Month: September 2024

Mom-to-be Deepika Padukone, who is all set to embrace motherhood and awaits the arrival of her first child with husband Ranveer Singh, left fans gaga over her maternity photoshoot on Monday.

Taking to Instagram, Deepika treated fans with a series of stunning pictures featuring herself and Ranveer Singh.

The post opens with a monochrome romantic photo of parents-to-be Deepika and Ranveer.

Gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes, Deepika can be seen flaunting her baby bump.

In one of the pictures, she can be seen striking a pose wearing a black lace bralette paired with a black suit.

Stylish Mom-to-be turned heads with her impeccable maternity fashion.

She also wore a sheer black dress, gracefully showing her baby bump.

Each picture captured how ecstatic the soon-to-be parents are as they await the arrival of their child.

Deepika and Ranveer announced their pregnancy in February this year and shared that they are expecting the birth of their baby in September.

Ranveer-Deepika tied the knot on November 14, 2018, at Italy’s Lake Como after dating for six long years and the duo never fails to shower love on each other on social media.

They first met on the sets of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s romantic drama film ‘Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela’ and later also starred in ‘Bajirao Mastani’ and ‘Padmaavat’.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Deepika will be next seen in ‘Singham Again,’ set to hit the big screens on the festive occasion of Diwali 2024.

Helmed by Rohit Shetty ‘Singham Again’ also stars Ranveer Singh, Ajay Devgn Kareena Kapoor Khan, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, and Ranveer Singh in the lead roles.

‘Singham Again’ is the third instalment of the super-hit franchise.

‘Singham’ was released in 2011, starring Kajal Aggarwal and Prakash Raj in lead roles, followed by ‘Singham Returns’ in 2014. Both projects were box office hits. (ANI)

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The Indian community in Brunei is abuzz with excitement as they prepare to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his maiden visit to the Southeast Asian nation, scheduled for September 3-4. The visit is seen as a significant step in bolstering ties between the two nations.

Members of the vibrant and diverse Indian diaspora in Brunei have expressed their enthusiasm and support for PM Modi’s visit.

Speaking to ANI, Ramesh Jeewatram Bhavnani, a prominent community member, highlighted the importance of the visit, saying, “The Prime Minister’s visit is a testament to his commitment to the Indian community in Brunei. He is coming here for the Indian community that resides here, this is very important.”

Bhavnani emphasised the significance of Brunei in Southeast Asia and praised Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah for his fair treatment of all communities in the country.

“Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah treats every community equally; he does not treat anyone differently. We are grateful to our PM who is coming for us. India has always shown the way to the world and PM will come here to guide us. We hope tourism and trade increase between the two countries,” he said.

Another enthusiastic voice from the community, Hitesh Ramesh Bhavnani, echoed similar sentiments. He said that the Indian community is very excited about the Prime Minister’s visit. “People are preparing for it and are excited that he is coming here. PM Modi does something good everywhere he goes. He always gives his 200 per cent,” said Hitesh.

The Indian diaspora in Brunei has long contributed to the country’s development in various fields, including education, healthcare, engineering and more. Venkat Ramana Rao, a long-time resident of Brunei, reflected on the journey of the Indian community over the years.

He said, “When we came here in 2002, we were unknown. But today we have gained respect because of our contributions as teachers, doctors, nurses, engineers, inspectors, and blue-collar workers. The news of Prime Minister Modi’s visit has excited not just the Indian community but also the local Bruneian population. We are very much delighted and we are excited to receive Prime Minister Modi, who made us proud and made India proud all over the globe.”

Meanwhile, a member of the Indian Chamber of Commerce Vazeer Khan said that PM Modi’s visit to Brunei which will start from tomorrow will bolster the ties between the two nations even further.

“We welcome the Prime Minister. This is the first bilateral visit and it will create good relations between India and Brunei… We are extremely excited. Hopefully, there will be more visits from political leaders…” he told ANI.

