Posts Tagged ‘nobody’
Written by Rahul on 29 April 2009
London, Apr 24 (ANI): Jade Goody’s life and death is to be the subject of a musical, according to one of her closest friends.
It has emerged that producers are searching for an actress to play the former Big Brother star, reports The Telegraph.
Goody died last month aged 27 after losing her battle with cervical cancer.
According to Danny Hayward, who runs a photographic agency and was one of the best men at Goody’s wedding, the musical would premiere this year.
“One of the various projects we’ve got in the pipeline is a musical we’ve got coming out in about four months’ time and it is going to be the story of her life, and we’re going to be on the search for who is going to play Jade,” he told ITN On.
“Her dream as a little girl was to be in a musical, so obviously when she passed away it felt fitting to do something like this,” he added.
Choreographer Victoria Hayward said of the casting process:
“Obviously there is nobody else in this world quite like Jade, but hopefully we’ll have a panel not only of creative experts but people that were close to Jade, to pick somebody who is able to dance, to sing – because Jade could sing, she had a fabulous voice – and to act, and also to have that extra special sparkle that she had.”
The plans were announced at a book launch celebrating the posthumous publication of Goody’s autobiography. (ANI)
Tags: According To Danny, Actress, Agency, ANI, Apr, autobiography, battle, Best Men, Big, big brother, book, book launch, brother, Cancer, cervical cancer, Choreographer, Creative Experts, Danny Hayward, death, Dream, Fabulous Voice, four months, girl, hayward, ITN, Jade, jade goody, launch, life, life and death, little girl, London, month, musical, nobody, panel, Photographic Agency, pipeline, Posthumous Publication, process, publication, search, somebody, something, sparkle, star, story, subject, Telegraph, time, Victoria, voice, way, wedding, world, year, year one
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Written by Rahul on 21 April 2009
Mumbai, April 19 (IANS) ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ child star Rubina Ali’s mother Khushi is aghast by reports that her ex-husband was prepared to sell their daughter for 200,000 pounds (over Rs.14 million), but said her elder daughter had informed her about the matter two weeks ago.
‘Though my elder daughter Sanaa informed me of the matter almost two weeks ago, I did not believe he (Rafiq Qureshi) would actually agree to do this,’ a shocked Khushi told IANS here Sunday.
Khushi said that Qureshi and his second wife Meena were always ‘crazy for money’.
‘Now that my daughter has achieved international fame, they want to capitalise on it at any cost,’ she said.
British news website News of the World had reported that Qureshi wanted to get rid of poverty and become a millionaire by selling his nine-year-old daughter after it conducted a sting operation.
Qureshi demanded 200,000 pounds from the News of the World’s undercover reporters who posed as a wealthy family from Dubai. He told the fake sheikh this week: ‘I have to consider what’s best for me, my family and Rubina’s future.’
While Qureshi’s phone was constantly switched off, his neighbour and friend Yakub Abdul Sheikh confirmed that the incident had occurred a few days ago, but nobody really took it seriously as Rubina’s father said he had been ‘misunderstood’ by the foreigners.
‘Qureshi later told me that since the foreigners were speaking in Arabic, he misunderstood what the interpreter was saying,’ Sheikh said.
Sheikh claimed that Qureshi had told him he had no intentions of giving away his daughter in adoption for 200,000 pounds to an Arab family as reported by the British media.
‘Qureshi feels that the issue was blown out of proportion because of the miscommunication with the foreigners,’ Sheikh said.
Rubina’s mother also said that Qureshi should be made to account for the money the nine-year-old had earned from the multiple Oscar-winning film and added that the money be spent to admit the girl to a good hostel.
‘That money should be put aside in a separate deposit in Rubina’s name and she should be admitted to a good hostel. She can be taken care of and can also pursue her studies and acting career simultaneously,’ Khushi said.
Tags: Abdul Sheikh, adoption, April, Arab Family, arabic, British News, capitalise, care, Career, child, child star, cost, daughter, deposit, Dubai, Elder Daughter, fame, family, father, film, foreigners, friend, future, girl, hostel, ians, incident, International Fame, interpreter, issue, Khushi, matter, meena, Millionaire, miscommunication, mom, money, mother, Mumbai, name, neighbour, News, news of the world, nobody, operation, Oscar, Oscar-Winning, phone, poverty, proportion, Qureshi, Rafiq, Rubina, Rubina Ali, sale, Sanaa, second wife, Sheikh, Slumdog, star, Sting, Sting Operation, Sunday, wealthy family, website, week, wife, world, Yakub
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Written by Rahul on 09 April 2009
New Delhi, April 9 (IANS) Ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh popularised the genre in films with songs like ‘Tum itna jo muskura rahe ho’ and ‘Hoshwalon ko khabar kya’. But the singer rues that the current lot of music directors lack a taste for such soulful renditions.
