The Indian Panorama

Year: 2017

  • Indian American Ria Patel’s death mourned at St. Thomas University

    Indian American Ria Patel’s death mourned at St. Thomas University

    MINNEAPOLIS (TIP): A late report from Minneapolis says students, faculty and staff are grieving the death of St. Thomas junior Ria Patel, who died in a car accident early the morning of Sept. 17. She was the daughter of Bharat and Devyani Patel of Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Ria was killed after her drunk boyfriend Michael Laurence Campbell left her to die inside a car that met with a fatal accident.

    The crash happened around 3:40 a.m. at the Stinson Boulevard exit ramp off southbound Interstate 35W in Northeast Minneapolis. According to an acquaintance, Campbell was “super-drunk” when he left his home around 2 a.m. Sunday, according to the charges.

     Michael Laurence Campbell was arrested on Sept. 19 and charged with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide — “operating vehicle in a grossly negligent manner” and “driver who causes collision leaves scene,” according to the Hennepin County attorney’s office.

    Friends and family are still trying to make sense of the accident that took a young woman who brought light to many. In an interview with KARE 11, her uncle, Hitesh Patel, said she was “probably one of the happiest girls ever.” Cousin and fellow St. Thomas student Raveena Patel said that she and Ria were “inseparable” and that her cousin was capable of making friends with anyone.

    The St. Thomas campus community has echoed that sentiment.

    “She always knew how to light up the room wherever she would go,” said student Jenny Jirsa. “She brought people together in ways in so many different ways.”

    “I know her beautiful smile and personality will live in us and she will continue to look down at us and bless us from above,” Raveena said.

    Aarti (prayers) were held Monday, Sept. 18, with prarthana sabha (prayer service) following at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir. A prayer vigil planned by students was held at the Arches on Thursday, Sept. 21, from 8:30-10:00 p.m. funeral service took place Saturday, Sept. 23, from 1:30-4 p.m. in the Anderson Student Center, James B. Woulfe Alumni Hall.

  • Indian American Baljinder Singh may lose Citizenship

    Indian American Baljinder Singh may lose Citizenship

    The Justice Department said Baljinder Singh of Carteret did not disclose a previous deportation order on his naturalization application.

    NEW YORK (TIP): The United States on Sept 19 filed civil denaturalization complaints in federal court in the Middle District of Florida, District of Connecticut and District of New Jersey, against three individuals including an Indian American Baljinder Singh, who allegedly obtained their naturalized U.S. citizenship by fraud, the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced. Two Pakistan-born and one India-born individual’s alleged frauds involved concealing their prior orders of exclusion and deportation under different identities than the identity under which they naturalized.

     “The Justice Department is committed to preserving the integrity of our nation’s immigration system, and in particular, the asylum and naturalization processes,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The civil complaints charge that defendants in these cases exploited our immigration system and unlawfully secured the ultimate immigration benefit of naturalization. The filing of these cases sends a clear message to immigration fraudsters – if you break our immigration laws, we will prosecute you and denaturalize you.”

     The three cases, United States of America v. Parvez Manzoor Khan (M.D. Fla.); United States of America v. Rashid Mahmood (D. Conn.); and United States of America v. Baljinder Singh (D.N.J.) were referred to the Department of Justice by USCIS and identified as part of Operation Janus.

    Baljinder Singh aka Davinder Singh, 43, a native of India, arrived at San Francisco International Airport on Sept. 25, 1991, without any travel documents or proof of identity. He claimed his name was Davinder Singh. He was placed in exclusion proceedings, but failed to appear for his immigration court hearing and was ordered excluded and deported on Jan. 7, 1992. Four weeks later, on Feb. 6, 1992, he filed an asylum application under the name Baljinder Singh. He claimed to be an Indian who entered the United States without inspection. Singh abandoned that application after he married a U.S. citizen, who filed a visa petition on his behalf. Singh naturalized under the name Baljinder Singh on July 28, 2006. Singh has been residing in Carteret, New Jersey.

    (Source: DOJ)

     

  • Indian Man in Arkansas gets 5 years Prison Term for home invasion, operating gambling house

    Indian Man in Arkansas gets 5 years Prison Term for home invasion, operating gambling house

    GARLAND, ARKANSAS (TIP): A former store manager of Indian origin staying in Arkansas under a program that shields young, undocumented immigrants from deportation has been sentenced to five years in prison on charges stemming from illegal gambling at his business and a home invasion.