Another member of the Indian Chamber of Commerce, Md Irfan said, “We warmly welcome the Prime Minister to Brunei. His visit will play a significant role in trade, bilateral relations and cultural exchange between India and Brunei…”

Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Brunei comes at a time when India is seeking to strengthen its engagement with Southeast Asian countries as part of its “Act East” policy.

The visit is expected to include discussions with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah on bilateral relations, trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges. Modi’s presence is also seen as a morale booster for the Indian diaspora in Brunei, who have been eagerly awaiting this historic visit. (ANI)

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched the BJP’s 2024 membership drive by renewing his membership.

The new membership drive was launched here with PM Modi getting the certificate for the renewal of his membership from BJP president JP Nadda.

Speaking at the launch of BJP’s ‘Sanghatan Parva, Sadasyata Abhiyan 2024,’ Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that BJP is not only the biggest party of the world but is also a unique party.

“BJP is not only the world’s largest political party but also the most democratic party. No other party conducts its membership drive with such transparency and honesty as the BJP,” he said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said BJP stands out as the most credible political party in the world.

“Modiji has made sure that even if we dream big, our promises to people must always remain in alignment with what we are capable of delivering. We must be able to translate our promises into actions. This is why the BJP stands out as the most credible political party in the world. We don’t do politics for the sake of forming govt, but to form an empowered society,” he said.

As part of membership drive existing BJP members also need to renew their membership. The membership drive will culminate in the election of new party president.

In his remarks, BJP chief and Union Health Minister expressed confidence that the membership drive will cross over 10- crore mark.

“Seeing your enthusiasm and the love of people of India for PM Modi as well as their faith in the BJP, I can confidently say that the Sadasyata Abhiyan this time will also cross 10 crore again,” he said. (ANI)

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Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, inaugurated the Abu Dhabi campus of the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi) today.

He also welcomed its first batch of undergraduate (UG) students today, marking a historic milestone in international engineering education under the prestigious brand of IIT. The inaugural batch of 52 students will pursue B. Tech degrees in Computer Science and Engineering, and Energy Engineering, an official press release by the Embassy of India relayed.

Setting up of a campus of IIT in the UAE was part of the Vision Document launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in February 2022 which is a roadmap for expansion of the India-UAE relationship into new areas of collaboration.

The students for the UG programs were selected through the prestigious JEE Advanced exam and the newly introduced Combined Admission Entrance Test (CAET) specifically designed for international students. The inaugural UG cohort has a mix of Indian, Emirati and international students. Before the UG programs, IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi had launched its first Masters of Technology (M. Tech) in Energy Transition and Sustainability in January 2024.

The first M. Tech cohort met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Abu Dhabi in February this year. India and the UAE have been working in earnest to make the IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi campus a world-class and state-of-the-art institution.

In November 2023, India’s Minister of Education visited the campus while it was in the early stages of its construction. The sprawling campus inaugurated by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed today is a testimony to the untiring efforts of the two countries. The campus, with its beautifully landscaped surroundings, is emblematic of the ever-growing India-UAE partnership, the press release stated.

The visit of Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed to the campus today is a testament to the importance accorded by the UAE to bilateral collaboration in the field of education and the value attached by the UAE leadership to the IIT Delhi campus in Abu Dhabi. During his visit, Sheikh Khaled was accompanied by Sunjay Sudhir, the Ambassador of India to the UAE, Prof. Dr. Rangan Banerjee, Director of IIT Delhi, and Emirati dignitaries.

In a significant segment of the event, IIT Delhi signed key Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) of strategic importance with several top academic and research institutions in Abu Dhabi, including Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), Khalifa University, Zayed University, and Sorbonne University-Abu Dhabi.

These collaborations aim to enhance Abu Dhabi’s academic, research, and innovation ecosystem, fostering partnerships that will support cutting-edge research and the local start-up ecosystem, as per the press release.