‘Music composers in Bollywood today don’t have a taste for ghazals and so the genre is missing in films. Composers are influenced by western music and are churning out more songs inspired by western beats,’ Singh, who is back with his new album ‘Inteha’, told IANS over phone from Mumbai.
While Singh has enthralled music buffs with his lilting melodies in films, his strength has always been the non-film sector. Entering the music scene with ‘The Unforgettables’, he carved a niche for himself through record sales of albums like ‘Beyond Time’, ‘Sajda’, ‘Insight’, ‘Mirage’ and ‘Soz’.
His latest offering ‘Inteha’ encapsulates eight tracks and the singer says he came out with this one on the behest of his fans.
”Inteha’ has a fresh flavour and a new treatment. The lyricists are new and so is the kind of music. The only thing old about the album is me. All my fans have been asking for ‘new’ ghazals since a long time. So I have come out with this album and I hope they like it,’ Singh explained.
While the music is composed by Singh himself, the lyrics have been penned by a team of young lyricists – Aalok Shrivastav, Payyam Sayeedi, Faragh Rushvi, Rajendranath Rahbar, Sanjay Masoom, Amjad Islam Amjad and Naseem Ajmer.
The singer, who enjoys a huge fan base in India and abroad, is leaving no stone unturned to promote the album.
While the launch took place on board a Kingfisher flight, Singh also featured on Zee TV’s daily soap ‘Banoo Main Teri Dulhann’ to promote it.
The singer, who will be performing in 16 cities in the US from next month, calls right promotion the ‘need of the hour’.
‘Today is the time of promotions. It is the need of the hour. If you don’t promote your album or your music, nobody will know about it and the album will remain in stores,’ Singh said.
But what about claims that the market for non-film albums is shrinking and there are no takers for music in this category?
‘The market is not shrinking. Proper promotion is required. Whatever is promoted well, sells. I don’t think there is any change in the taste of audiences. People still like ghazals a lot,’ he asserted.
But the voice that evokes deep sentiments among listeners with his songs has a complaint.
‘Today, channels are only playing Bollywood songs, so how will people come to know about an album that has been released? Even radio channels don’t give airtime to ghazals that much,’ Singh rued.
He also feels there are budding Ghazal singers in the country but most of them start studying other genres in search of quick success.
‘Most people want to become successful very soon. So even if they start as ghazal singers, they leave it and try singing some other form to gain instant recognition,’ he said.
Singh stressed that those who want to be a ghazal singer should learn Urdu along with classical music.
Tags: Aalok, airtime, album, Amjad, Amjad Islam Amjad, April, Banoo, base, behest, Board, Bollywood, category, change, complaint, Composers, country, Daily Soap, Entering, fan, Faragh, flavour, flight, form, genre, ghazal, Hoshwalon, hour, ians, india, insight, Inteha, islam, itna, Jagjit, Jagjit Singh, khabar, kind, Kingfisher, Kingfisher Flight, kya, lack, launch, Lilting Melodies, lot, Lyricists, maestro, main, market, Masoom, Mirage, month, Mumbai, Music, music buffs, Music Composers, music directors, muskura, Naseem, Naseem Ajmer, need, New Delhi, niche, nobody, offering, Payyam, phone, place, promotion, Radio, Rahbar, rahe, Rajendranath, recognition, record, Rushvi, Sajda, Sanjay Masoom, Sayeedi, scene, search, sector, Shrivastav, singer, Singh, soap, Soz, stone, strength, success, taste, Team, Teri Dulhann, The, thing, time, Today, treatment, Tum, Unforgettables, Urdu, us, voice, Western Music, Zee, Zee TV
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Written by Rahul on 03 April 2009
Police clashed with demonstrators gathered around the Bank of England in the heart of London’s financial centre on Wednesday during a day of protest against the G20 summit.
Riot police staged baton charges to try to disperse several hundred people protesting against a financial system they said had robbed the poor to benefit the rich.
Demonstrators earlier attacked a nearby branch of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), shattering three windows.
Rescued by the government in October, RBS and former boss Fred Goodwin, who controversially refused to give up a pension of 700,000 ($1 million), became lightning rods for public anger in Britain over banker excess blamed for the financial crisis.
