Bollywood actress Dia Mirza turns director with film on tigers on World Tiger Day

Bollywood actress Dia Mirza has turned director with a public service film on tiger and nature conservation, on the occasion of World Tiger Day. She nurses a desire to carry out her commitment to championing causes connected with nature to the next level.
The film was released on YouTube and its objective is to spread a vital message about tiger and nature conservation through the voices of children belonging to different age groups.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 29 July 2016.

Speaking on her film, Dia Mirza has said that as tigers struggle for survival, she intends to send out the message which should nudge our nation to guarantee tiger protection from threats like poaching, and intrusion into their natural habitat. She added that "we need to remember, what happens to the tiger, to our forests and our rivers, ultimately affects each one of us.”
The film has been written by Cara Tejpal and Sahil Sangha, captured by ace photographer Rohan Shrestha and produced by Born Free Entertainment. Emraan Hashmi's son, Ayaan is debuting in this film.
The fact remains that in spite of countries such as India, Nepal, Russia and Bhutan registering a spike in the tiger population, the status of the animal still remains ‘endangered’.


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Efforts on by Odisha to get UNESCO Heritage tag for Bhitarkanika national park

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Kissing scenes in movies – why this fad has never caught on in Bollywood

Next James Bond movie would not come before 2018

Daniel Craig has been playing the role of James Bond quite successfully but had indicated that he would not pay the role again. Therefore, there were rumors that Idris Elba would be roped in to become the new James Bond. He, however, appears to have ruled himself out as a replacement. His reasons - he is too old - despite being five years younger than Craig. And - he finds it terrible to run around in cars and ladies and Martinis.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 24 July 2016.

But - another Bond movie must come and, Producer Barbara Broccoli plans to have one in 2018. She wants to wants to work on two other film projects next year and then another James Bond. She wants Daniel Craig to play the role yet again and feels he would have had a change of heart by then.
Apart from Idris Elba, the 43-year-old Luther star, other contenders are Colin Salmon (53) who has edged ahead of him into fifth. The list has American Hustle actor Jack Huston as the frontrunner. Poldark star Aidan Turner and James Norton, who appeared in War And Peace and Happy Valley, are joint second. Next in line at fourth is Tom Hiddleston, who has recently been pictured with the American singer Taylor Swift.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Efforts on by Odisha to get UNESCO Heritage tag for Bhitarkanika national park

Alitalia pilot refused to fly from Beirut to Rome because he was tired - passengers stuck for 16 hours at Beirut

Wildfire in California spreads over 11,000 acres - residents evacuated


Didi not happy seeing urchins in Howrah Station (satire)

Lord Shiva stumped by the sea of humanity on 21st (satire)

Moody embraces yoga, his medics could embrace poverty (satire)

Lone wolf attack in Munich mall kills 10 including the attacker

Youth attacks train commuters with an axe - leaves more than 20 injured, some seriously

ISIS carries out suicide attack in Kabul - 80 killed, death toll could rise


Sir Michael Caine forced to change his name because of ISIS

Irrfan Khan meets Arvind Kejriwal before release of his film 'Madaari'

Kissing scenes in movies – why this fad has never caught on in Bollywood

Wonder Woman celebrates 75th anniversary - trailer of latest film released

Wonder Woman is celebrating 75th anniversary and, on the occasion, an action-packed trailer has been released for the first Wonder Woman movie in the iconic superhero's 75-year history. The film is due for 2017 and the first glimpse of the eagerly-anticipated film was unveiled at Comic-Con International in San Diego.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 24 July 2016.

Gal Gadot reprises her role in Batman v Superman is in the lead role in the upcoming Warner Bros blockbuster and it will also have Star Trek's Chris Pine. The story-line is the World War I-era adventure and is directed by Patty Jenkins.
It narrates the story of the Amazon warrior and immortal daughter of Zeus. She comes across American pilot Steve Trevor after he crashes on the island of Themyscira and he tells her about the global conflict. That prompts her to leave her home to try to stop it.
The trailer release has coincided with the 75th anniversary of the comic book character which was first played by Lynda Carter in the 1970s TV show. It reveals a darker take on the world than its glitzy small screen predecessor. However, familiar features remain like Wonder Woman's magic lasso.
The Wonder Woman movie was among a number of other films to be showcased by Warner bros at Comic-Con, the annual gathering of movie, television and comic book fans.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Efforts on by Odisha to get UNESCO Heritage tag for Bhitarkanika national park

Alitalia pilot refused to fly from Beirut to Rome because he was tired - passengers stuck for 16 hours at Beirut

Wildfire in California spreads over 11,000 acres - residents evacuated


Didi not happy seeing urchins in Howrah Station (satire)