    The Sentinel-Record in Hot Springs reported that Sunny Ghotra Singh, 25, appeared in Garland County Circuit Court, where he entered a guilty plea on counts of residential burglary and keeping a gambling house. He was sentenced to five years on each charge, with the terms to run concurrently.

    Singh is in federal custody on accusations that he violated his status with the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program by possessing firearms, according to the newspaper.

    On Dec. 4, Singh was reportedly involved in a home invasion robbery in which a TV was taken from a woman and her husband who live on Ninth Street in Mountain Pine.

    The two told authorities that they peered out the window to find a white male assailant standing outside. Two other people kicked in the home’s front door soon after and entered, with a black robber armed with a gun hitting the women.

    An Indian man, identified by both victims as Singh, was armed with a shotgun and began hitting the husband, demanding money that the victim reportedly “owed him,” according to an affidavit.

    After a controlled purchase of drugs was reportedly made from Singh at the store, the Drug Task Force, along with other agencies, executed a search warrant Jan. 31 at the convenience store. Singh was arrested shortly after.

    The newspaper reported that found inside the Mountain Pine Corner Store were about 164 grams of marijuana, multiple devices related to smoking, $26,389.40 in cash, three working gambling machines, 15 surveillance cameras and four firearms.

  • Indian American Dies in House Fire in Queens

    Indian American Dies in House Fire in Queens

    QUEENS, NY (TIP): A landlord died in a fire that erupted in the basement of his three-story Queens home early Sunday, Sept 24. The blaze broke out at a home on 97th Ave. near 107th St. in Ozone Park around 2:30 a.m., according to officials.

    The 68-year-old victim, Mohinvei Singh, woke up in his bedroom on the first-floor and went down to check on smoke rising from the basement, according to his son-in-law, Raman Deol, 32.

    When his son, Belkarn Singh, awoke in a room full of smoke, he went to look for his father. When the fire was brought under control about an hour later, firefighters found Mohinvei Singh’s body lying in the basement.

  • September 29 New York Print Edition

    September 29 New York Print Edition

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

    Print Replica ~ Digitally

    E-Edition

    [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”New York Edition” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F09%2FTIP-September-29-NYC.pdf|||”][vc_single_image image=”88043″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/TIP-September-29-NYC.pdf”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”82828″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][vc_single_image image=”82829″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][td_block_ad_box spot_id=”custom_ad_3″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Lead Stories This Week” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Ftheindianpanorama.news%2Feditions%2F|||”][td_block_5 limit=”8″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”td-default”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • A crusade for the Turbaned Sikhs

    A crusade for the Turbaned Sikhs

    By Prof Jaswant Singh Gandam

    It is really unsettling that turbaned Sikhs are subject to racial profiling, hate crimes and hate graffiti in some countries as they are messed up with another religio-ethnic group. It is more disquieting that even after a century of their regular migration across seven seas and their stellar role in the developments of the countries of their adoption, Sikh diaspora is still struggling to spread awareness among natives about the distinctiveness and uniqueness of Sikh turban. The recent vandalization of Vermont Gurdwara in Los Angeles, also known as the Hollywood Sikh temple, with a hate graffiti is indeed very disturbing. As per media reports, one of the messages scrawled on the pristine white walls of this California Gurdwara in the USA was a menacing call for ‘nuking’ the Sikhs. The vandal also ominously threatened to slit the throat of the brave man who had confronted him while scrawling the graffiti. Earlier too, Sikh religious places and turbaned Sikhs had been targeted and killed at several places; their business establishments damaged and their dress derided.

    France had banned turban a few year ago. Many others, including Italy, are finding fault with it. This, when the Sikh community follows a scripture -the holy Guru Granth Sahib, the living ‘shabad’ Guru- that is universal in character, secular and scientific in approach, wedded to inter-faith harmony and committed to the amelioration of the whole mankind. The ready help given by Sikhs to people in distress by organizing free community kitchen(‘langar’), providing medicines and other necessary items of daily use to them, never ever even thinking about their caste, creed or color, is the hallmark of the all-inclusive Sikh credo.

    After all, the Sikh ‘Ardas'(prayer) concludes with the Sikh cardinal principle of ‘Sarbat Da Bhala'(well-being of all). Even then, sadly enough, the Sikh diaspora is singled out for snides, insinuendoes /insinuations, racial remarks, attacks and discrimination.

    In such a grim scenario, eminent journalist and writer N.S. Shergill has emerged at the center-stage as a torch-bearer of the turbaned Sikhs’ cause. Seeming to have been catapulted by ‘Waheguru’ as a crusader for the dignity and distinctiveness of Sikh turban, Shergill has done a Yeoman’s service to the cause in his latest publication “International Vaisakhi Souvenir-2017”.