During the protests one man died after he collapsed and stopped breathing. Police said they tried to resuscitate him but that they came under a hail of bottles. The man was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
A police source said it was likely the man died from a medical condition but that a post-mortem was needed.
The protests in London’s City financial area coincided with a G20 meeting of the world’s leading and emerging economies.
Protesters hurled paint bombs and bottles, chanting: “Our streets! Our banks!”
RBS said in a statement it was “aware of the violence” outside its branch and “had already taken the precautionary step” of closing central City branches.
As dusk fell, police charged a hard core of anti-capitalist demonstrators in an attempt to disperse them before nightfall. Bottles flew through the air towards police lines and police on horseback stood by ready to intervene.
Some protesters set fire to an effigy of a banker hanging from a lamp post.
Police brought out dogs as they tried to channel the few hundred remaining protesters through the narrow streets surrounding the classical, stone-clad Bank of England.
Police said 63 protesters had been arrested by late evening and at least one officer was taken to hospital for treatment, although he was not believed to be seriously hurt.
Some 4,000 protesters had thronged outside the central bank. A Gucci store nearby was closed and had emptied its windows.
Demonstrations were planned for Thursday at the venue in east London where world leaders will discuss plans to fight the financial crisis, police said.
HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE
During Wednesday’s protests, demonstrators marched behind models of the “four horsemen of the apocalypse” representing financial crimes, war, climate change and homelessness.
Some threw eggs at police and chanted, “Build a bonfire, put the bankers on the top”. Others shouted “Jump” and “Shame on you” at financial sector workers watching the march from office block windows.
“I am angry at the hubris of the government, the hubris of the bankers,” said Jean Noble, a 60-year-old from Blackburn in northern England.
“I am here on behalf of the poor, those who are not going to now get their pension or who have lost their houses while these fat cats keep their bonuses, hide their money in tax havens and go and live where nobody can touch them.”
A smaller demonstration against Britain’s military role in Iraq and Afghanistan attracted several hundred people in Trafalgar Square, not far from parliament.
The protests, which brought together anti-capitalists, environmentalists, anti-war campaigners and others, were meant to mark what demonstrators called “Financial Fools’ Day” — a reference to April Fool’s Day which falls on April 1.
Police stopped a military-style armoured vehicle with the word “RIOT” printed on the front and a police spokesman said its 11 occupants were arrested for having fake police uniforms.
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Written by Rahul on 03 April 2009
Members and workers of the Junagadh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are in a fix. They do not know how to approach the voters in the constituency, as the party has not yet declared the name of the candidate for this Lok Sabha seat.
The party on Monday inaugurated its central election office in
the town.
The BJP has already declared its candidates for the remaining 25 seats in the state. Earlier, the party leadership had said that the candidate for the Junagadh seat would be declared after the Congress announced its candidate. They had termed the delay as a strategic move.
However, despite the Congress having declared the name of the party’s sitting MP Jashubhai Barad for this seat a week ago, the BJP is yet to come out with the name of its nominee.
Nobody in the BJP office here wants to speak officially over the issue. Local BJP leaders and office-bearers of the various units of the party just maintain that it is up to the party high command to take the decision.
A local BJP leader, on condition of anonymity, said, “We have already launched our campaign offices. But, in the absence of the candidate, we don’t know how to face the voters.”
Another party leader said they have “no answer” when people ask them about their leader. Sources said the party may nominate a high profile leader from here.
Tags: absence, anonymity, answer, barad, Bharatiya, Bharatiya Janata Party, bjp, bjp leader, bjp leaders, campaign, campaign offices, candidate, central election, command, condition, congress, constituency, decision, delay, election, Election Office, fix, issue, Janata, Jashubhai, Junagadh, leader, leadership, local, Lok, lok sabha, members, Monday, move, mp, name, nobody, nominee, office, party, party leader, party leadership, Profile, puzzles, sabha, seat, silence, state, town, unit, week
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Written by Rahul on 03 April 2009
Police clashed with demonstrators gathered around the Bank of England in the heart of London’s financial centre on Wednesday during a day of protest against the G20 summit.
Riot police staged baton charges to try to disperse several hundred people protesting against a financial system they said had robbed the poor to benefit the rich.
Demonstrators earlier attacked a nearby branch of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), shattering three windows.
Rescued by the government in October, RBS and former boss Fred Goodwin, who controversially refused to give up a pension of 700,000 ($1 million), became lightning rods for public anger in Britain over banker excess blamed for the financial crisis.