Lord Shiva stumped by the sea of humanity on 21st (satire)

Moody embraces yoga, his medics could embrace poverty (satire)

Lone wolf attack in Munich mall kills 10 including the attacker

Youth attacks train commuters with an axe - leaves more than 20 injured, some seriously

ISIS carries out suicide attack in Kabul - 80 killed, death toll could rise


Sir Michael Caine forced to change his name because of ISIS

Irrfan Khan meets Arvind Kejriwal before release of his film 'Madaari'

Kissing scenes in movies – why this fad has never caught on in Bollywood

Sir Michael Caine forced to change his name because of ISIS

Shakespeare had asked 'what's in a name?' but Sir Michael Cane has realized the hard way that there is plenty in a name. Hence, he had to officially change his name by deed poll after finding himself getting delayed at airport security. His passport had his real name Maurice Micklewhite but, he was better known as Michael Caine and, hence, he found himself being constantly being asked about it.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 21 July 2016.

The 83-year-old has revealed that he was forced to change his name because of the emergence of ISIS and associated security checks. It involved getting into a lot of explanations leading to delays at the airports. Hence his c decision.
Sir Michael Caine had abandoned his birth name in 1954 because his agent wanted him to find a new name quickly. He was at the time speaking to his agent from a telephone box in Leicester Square, London. Searching for a name, he saw that Humphrey Bogart's The Caine Mutiny was being shown at the Odeon and decided to change his name to 'Michael Caine'.
He has had a checkered career and is currently starring in Now You See Me 2.


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Boost to religious tourism - 2.3-Km permanent bridge planned from Beyt Dwarka to Okha mainland

Boeing celebrates 100-years of manufacturing aircraft

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80 killed and over 100 injured in Nice as truck rams into revelers celebrating Bastille Day

Failed coup attempt in Turkey - 161 people killed and 1,440 wounded

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Leonardo DiCaprio to donate USD 15.7 million to help solve environmental issues

Shah Rukh Khan could make a movie on tennis star Sania Mirza

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr rejoin to bring back the era of The Beatles

Irrfan Khan meets Arvind Kejriwal before release of his film 'Madaari'

Irfaan Khan (49) is known to be a Bollywood hero who loves to act in films that are a bit out of the ordinary and 'Madaari' is one such. Before release of this film he met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and discussed problems of the ‘common man’ with him.
As Irrfan has clarified - he cleared his queries and chief minister Kejriwal gave him a patient hearing. The two of them discussed about the problems a common man faces in his day to day life. The subjects covered ranged from accountability to where the tax goes, who takes the decision for the usage of the tax etcetera.
Irrfan has also reached out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi via Twitter.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 20 July 2016.

Irrfan Khan wants Kejriwal, Modi and Gandhi to watch his film and give their views on how he has presented the common man’s story. He would like to get their reaction on what he was trying to say.
The “Talvar” star also added that in case he gets an opportunity to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi he would request for permission to record their conversation and share it online.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Boost to religious tourism - 2.3-Km permanent bridge planned from Beyt Dwarka to Okha mainland

Boeing celebrates 100-years of manufacturing aircraft

Spanish Talgo trying to impress the lovers of Bullet trains with its peformance


Yoga and khadi gel with Baba and Moody (satire)

Didi wants to promote small scale industries (satire)

Lord Shiva feels rains are the best option for cleaning (satire)


80 killed and over 100 injured in Nice as truck rams into revelers celebrating Bastille Day

Failed coup attempt in Turkey - 161 people killed and 1,440 wounded

Synthetic marijuana sees 33 people collapse simultaneously on the streets of New York


Leonardo DiCaprio to donate USD 15.7 million to help solve environmental issues

Shah Rukh Khan could make a movie on tennis star Sania Mirza

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr rejoin to bring back the era of The Beatles

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr rejoin to bring back the era of The Beatles

The Beatles members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr rejoined in Las Vegas on the 10th anniversary celebration of Cirque du Soleil’s Beatles-themed show, “Love“. The show was a hit collaboration between the French- Canadian circus troupe and The Four Brothers who had changed the entire music era after their rock n roll and pop compositions hit the floors in the early 1960s.
This has been reported in thehindu.com dated 17 July 2016.