    He had championed it in his earlier publication “Indians Abroad”, brought out on the occasion of the 350th ‘Parkash Purb’ of Guru Gobind Singh ji, the tenth Guru of Sikhs and creator of new socio-religious revolutionary Order ie Khalsa Panth. Though Shergill is virtually a ‘one-man-army’, others will definitely join his campaign. The first turbaned Sikh MP of the UK Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi {Tan Dhesi) and the first turbaned Sikh Defence minister of Canada Mr Harjit Singh Sajjan would hopefully do their bits, and best, on this burning issue exercising the minds of Sikh diaspora. Turban is the crowning glory of a Sikh. It is an inalienable and inviolable article of faith for Sikhs. It is their unique identity. It is their ‘aan, baan, shan’. I pray that ‘Pagri sir da taj rahe/paij, patt atey laaj rahe”!

    Let us all join Shergill’s crusade for the distinct Sikh turban! As Majrooh Sultanpuri said famously- “Main akela hi chala tha janib-e- manzil, magar log saath aate gaye aur caravan banta gaya”.

     (The author is a veteran Journalist)

  • Indian American Couple Makes $200 Million Donation to Nova Southeastern University

    Indian American Couple Makes $200 Million Donation to Nova Southeastern University

    TAMPA, FL (TIP): Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in Florida announced the largest philanthropic gift in its history from Tampa-area cardiologist Dr. Kiran C. Patel and his wife, pediatrician Dr. Pallavi Patel. The commitment will significantly expand its programs in osteopathic medicine and health care sciences, and be used to develop a new 27-acre campus for NSU in Clearwater, Fla. The Patels are renowned in Florida for their philanthropy, community service and entrepreneurship.

    The commitment from the Patel Family Foundation includes a $50 million gift and an additional $150 million real estate and facility investment in a future 325,000 square-foot medical education complex that will be part of NSU’s new Tampa Bay Regional Campus, in Clearwater. The campus will house a new site for NSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, as well as its existing programs in the Tampa area.

    Their transformational commitment will advance health care in Florida and internationally, with a particular focus on multicultural and underserved communities. The goal is to put patients first and integrate medical and health care expertise.

    “This gift and additional investment will enrich NSU’s ability to educate highly-qualified physicians and health care professionals who understand how the medical disciplines can and must work together. These future leaders will represent the cultural diversity of our region, our nation and our world so that they can better serve their patients and communities,” said NSU President Dr. George Hanbury.

    Their $50 million gift, one of the seven-largest to any Florida university in history, catapults NSU to more than 84% of its goal to raise $250 million by 2020 for its Realizing Potential philanthropic campaign.

    “I feel that it is more important than ever to advance the current state of health care,” said Dr. Kiran C. Patel. “It is rare for someone to have the opportunity to impact the world in this way, and, as an immigrant to the United States, I am particularly honored to be able to make a difference in people’s lives around the world. I believe that NSU is the future of multi-disciplinary medical education. Together, we will be able to capitalize on an opportunity that will be beneficial to millions of human lives, many right here in Florida and many others across the globe.”

    “This partnership will benefit thousands of patients, students and doctors,” added Dr. Pallavi Patel. “Over the next 20 years, NSU will train thousands of new doctors and other health care professionals who will directly touch millions of lives, making a real difference.” 

    NSU’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine and Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences are both part of the university’s Health Professions Division, comprised of seven health-related professional degree-granting colleges. NSU operates its Health Professions Division from its Fort Lauderdale/Davie campus as well as from several regional campuses located across Florida and in Puerto Rico. Currently, NSU is seeking accreditation for a new M.D. college and is planning the development of a teaching hospital and major medical center in partnership with HCA East Florida at its Fort Lauderdale/Davie location.

  • Indian American Couple Donates $250,000 to Houston Mayor’s Harvey Relief Fund

    Indian American Couple Donates $250,000 to Houston Mayor’s Harvey Relief Fund

    HOUSTON (TIP): An Indian American couple donated USD 250,000 to Houston Mayor’s Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund at a private event on Sept 24. Houston Indian American Amit Bhandari and his wife Arpita Brahmbhatt Bhandari contributed the donation to the Harvey relief fund set up by Houston’s Mayor Sylvester Turner, on behalf of the Greater Houston Community Foundation of which he is a premium member.