During the protests one man died after he collapsed and stopped breathing. Police said they tried to resuscitate him but that they came under a hail of bottles. The man was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
A police source said it was likely the man died from a medical condition but that a post-mortem was needed.
The protests in London’s City financial area coincided with a G20 meeting of the world’s leading and emerging economies.
Protesters hurled paint bombs and bottles, chanting: “Our streets! Our banks!”
RBS said in a statement it was “aware of the violence” outside its branch and “had already taken the precautionary step” of closing central City branches.
As dusk fell, police charged a hard core of anti-capitalist demonstrators in an attempt to disperse them before nightfall. Bottles flew through the air towards police lines and police on horseback stood by ready to intervene.
Some protesters set fire to an effigy of a banker hanging from a lamp post.
Police brought out dogs as they tried to channel the few hundred remaining protesters through the narrow streets surrounding the classical, stone-clad Bank of England.
Police said 63 protesters had been arrested by late evening and at least one officer was taken to hospital for treatment, although he was not believed to be seriously hurt.
Some 4,000 protesters had thronged outside the central bank. A Gucci store nearby was closed and had emptied its windows.
Demonstrations were planned for Thursday at the venue in east London where world leaders will discuss plans to fight the financial crisis, police said.
HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE
During Wednesday’s protests, demonstrators marched behind models of the “four horsemen of the apocalypse” representing financial crimes, war, climate change and homelessness.
Some threw eggs at police and chanted, “Build a bonfire, put the bankers on the top”. Others shouted “Jump” and “Shame on you” at financial sector workers watching the march from office block windows.
“I am angry at the hubris of the government, the hubris of the bankers,” said Jean Noble, a 60-year-old from Blackburn in northern England.
“I am here on behalf of the poor, those who are not going to now get their pension or who have lost their houses while these fat cats keep their bonuses, hide their money in tax havens and go and live where nobody can touch them.”
A smaller demonstration against Britain’s military role in Iraq and Afghanistan attracted several hundred people in Trafalgar Square, not far from parliament.
The protests, which brought together anti-capitalists, environmentalists, anti-war campaigners and others, were meant to mark what demonstrators called “Financial Fools’ Day” — a reference to April Fool’s Day which falls on April 1.
Police stopped a military-style armoured vehicle with the word “RIOT” printed on the front and a police spokesman said its 11 occupants were arrested for having fake police uniforms.
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Written by Rahul on 02 April 2009
Chennai, April 1 (IANS) Even as the Indian two-wheeler industry faces a dip in its sales, companies like Hero Honda, TVS motors and Honda Motorcycles have managed to post growth for the fiscal year 2009 (FY-09).
The two-wheeler sales in the FY-09 have dipped by 333,321 units from 7.755 million units in the previous fiscal.
Reports said that world’s largest two wheeler producer, Hero Honda, sold 3.722 million units for the period under review as against 3.33 million units in FY-08. The company commands more than half of the country’s market share.
The city-based TVS Motor sold just over 1.32 million units logging three percent growth over previous year.
H.S. Goindi, head of sales and marketing at TVS Motors, told IANS: ‘The year that went past was okay. Nobody gained any major market share. But we are not able to say anything as to how the market would pan out this fiscal though sales during March was good.’
On its part Honda Motorcycle, in a press statement, said that it sold just over 1.07 million units last fiscal as against 907,207 units sold the previous year.
The company has stated that it had improved its market share to 14 percent in FY-09, an improvement of nearly three percent from the last year.
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Written by Rahul on 09 March 2009
Siliguri, Mar 8 (ANI): Celebrating the International Women’s Day, the sex workers in Siliguri walked the ramp on Sunday.
These women wanted to mark the occasion by raising their voices against the social curse on them.
These women reiterated the fact that poverty has compelled them to take up this profession and society should not ridicule them.
The North Bengal Art Academy, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) staged the fashion show wherein girls clad in colourful saris and bedecked in jewellery walked the ramp.
A couple of the participants expressed their fear of walking the ramp and also narrated their story of their dreams.
“For the first time in my life, I participated in a dance show when I was in college. At that time I was not scared because my relatives, friends, principal and teachers were there with me. But I was a bit nervous here because I am alone and there’s nobody here,” said Swapna Patwardhan, a sex worker.
On its part, the host NGO awarded the participants after the show.
One of the volunteers of North Bengal Art Academy mentioned that the show was organised to depict the inner identity of the sex workers.