With its commitment to academic excellence, cutting-edge research, and global exposure, IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi is poised to play a leading role in transforming the landscape of engineering education and research in the UAE, the Middle East, and beyond. (ANI)

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The caste-based census should only be used for the betterment of those communities or castes that are lagging rather than politics or election practises, said Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar on Monday.

Addressing a press conference on the concluding day of RSS Samanvay Baithak Ambekar Ambekar said that the issues of caste and caste relations were very sensitive and should be dealt with very seriously as these were issues of our “national unity” and “integrity.”

“As RSS, we had already commented on this issue. In our Hindu society, we have a sensitive issue of our caste and caste relations… It is an important issue of our national unity and integrity, so it should be dealt with very seriously, not just on the basis of elections, election practices or politics,” he said.

He further stated that the government had already taken the numbers earlier but they should only be taken to address issues faced by those communities or castes.

“Definitely, for all welfare activities, particularly addressing a particular community or caste that is lagging and needs special attention, so if sometimes the government needs the numbers, it can take them. It (the government) has taken (the numbers) earlier also; it can take it, no problem. But it should be only to address the welfare of those communities and castes. It should not be used as a political tool for electioneering. And so we put a caution line for everyone,” he added.

Ambekar also stated that during the baithak, the members had a thorough discussion on the incident of rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, after which they have come up with “five fronts” on which they will take up this issue.

“It was concluded that we have to take the issue on five fronts. Legally, how we can tackle this issue; secondly, how we can create awareness in the society… Then the ‘sanskaras’ in the family. In every family, we can have such an atmosphere and ‘sanskaras’ so that our society will be nullified by such notorious persons. Then our education, formal and informal, where we have to educate about the sensitivity of the issue. Then ‘Atma Raksha’, which is self-defence skills and activities. Such types of training activities are required at the school level, college level, etc,” he said.

He further stated that the content that comes from all types of media has created “havoc,” as it was observed that those who are involved in such types of incidents had been watching such content for long.

“One more point is the content, which comes from all types of media… Such types of content have created havoc because, after watching such content, we can observe that those who are involved have been watching such content for long hours. This issue was taken very seriously and noted very seriously and all organisations have discussed it thoroughly. They will take up this issue in their organisation and they will come up with their program towards this,” he said.

The RSS Samanvay Baithak was started on August 31 at Palakkad in Kerala and concluded today. (ANI)

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The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar, accused of assaulting AAP Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan took into note that Kumar is in custody for 100 days and chargesheet has already been filed in the case.

It also considered that there are more than 51 witnesses proposed by the prosecution for examination and the conclusion of the trial will take some time.

“Petitioner is in custody for 100 days. Chargesheet filed. Injuries are simple. It’s a case for bail, you should not oppose. You can’t keep a person in jail in such case,” said the apex court to ASG SV Raju, representing Delhi police, who was opposing the grant of bail to Kumar.

The bench said trial court shall make an endeavour to finish examination of important and vulnerable witnesses first within three months.

It also imposed certain conditions on Kumar saying he shall not be restored as PS of Delhi Chief Minister or political office associated with the CM office.

The top court further said that Kumar shall not enter Chief Minister’s residence till all witnesses are examined.

Kumar shall not make any public comment on the case which is sub judice before trial court, it added.

During the hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Kumar, submitted that the injuries to Maliwal are simple and the invocation of the offence under Section 308 of the Indian Penal Code (attempt to commit culpable homicide not amounting to murder) was not justified.

He further said that witnesses are the officials of the Delhi police itself and hence there was no scope for intimidating or influencing of witnesses.

ASG Raju argued that the bail should be deferred till the examination of private witnesses are complete.

Kumar had approached the apex court challenging Delhi High Court’s order denying him bail.

On July 12, High Court had dismissed Kumar’s bail plea, saying he enjoys “considerable influence” and no ground to grant him the relief was made out.