    Hurricane Harvey hit the Gulf Coast of USA on August 25, 2017 and left South Texas with a massive burden of devastation worth over $180 billion. The damage to public and private properties caused by #HurricaneHarvey2017 in and around South Texas includes the destruction of 200,000 homes (50,000 in Houston only), which may take five years to be rebuilt, according to the Governor of Texas.

    Amit Bhandari is a Houston-based entrepreneur. He is the CEO and Chairman of BioUrja Group which trades in energy and agricultural commodities across the globe. His wife, Arpita Bhandari is the Vice President of Human Resources in the company.

    The leading members of the Houston Indian community joined Mayor Sylvester Turner to thank the Indian American couple for having donated a lump sum to the Hurricane Harvey relief fund, and pledged more contributions to financially ease the relief work. Notably, Greater Houston Indian Americans have been trying all possible means to raise USD 1 million for the relief and rehabilitation fund.

    Acknowledging the generosity of Indian Americans in general, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said, “Indian Americans have golden hearts. They always come up with voluntary aid during hard times like Hurricane Harvey. Their contributions are not limited to the Harvey relief and rehabilitation fund. They have been making great efforts for the welfare of Houston for a long time. The Indian community is vital to Houston and will help make the city what it was before prior to Hurricane Harvey 2017.”

    The Consul General of India in Houston, Dr. Anupam Ray lauded the Indian American community for their humanitarian efforts and generous contributions while thanking Amit Bhandari and Arpita Bhandari for donating $250,000 to the relief fund. He added, “Your generosity makes India proud. A community is great if it rises above its suffering. You have demonstrated that by contributing toward Hurricane Harvey relief.”

    Amit Bhandari said that volunteers of the Greater Houston Community Foundation helped rescue 700 victims of Hurricane Harvey in Houston. The community has also donated $1.5 million to several charitable organizations involved in Hurricane Harvey relief and rehabilitation.

     

     

     

  • Mueller’s Russia Trump probe zeroes in on Facebook, Twitter: report

    Mueller’s Russia Trump probe zeroes in on Facebook, Twitter: report

    NEW YORK (TIP): Special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian attempts to influence the 2016 election and possible connections to the Trump campaign is zeroing in on the spread of fake information on Facebook and Twitter, Bloomberg reports.

    Social media is a “red-hot” focus of Mueller’s, U.S. officials familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. Mueller’s office declined to comment, Bloomberg said.

    Facebook last week said it found about $100,000 in ad spending connected to fake accounts probably run out of Russia that sought to sow political division in the run-up to the election. That followed an April report by the company that detailed campaigns by “information operators” to sway public opinion.

    The vulnerability of social media to political manipulation troubles U.S. officials. According to Bloomberg, federal agencies including the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are looking into how to prevent future attempts to manipulate voters, including the 2018 midterm election.

    Congress is also concerned and says social media companies must provide more information.

    The Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr said Tuesday that it’s “probably more a question of when” than if there will be a hearing with Facebook officials as part of his panel’s probe, according to Bloomberg.

    “We’re cooperating with the relevant investigative authorities looking into this subject,” Facebook said in a statement to USA TODAY.

    The Silicon Valley company declined to say what information it provided investigators. It has also declined to disclose the ads it discovered, saying doing so would violate its data policy and federal law.

    Separately, Facebook said September 27, it would tighten controls over who can advertise on its platform, according to Reuters. The change comes in response to the election ads linked to Russia.

  • Trump’s son-in-law to ‘vote as a woman’

    Trump’s son-in-law to ‘vote as a woman’

    NEW YORK (TIP): According to media reports, Donald Trump’s son-in-law and top aide, Jared Kushner, has been registered to vote as a woman for eight years.

    Voter information records held by New York show that the presidential adviser — whose portfolio includes everything from seeking peace in the Middle East to reining in the opioid crisis in the US — was registered as “female”. The screenshot, published by Wired, is not the first time the young statesman has fallen foul of bureaucracy.

    Kushner, who is married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka, also filled out paperwork for his White House security clearance wrongly and had to refile it repeatedly, CBS reported. Prior to 2009, Kushner’s New Jersey voter registration noted his gender as “unknown”, according to The Hill news site.

    Kushner, the scion of a wealthy property-owning family, is one of a number of Trump’s inner circle previously found to have been registered to vote in more than one state during last year’s election, the Washington Post has reported. Others include ex-White House press secretary Sean Spicer and ex-lead strategist Stephen Bannon. Multiple registrations were pointed to by the president as a sign of purported widespread voter fraud in the 2016 poll.

