was impressed by the endeavour of nine-year-old Aishwarya Sharma, the youngest ever to file a Right to Information (RTI) query for removal of a garbage disposal site in front of her school.
US President Barack Obama has said cooperation between America and China is good for both countries as well as the world.| You are subscribed to email updates from Latest News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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