The High Court had said that it cannot be ruled out that witnesses may be influenced or evidence tampered with in case Kumar is released on bail.

On May 16, an FIR was registered against Kumar under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including those related to criminal intimidation, assault or using criminal force on a woman with the intent to disrobe, and attempt to commit culpable homicide.

Kumar had moved the High Court after a Tis Hazari court here dismissed his bail plea on May 26. Approaching the High Court, Kumar sought bail and claimed the allegations were false and his custody was no longer required as the investigation was over.

The Delhi Police had opposed Kumar’s bail plea saying that releasing him on bail may influence the probe.

Kumar is accused of assaulting Maliwal at the Chief Minister’s residence in New Delhi on May 13. (ANI)

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India shuttler Nitesh Kumar outplayed Great Britain’s second-seeded Daniel Bethell to clinch a gold medal in the men’s singles SL3 category in the ongoing Paralympics on Monday.

Nitesh who discovered his passion in badminton at IIT-Mandi, added a second gold to India’s medal tally after shooter Avani Lekhra got his hands on the nation’s first gold at the Paris Paralympics with a sensational display in the women’s 10m air rifle final.

In a game that went right down the wire, Nitest ousted Daniel with a 21-14, 18-21, 23-21 win to claim his stake at the top of the podium.

The first set ensued between Nitesh and Daniel, a closely-knit affair. With both shuttles playing in a vertical half-court, rallies were quite longer.

With both shuttles going neck-to-neck, Daniel enjoyed a slender lead with the scoreline reading at 4-5. Daniel stayed in front midway through the first set with an 11-13 lead.

As the game progressed, Nitesh upped the ante in the second half of the first set to enforce his dominance over the Great Britain shuttler. A flurry of points saw him edge Daniel and wrap up the first set with a 21-14 lead.

In the second set, it was Nitesh who took a slender 5-4 lead. Daniel tried to counterattack with in-body smashes. But the Indian, on several occasions, effectively negated it away with his defensive prowess.

Nitesh slowly extended his lead to three by luring Daniel into making informed errors. He either went too long or placed the shuttle too short, allowing Nitesh to stay in the lead.

Daniel retaliated by showcasing grit and display by winning three consecutive points to restore parity at 14-14.

The second set went right down the wire, with Nitesh taking a narrow one-point lead and Daniel breathing right down the Indian’s neck by cutting short his lead.

Daniel shifted through gears and increased the intensity by mixing smash and drop shots effectively.

Daniel eventually took the lead with a well-placed shot right at the line, which Nitesh couldn’t lift across the net. His late surge saw him take two consecutive points to take the second set with an 18-21 win.

The shades of the first two sets were visible in the gold medal decider. Once again, it was a closely fought affair between the two shuttles. But Nitesh managed to take a slim lead at the halfway mark, with the scoreline reading 11-10.

Daniel tried to adopt an aggressive approach, and Nitesh replied with the same intensity to keep his one-point lead intact.

But unlike the previous set, Nitesh raised the bar and raced to a five-point lead to take a step closer to the gold medal.

But Daniel wasn’t in the mood to let Nitesh get his hands on the gold medal so easily. With precision, he reduced Nitesh’s lead to just a point.

He couldn’t follow it up and struck the net, which allowed Nitesh to extend his lead to three points at 19-16.

As Nitesh stood just two points away from the gold medal, Daniel made the Indian dance to his tune and restored the parity at 19-19.

Nitesh netted the shuttle, leaving Daniel just one point away from the gold. Nitesh made it 21-21 with a drop shot, which Daniel couldn’t get enough height.

Nitesh got his hands on the coveted gold after Daniel placed the shuttle outside the court. The crowd erupted with joy as Nitesh animatedly celebrated his win.

After settling the historic gold, both shuttles shook hands and exchanged jerseys with each other.