74-year-old Sir Paul McCartney was one of the surviving members of the group and he was accompanied by his wife, Nancy Shevell. Ringo Starr was the other surviving member. They had with them the band’s frontman John Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono apart from several other family members and friends.
Both Sir McCartney and Ringo Starr joined the cast onstage at the end of the event to thank them. The music director of the show, Giles Martin, shared the stage with the legends and recalled his father, George Martin - another of the group. He passed away this year, and although he was not present, the music lives on.
Ron Howard also attended the event. He had directed the upcoming “Eight Days a Week: The Touring Years”. This is a documentary about the first half of The Beatles’ career and is scheduled for release in September.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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Leonardo DiCaprio to donate USD 15.7 million to help solve environmental issues

Climate change and environmental issues are close to his heart and, therefore, Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio’s foundation plans to donate USD 15.7 million to help solve such issues. The 41-year-old actor has announced that the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is to pledge the huge sum to fund conservation and environmental programs to help combat climate change.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 14 July 2016.

His latest pledge would mean DiCaprio’s organization has donated USD 59 million since 1998. He is a staunch environmental campaigner and had praised Pope Francis for helping to try to combat climate change. Pope Francis had come out and was outspoken about the issue of climate change and endorsed the scientific community.
99 per cent of the scientific community is now saying climate change exists and it is caused by mankind and, anyone who doesn’t believe in climate change doesn’t believe in science. The fact that a spiritual leader has endorsed the scientific movement is unprecedented.
Leonardo says it was an incredible honour to meet him.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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San Fermin bull-running festival kicks off in Pamplona

Three new crew members from US, Russia and Japan on their way to the International Space Station

2016 Rio Olympics - Rio de Janeiro gets ready to welcome 5,00,000 tourists


Didi not happy seeing urchins in Howrah Station (satire)

Moody discusses women’s fashion with Baba Someday (satire)

Lord Shiva and the mystery of haunted houses (satire)


Two suspected ISIS jihadists arrested in Ataturk Airport

There were more than 2000 gun related violence in Chicago during 2016

Four killed and nine police officers injured in terror attack in Bangladesh during Eid prayer


Salman Khan starrer Sultan set to enter the Rs 100-crore club by Day-3

A R Rahman off on his UK Intimate Tour - will perform in London on September 22

Katy Perry creates microblogging history with over 90-million followers on Twitter

Shah Rukh Khan could make a movie on tennis star Sania Mirza

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan (50) formally launched Sania Mirza's autobiography, titled 'Ace Against Odds'. On the occasion, he has indicated that any movie made on tennis star Sania Mirza will be inspiring and he could consider producing it.
This has been reported in khaleejtimes.com dated 14 July 2016.

Shah Rukh Khan also expressed hope that Indian sports films will soon be able to make a mark in the international arena because when sportswomen and sportsmen films are made there is a feeling of patriotism irrespective of the place they come from.
In his opinion, Sania Mirza's book will be quite inspirational. He is impressed by Sania's grit, determination and love for the sport to rise to the top ranking in doubles game in spite of injuries. Due to the injury she could not continue with the singles career but she overcame the problem to become the No.1 in doubles. He hopes that there should also be a part-two of this book.

interesting links -

San Fermin bull-running festival kicks off in Pamplona

Three new crew members from US, Russia and Japan on their way to the International Space Station

2016 Rio Olympics - Rio de Janeiro gets ready to welcome 5,00,000 tourists


Didi not happy seeing urchins in Howrah Station (satire)

Moody discusses women’s fashion with Baba Someday (satire)

Lord Shiva and the mystery of haunted houses (satire)


Two suspected ISIS jihadists arrested in Ataturk Airport

There were more than 2000 gun related violence in Chicago during 2016

Four killed and nine police officers injured in terror attack in Bangladesh during Eid prayer


Salman Khan starrer Sultan set to enter the Rs 100-crore club by Day-3

A R Rahman off on his UK Intimate Tour - will perform in London on September 22

Katy Perry creates microblogging history with over 90-million followers on Twitter

A R Rahman off on his UK Intimate Tour - will perform in London on September 22

Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman is of on his UK Intimate Tour and will enthrall his fans in Leeds and Manchester for the first time ever. His tour will kick off at London's SSE Arena Wembley on September 22 and will then head to Birmingham Barclaycard Arena on September 24. He will perform in Leeds on September 29 and Manchester on September 30.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 10 July 2016.

He had been on the successful 18-date Intimate tour in the US last year and would now move over to the UK for his fans thee. The show will have all kinds of songs, some in Hindi, some in Punjabi - and plenty of loud music. The Intimate Tour is all about music, it is about intimacy and coming face to face.
As a touring musician and performer, the Slumdog Millionaire composer has long been filling arenas with his elaborate and stunning live performances. He has collaborated with everyone from Mick Jagger and Will I Am to Andrew Lloyd Webber, Shekhar Kapur and Baz Luhrmann apart from many of the world's most respected orchestras.
It may be recalled that in Summer 2012, he composed a Punjabi song for the London Olympics opening ceremony as part of a medley that showcased Indian influence in the UK.