“The objective behind this fashion show is to show the inner beauty of these women on the International Women’s Day. Many among them have an aspiration to be film artistes and models, and accordingly we groomed them for this his fashion show,” said Shomesh Ghosh, office bearer of North Bengal Art Academy, Siliguri. (ANI)
Tags: Academy, ANI, art, aspiration, bearer, beauty, bit, celebrating, College, couple, curse, dance, day, fact, fashion, fear, film, Ghosh, host, identity, international, jewellery, life, mar, NGO, nobody, North, objective, occasion, office, organisation, part, patwardhan, poverty, profession, ramp, ridicule, sex, Shomesh, show, siliguri, society, story, Sunday, Swapna, time, West Bengal, Women, worker
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Written by Rahul on 09 March 2009
Harare (Zimbabwe), Mar. 8 (ANI): Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho believes he will become the next manager of Manchester United.
“If you want me to rule out ever being Manchester United manager I can’t. Special clubs need special managers. So, in theory, it could work, but nobody knows what the future is in football,” he said.
Mourinho rates himself as “one of the best managers in the world,” and took a potshot at current Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
“Fergie’s had it easy since I left Blues,” he said.
He reckons United won’t be able to ignore his credentials when they begin their search for Fergie’s successor.
“I have big jobs left in me that is for sure – but I can’t commit to which ones. The England national team wanted me as coach and that is the biggest job in England, so, I am sure when Sir Alex retires, they will look at the best managers in the world and I certainly fall into that category,” Mourinho said.
“How much time, I can’t say, Sir Alex doesn’t look like he is ready to stop. But when you are managing a winning team, you don’t want to stop – and if you have health, then there is no reason to,” he added.
Mourinho’s great expectation to become United manager has generated mixed reactions.
Rio Ferdinand has nominated the Portuguese as the best candidate to take over from Fergie, while United legends Sir Bobby Charlton and Bryan Robson believe his brand of football would not be to everyone’s taste.
However, Sir Alex is showing no sign of stepping down from his role as United boss. The 67-year-old claims that his health is good enough to enable him to continue in the job, despite previous suggestions that he would quit in May 2010.
“You might have to carry me out. I’m not even thinking about retiring,” Fergie said. (ANI)
Tags: ANI, Blues, boss, brand, Bryan, candidate, category, Charlton, chelsea, coach, England, everyone, expectation, Ferdinand, Fergie, football, former, future, harare, Health, job, jose mourinho, man, Manager, Manchester, mar, May, nobody, portuguese, post, potshot, Race, reason, Rio, robson, role, search, sign, Sir Alex, Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Bobby, successor, taste, Team, theory, time, United, winning, world, Zimbabwe
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Written by Rahul on 06 March 2009
Washington, Mar 6 (ANI): Queen of pop Madonna has topped the list of the “worst dressed” celebrities of 2009 by animal rights group PETA.
The Material girl was followed by Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Mary J. Blige and Kate Moss.
“When you see Madonna in fur, you realize why nobody has copied her style since 1984,” Usmagazine.com quoted PETA as saying in a statement.
Taking a dig at Madonna’s link-up with Brazilian model Jesus Luz, the group said, “We know that she’s on the prowl for a young cub, but someone needs to tell Madge that wearing fur doesn’t make you a cougar.”
Other celebrities that made it to PETA’s list are Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kanye West and Elizabeth Hurley. (ANI)
Tags: ANI, animal, Ashley, Ashton Kutcher, celebs, com, Cougar, Cub, demi moore, dig, Dressed, elizabeth hurley, fur, girl, group, Jesus, Kanye, Kate Moss, list, Luz, madge, Madonna, Maggie Gyllenhaal, mar, Mary, Mary J. Blige, Mary-Kate, material, model, nobody, Olsen, PETA, Pop, prowl, Queen, someone, statement, Style, Usmagazine, Washington, west
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Written by Rahul on 03 March 2009
London, March 2 (ANI): Veteran Scottish pop star Lulu, 60, has slammed the music industry for exploiting present-day singers as sex symbols.
She said that young female artists were being forced to dress in sexy outfits and perform provocative acts.
She blasted industry bosses saying that semi-naked routines-like those performed by the Pussycat Dolls, Katy Perry and Girls Aloud-had become more important for them than the music itself.
“Young girls today have to straddle naked before they can get noticed. It’s cheapened the music and I think it is exploitative. I would never have stripped off like that and gyrated up and down a pole,” the Scotsman quoted her as saying.