Nitesh arrived in the final after defeating Japan’s Daisuke Fujihara in straight sets, 21-16, 21-12, in the semifinals. (ANI)

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Actor Soha Ali Khan is enjoying a special family trip in London, making beautiful memories with her mother, Sharmila Tagore, her daughter, Inaaya, and her sister, Saba Pataudi.

Saba took to her Instagram account on Sunday to share a series of photos from their London vacation and the pictures are a proof of how much fun they are having together.

The first picture was taken at the airport, where the whole family is seen together, smiling happily.

In the second photo, Sharmila, Saba, and little Inaaya are all smiles, looking very happy. Other pictures show the family enjoying delicious pastries and spending time outdoors in London.

Along with the pictures, Saba added a caption that read, “Moments like this. Matter to me Most! Family n Friends ! Precious Memories. My #innijan My Amma and sister ! Reunited in London..Saturday special times.”

Soha is best known for her roles in films including ‘Mumbai Meri Jaan’, ‘Tum Mile’, ‘Rang De Basanti’, ‘Hush Hush’, ‘Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster Returns’ and ‘Tera Kya Hoga Johnny’. She was also seen in web series like ‘Kaun Banegi Shikharwati’ and ‘Hush Hush.’

Sharmila Tagore made her acting comeback after 13 years with Gulmohar, which got released last year. The film recently bagged the Best Film award at the 2024 National Film Awards.

Helmed by Rahul V Chittella, ‘Gulmohar’ revolves around the multi-generation Batra family who are all set to move out of their 34-year-old family home–Gulmohar–and how this shift in their lives is rediscovery of the bonds that have held them together as a family with secrets and insecurities.

The film also stars Manoj Bajpayee, Simran, and Suraj Sharma in lead roles. (ANI)

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Star couple Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas never leave a chance to express their love for each other publicly.

On Monday, Nick took to Instagram and shared several romantic pictures with his wife Priyanka from one of the weddings they recently attended.

The pictures featured Priyanka in a stunning black embellished dress by David Koma. On the other hand, Nick looked dapper in a pink suit.

In one of the images, Nick can be seen holding Priyanka close and looking adorably at her.

“Congrats @deleasakathleen and @nickmirchuk loved being there to celebrate you,” he captioned the post, leaving fans in awe.

Reacting to the mushy images of Priyanka and Nick, a fan wrote, “Adorable couple.”

“Beautiful,” another one wrote.

Priyanka and Nick got married in a Christian and a Hindu ceremony in Jodhpur’s Umaid Bhawan Palace on December 1 and 2 in 2018. In January 2022, the two announced that they welcomed daughter Malti Marie via surrogacy.

Meanwhile, on the work front, recently, Priyanka wrapped the shooting of her upcoming film ‘The Bluff’ and shared a glimpse of the wrap-up featuring her family including Nick Jonas, Malti Marie and her mother Madhu Chopra and the cast of the film.’The Bluff’ which is directed by Frank E Flowers also features actor Karl Urban.

In a recent interview with ANI in Singapore, ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ actor Ismael Cruz Cordova shared that he is a huge fan of Priyanka Chopra. He also opened up about his experience working with her in the upcoming film ‘The Bluff’.”Working with the greats is always something that you never know how it’s going to be. Priyanka is an incredible leader..so generous. She’s so cool also. I am a huge fan. She is such a great leader. So charismatic, so loving. She made everybody on set feel great. She keeps her culture so close to her. Her mother and daughter were also on set with us, the whole family dynamics, it really grounds you,” he said.

‘The Bluff’ is set in the 19th-century Caribbean and follows the story of a former female pirate, played by Priyanka, who must protect her family when the sins of her past catch up to her.

Produced by Russo Brothers’ banner AGBO Studios and Amazon MGM Studios, the film promises to be a thrilling adventure.

Apart from ‘The Bluff’, Priyanka is also set to star in ‘Heads of State’ alongside John Cena and Idris Elba. (ANI).

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