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Salman Khan starrer Sultan set to enter the Rs 100-crore club by Day-3

Salman Khan is an actor who can never be kept quiet. His latest treat is Sultan - on the occasion of Eid, it has minted magic at the box office and has set its eyes on joining the Rs.100 crore club by day 3 itself. It brought home a whopping Rs.36.54 crore on the first day - this collection has surpassed the first day collections of many films that released in 2016. On the 2nd day, the collection was Rs.37.20 crore. This adds up to Rs.73.74 crore, hence it is safe to assume that it would cross Rs 100-croces on the 3rd day.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 8 July 2016.

The film is directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and features Anushka Sharma and it has a tight script, engaging storyline, mind blowing action and free-spirited romance. It released in around 4,500 screens all across India and, thanks to the strong word of mouth campaign and rave reviews, the collections of the second day surpassed the first day. It is hoped that by the end of Friday, Sultan will definitely cross Rs.100 crore. In the opinion of trade analysts, the film will fare more than Rs.150 crore in this week itself.
Salman Khan's films have smashed records and set the silver screen ablaze each time. All his films from Wanted, Kick, Dabangg to Ek Tha Tiger, Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo have been money spinners.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

Prince Harry joins Coldplay on the stage in Kensington Palace in aid of charity

Beijing is sinking by 11cm per year due to over consumption of ground water

West Bengal government to install swings, see-saws and slides in schools to check dropouts


Moody embraces yoga, his medics could embrace poverty (satire)

Didi wants to promote small scale industries (satire)

Lord Shiva bamboozled by the storylines of TV serials (satire)


ISIS trying to enter India - 11 youths apprehended in Hyderabad

Gunmen strike a restaurant in Dhaka - 20 killed in the attack

36 killed and more than 147 injured in Ataturk airport suicide attack in Istanbul


Katy Perry creates microblogging history with over 90-million followers on Twitter

Meryl Streep, Freida Pinto and Michelle Obama in Morocco to promote education among girls

Kavita Kaushik to play the role of an Army doctor in TV show “Dr. Bhanumati on Duty”

Katy Perry creates microblogging history with over 90-million followers on Twitter

Singer Katy Perry has created digital history with the most Twitter followers as announced by the bosses at the micro-blogging social media network, her follower count is more than 90 million. Her peers Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift occupy second and third place, respectively - Bieber has 83.9 million and Taylor has 79 million.
This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 3 July 2016.

The Teenage Dream hitmaker's Twitter breakthrough has happened nearly two months after she mooted the idea of a social media break - she had revealed that she turns her phone off for at least 20 minutes a day in a bid to get a little peace and quiet.
She feels there could be something like Shabbat that was not based on religion but was a kind of a worldwide day where people stay away from phones - like a movement. Kids of today have no idea of what a life without internet is like. Therefore, it would be great if the world implemented an actual day of real rest for the phone.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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Meryl Streep, Freida Pinto and Michelle Obama in Morocco to promote education among girls

The trio of Oscar winner Meryl Streep, Indian-origin Hollywood actress Freida Pinto and America’s First Lady Michelle Obama joined to help promote education among young girls in Morocco. 67-year-old Streep was in Marrakesh to share her wisdom with high schoolers as part of Mrs. Obama’s Let Girls Learn initiative - this is to encourage female education and empowerment.
This has been reported in indiasnexpress.com dated 30 June 2016.

Meryl Streep was the first person in her family to attend university. She encouraged the teens to never give up on their goals in spite of the inevitable challenges they may face on the way. And she had no qualms about flying halfway around the world to help the First Lady with the campaign.
AS she put it - "if Mrs. Obama asked me to road trip anywhere in the world I would say, ‘I’m there in five minutes’.”
Alongside them was Frieda Pinto, the Slumdog Millionaire actress. She encouraged the females to not be afraid to speak their minds. Streep and Pinto, along with Obama and her two teenage daughters, Sasha and Malia, also went to the King’s Palace to join Princess Lalla Salma for a traditional Moroccan iftar - this is a dinner to break the fast of Ramadan.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

Powerful tornado hits eastern China killing at least 51 people

British Airlines have suspended all flights to Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt indefinitely

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Darth Vader, the galactic man in black, to make a comeback in Rogue One

'The Jungle Book' inches towards the Rs 200 crore mark - Disney contemplates a sequel


20-year-old British man wanted to kill Donald Trump in Las Vegas

Violence in Sirte between ISIS and pro-government militiamen kills at least 60

Terror suspect in Brussels shopping mall wore a fake suicide vest