“There are talented kids who don’t need to do that, but it is just expected of them. It’s so regressive. I feel bad for them.
“To be a singer, you have to be naked and do things with your body and men on video. What has that got to do with the music?” she added.
Lulu also criticised the competitive nature of the modern pop industry, saying that talent alone was no longer enough to be successful.
“I would not want to be launching a career now. Nowadays, you have to achieve world domination or you get dropped by the record company. If the first single’s not a hit, you’re out.
Today, to be successful, it is not enough to be a good singer. You have to have an army of people all focusing on that goal relentlessly,” said the singer, who achieved stardom after her hit ‘Shout’ reached the Number 1 spot in the charts, when she was just 15 years old.
“You don’t just have to have talent and appeal. There has to be a big strategy.
“You have to be able to hold your head together, because the celebrity thing is completely out of whack. I think it’s crazy,” she added.
Lulu revealed that she loved listening to the music produced by Pink, Christina Aguilera, Duffy, Alexandra Burke and Amy Winehouse.
“I love Duffy and Alexandra Burke who just won the X-Factor. They are really talented. I’m an Amy Winehouse fan – she’s a great writer. She reminds me of the Ronettes,” she said.
She, however, also revealed that she did not like the current pop culture.
“It’s like a McDonald’s world. Everything is instant – instant success and instantly disposable,” said the Glasgow-born singer.
“Even when it was really crazy in the 1960s, it wasn’t like it is now. It is beyond insane.”
“Everybody is a celebrity. There is nobody to aspire to be. Everybody is famous and everybody is documenting every time they breathe, spit, cough or close their eyes.
“No wonder the music business doesn’t mean much any more. Then, there was a mystique about things,” she added. (ANI)
Tags: Alexandra Burke, Aloud-had, Amy Winehouse, ANI, appeal, Army, body, Business, Career, Celebrity, christina aguilera, company, cough, culture, Dolls, Domination, Duffy, everybody, everything, fan, girls, Glasgow-born, goal, head, industry, Katy, London, Lulu, March, McDonald, Music, mystique, nature, nobody, Nowadays, number, outfits, Perry, Pink, pole, Pop, Pussycat, record, Ronettes, Scotsman, Scottish, sex, shout, singer, single, spit, spot, star, stardom, straddle, strategy, success, talent, thing, time, Today, veteran, video, whack, world, writer, x factor, Young
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Written by Rahul on 01 March 2009
London, Feb 27 (ANI): In response to the furore over Facebook’s revision of user Terms of Service (TOS), the company’s founder Mark Zuckerberg has announced that the member of the social networking site will now have comment and voting rights over its future policies.
The social-networking giant came under fire after Consumer advocacy blog The Consumerist reported that the revised policy allowed the website to hold a perpetual license to use its members” uploaded content to promote itself, even after their accounts had been deleted.
Despite Facebook announcing that it would drop the controversial revisions, experts claimed that the move would still not provide users with complete privacy over their data.
But now, Zuckerberg has given the users full control over the data, and said that the move was aimed to “open up Facebook so that users can participate meaningfully in our policies and our future,” reports the BBC.
Simon Davies from Privacy International said that the move was “unprecedented”.
Zuckerberg admitted that the recent changes to the website’s terms and conditions had sparked a “firestorm”.e said: “Some people might be wondering what the fuss is exactly about? After all, nobody ever reads the terms and conditions or terms of service documents on a website. We do not own user data, they [users] own it. We never intended to give that impression and feel really bad that we did.”
The social networking site has announced a new set of governing principles and rights and responsibilities.
With the new changes in effect, users can first comment and then potentially vote on future changes to the documents.
Facebook will enact a vote on changes to its governance when more than 7,000 comments have been made by users on a topic.
Zuckerberg said: “We think that is pretty reasonable. We have designed the votes so a small minority of users cannot create a binding election.”he new Facebook charter states: “People should own their information. They should have the freedom to share it with anyone they want and take it with them anywhere they want, including removing it from the Facebook Service.”
Mark Zuckerberg said that Facebook had undertaken to carry out all of its business within the framework of the new governance documents.
He added: “We trust our users. We are making this so that we can’t put in place a new terms of service without users’ permission.”
And he now hoped that the new policy would “strengthen the community and the bonds between us and the users.” (ANI)
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Written by Rahul on 28 February 2009
London, Feb 27 (ANI): When your great-great-grandchildren will find that letter of yours in the attic, they’ll have to take it to a specialist to decipher the strange symbols for them, say experts, who warn that the ancient art form of handwriting is dying out – courtesy email and text messaging.
Without keyboards, working in an office can sound really lame – going by today’s standards.
Not so long ago, neat script’s importance was told to children with the help of special handwriting lessons, The Sun reported.
However, the scenario has changed now.
Headteacher Angela Daly, of Cranbrook Grammar School in Kent, says: “I’ve been teaching for 40 years and, obviously, there has been a huge rise in the use of computers.
“I would be horrified to think nobody will be writing in 100 years. It’s a great art. Having said that, for students who find handwriting a burden, word processing can work wonders.”
Calling for a return to former standards, Kitty Burns Florey, author of Script And Scribble: The Rise And Fall Of Handwriting, says: “Maybe a couple of times a week pupils could produce something handwritten that is partly judged on its legibility, or even its beauty.”
The decline of pen and paper could also spell the end for graphology – the study of handwriting to reveal a writer’s character.
Perthshire-based expert Jan Harrison says: “You can tell a lot about people’s personalities from the movements in their natural script. Often people with the worst handwriting are the most intelligent. They think, and write, very quickly. I would hate to see a world with no handwriting. It would mean the loss of a wonderful skill and a useful insight into people’s personalities.” (ANI)
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Written by Rahul on 27 February 2009
New Delhi, Feb 27 (ANI): John Mayer has confessed that he doesn’t understand Britney Spears’ songs.
He said: “I was just talking the other day about how strange the Britney Spears songwriting approach is. Because it’s all about, ‘I’m going out tonight, but nobody look at me.’
“I’ve never met her and I’m not coming down on her, but all of the songs are sort of like, ‘I’m getting all my girls together, we’re gonna go out’ and ‘I’ve got holes cut out for bleep, I got flashlights on me.’
“And then it’s like, ‘Why’s everybody looking at me? ‘Everybody’s looking at me’ because oh, did you hear verse two, Britney?”
The 31-year-old musician also spoke about walking the Oscars red carpet with his girlfriend Jennifer Aniston, which was the pair’s first public appearance together, reports The China Daily.
He added to Ryan Seacrest’s KIIS FM radio show: “At some point, you feel comfortable and say, ‘This is the choice I want to make’. I think a year is a pretty good period of time with which to say, ‘Let’s go have a really good time at the Oscars!’ ” (ANI)
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Written by Rahul on 25 February 2009
Kourapani (J-K), Feb 25 (ANI): Landslides in the vicinity of the Baglihar hydroelectric power project in Kashmir led to cracks in the houses forcing the people to migrate elsewhere in search of safe accommodation.
Accumulation of water in the reservoir may have been the cause of landslide.
Even as the authorities embarked upon a mission to find an alternative stretch on the national highway for connecting Doda and Kishtwar districts with the rest of the country, fear has overwhelmed the inhabitants here.
Geological experts have already identified some spots prone to landslide in the area. Among the worst hit areas are KouraPani, Malhori, Jathi, Assar, Marsu, Trungal,Gagla , Kashi and other villages adjoining the Baglihar reservoir.
“Because of the river Chenab, the walls are developing cracks. Till now, nobody came to see it. Divisional Commissioner has neither interacted with the public nor said anything regarding giving us any protection or compensation. My house, my father’s house and my brother’s house, all have developed maximum number of cracks and when the Divisional Commissioner saw it, he ordered the Block Divisional Officer to provide us with some support and fill the cracks,” said Chain Singh, a resident.
The 500-metre vulnerable stretch runs between Assar and Trugal. The road started sinking at Koura Pani, Gagla, Kashi and Jatthi areas on the Batote-Kishtwar national highway.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand visited the affected villages to take stock of the situation.
“We have discussed about it and are waiting for the technical reports. Whenever we receive the reports, we will try to find the alternative solution as fast as possible,” said Tara Chand.
While plight of the people have increased manifold due to the sinking of the land at several places, the authorities seem to be waiting for the report. y Pradeep Sharma (ANI)
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Written by Rahul on 22 February 2009
London, February 22 (ANI): Cancer-stricken Jade Goody will walk down the aisle today in a fairytale ceremony.
The ‘Big Brother’ celebrity, who was diagnosed with cervical cancer that had spread to her entire body, is set to defy the medics by tying the knot after being given eight weeks to live.
The 27-year-old was also previously said to be preparing her sons Bobby, five, Freddie, four, and her jailbird partner of three years Jack Tweed for the tragic news.
But the TV favourite, who will host the big bash at Down Hall country manor in Hatfield Heath, Essex, was reportedly bent on creating fabulous memories for her family and friends with her dream wedding.
“Jade will not let the cancer spoil her magic day. She wants to leave all her family, especially her boys, with these special moments to cherish,” News of the World quoted a pal as saying.
“It’s just so sad that when she promises to love Jack ‘until death do us part’ it will all be that much more real for her.
“I’m sure nobody will be able to hold back the tears when she enters the room,” the pal added. (ANI)
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Written by Rahul on 20 February 2009
New York, Feb 20 (ANI): Giving a jolt to Victoria Beckham’s fashion ambitions, American department store Saks Fifth Avenue has dropped her fembot denim line, dVb.
Henri Bendel and Kitson already dropped Posh earlier this year because of poor sales of her denim line.
And now sources have revealed that Saks, which first carried her jeans, decided to give a miss to soccer stud David Beckham’s wife after she sold her upscale designer line exclusively to Bergdorf Goodman.
“Saks dropped Victoria Beckham’s line” and will not reorder more, the New York Post quoted the source as saying.
The insider further added: “They were offended when she sold her dress line to Bergdorf’s and not to Saks, even though Saks launched her denim line in their New York store. Bergdorf never carried her jeans, but they got her designer line anyway.”
However, cancelling Posh’s denim line should not have a big impact on Saks.
“Nobody wanted to buy 300 dollars jeans from someone who is not a trained designer,” said the source.
“At this time there is no Victoria Beckham product stocked at Saks, but we continue to work closely with several leading stores and many independent US fashion retailers,’ said a rep for Beckham.
Meanwhile, Saks, Henri Bendel and Kitson all refused to comment on the issue. (ANI)
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Written by Rahul on 20 February 2009
Jabalpur, Feb 20 (ANI): Girls affiliated to the National Students Union of India, the students wing of the Congress party, were arrested in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, for staging a violent protest.
Female students of Jabalpur’s Home Science College claimed that the holding of semester examinations instead of annual ones would mar their future prospects. They also demanded the college principal’s resignation.
“To register our protest against semester system, we approached the Chief Minister and many senior officers. But in spite of that, nobody paid heed to our demand,” said Vandana Bel, the state secretary of the union.he principal said the girls vandalised college property.
“Not only did they cause damage to government property, but also disrupted an examination. They were not listening to anybody. Some 10-15 girls were shouting and vandalizing college property,” said Chitralekha, the principal of the college.
The protesting girls claimed that the police baton charged them. (ANI)
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Written by Rahul on 18 February 2009
Modasa (Gujarat), Feb 18 (ANI): At least 18 people died in Gujarat due to hepatitis in five days, officials said on Tuesday.
All the deaths attributed to hepatitis-B virus took place in Sabarkantha district’s Modasa revenue sub division.
Officials said 18 people died out of at least 54 cases reported till Monday.
“The cases and death toll both are rising. We deputed a team from the local medical civil hospital college in Ahmedabad. We reviewed the situation on the similar way. We motivated he government and have written officially to the Health Minister to depute the team immediately,’ said Sudhir Gandhi, deputy director (epidemic) commissionerate of the state’s health services.
Relatives of patients said the sudden increase in hepatitis could be due to unhygienic conditions.
“The negligence of private hospitals and carelessness of doctors have created this situation. The filthy and unhygienic conditions in surrounding areas and roads are responsible which nobody takes care of. If they control this situation, then this problem can be solved,” said Nitin Patel, whose sister is infected with hepatitis B virus.
The condition of many patients in the civil hospitals is reported to be critical.
A police complaint has been lodged against seven medical practitioners in Modasa, Dhansura, and Meghraj under various provisions.
The heath authorities have circulated 30,000 pamphlets and a public awareness campaign is on to create awareness on hepatitis. ANI)
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Written by admin on 14 February 2009
Shah Rukh Khan’s house attacked
Two motorcycle-borne miscreants hurled a bottle of kerosene at actor Shah Rukh Khan’s Bandra residence, Mannat, at around 2.30 am on Friday. Nobody was injured.
Security personnel at Khan’s bungalow were unable to note the registration number of the bike in the darkness. A complaint was lodged at the Bandra police station.
According to reports, a fundamentalist group was upset with the use of certain words in the song, Marjaani, marjaani, featuring Khan and Kareena Kapoor in the film Billu.
On Friday morning a group of protesters gathered outside Bandra’s G-7 cinema complex, where Billu was being screened, and broke glass panes and tore away posters.
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