  • Over 130,000 flee fearing volcano eruption on Bali tourist island

    Over 130,000 flee fearing volcano eruption on Bali tourist island

    BALI (TIP): More than 130,000 people have fled the region around the Mount Agung volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali, fearing it will soon erupt, according to an Associated Press report. .

    The disaster mitigation agency’s command post in Bali said the number of evacuees has swelled to about 134,200 by September 28 evening. That’s more than double the estimated population within the immediate danger zone, but people farther from the mountain are leaving too.

    Those who have fled are scattered in more than 500 locations across the island famed for its beaches, lush green interior and elegant Hindu culture, taking shelter in temporary camps, sports centers and other public buildings.

    The volcano has been at its highest alert level for a week, sparking the exodus. Thousands of cows were left behind in the rural communities where farming is an important livelihood, but local animal husbandry officials were arranging trucks to remove them.

    The exclusion zone around the mountain extends as far as 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from the crater in places. The local observatory reported a small plume most likely of water vapor after daybreak Friday, but no ash cloud.

    Agung, which dominates the landscape in the northeast of the island, last erupted in 1963, killing more than 1,100 people. It remained active for about a year.

    Volcanologists say the past week’s dramatic escalation in tremors indicates an eruption is more likely than not, but they can’t say with certainty when it will happen.

  • Trump unveils sweeping tax reforms, stirs deficit concerns

    Trump unveils sweeping tax reforms, stirs deficit concerns

    Proposes to reduce seven tax brackets to just three, double standard deductions

    Republicans welcome; Democrats oppose

    WASHINGTON (TIP): US President Donald Trump has unveiled sweeping tax reforms which if passed by the Congress would bring down the business tax rate to 15 per cent, introduce territorial tax system that would offer level playing field to American companies.

    However, it immediately prompted criticism that the plan favors business and the rich and could add trillions of dollars to the deficit. The proposal drew a swift, skeptical response from Senator Bob Corker, a leading Republican “fiscal hawk,” who vowed not to vote for any federal tax package financed with borrowed money.

    Aimed at targeting the middle-class families, which constitutes the core of nation’s vote bank, Trump has proposed to reduce the current seven tax brackets to just three of 10, 25 and 35 per cent; double the standard deductions and provide relief for families with child and dependent care expenses.

    “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and I guess it’s probably something I can say that I’m very good at. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. We’re going to cut taxes for the middle class, make the tax code simpler and more fair for everyday Americans, and we are going to bring back the jobs and wealth that have left our country—and most people thought left our country for good,” Trump said in his speech in Indiana yesterday.

    “We want tax reform that is pro-growth, pro-jobs, pro-worker, pro-family, and, tax reform that is pro-American. It’s time to take care of our people, to rebuild our nation, and to fight for our great American workers,” he said.

    Observing that for several months, his administration has been working closely with Congress to develop a framework for tax reform, Trump said over the next few months, the House and Senate will build on this framework and produce legislation that will deliver more jobs, higher pay, and lower taxes for middle-class families, and for businesses of all sizes.

    Ruing that the total business US tax rate is 60 per cent higher than its average foreign competitors in the developed world, Trump said by doing so the US has surrendered its competitive edge to other countries.

    “But we’re not surrendering anymore. We’re not surrendering anymore. Under our framework, we will dramatically cut the business tax rate so that American companies and American workers can beat our foreign competitors and start winning again,” he said.

    “We will reduce the corporate tax rate to no higher than 20 per cent. That’s way down from 35 and 39 which is substantially below the average of other industrialized nations.

    “This is a revolutionary change, and the biggest winners will be the everyday American workers as jobs start pouring into our country, as companies start competing for American labor, and as wages start going up at levels that you haven’t seen in many years,” he said. Trump said corporations have parked many trillions of dollars in foreign countries, and many have incorporated abroad in order to avoid the punitive tax system altogether.

    Republicans have welcomed tax reforms. Paul Ryan, House Speaker said, “Today, we move one step closer to fixing our broken tax code so that it puts Americans first. This is our best opportunity in a generation to deliver real middle-class tax relief, create jobs here at home, and fuel unprecedented economic growth”.

    Democrats, on the other hand have opposed the idea. Indian-American Democrat Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said, “As the details of the plan have been trickling out, I’ve been disappointed that the House Republican leadership has taken the same secretive approach to taxes that they brought to healthcare”.

    (Source: PTI)

  • MOVIE REVIEW – KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE

    MOVIE REVIEW – KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE

    CAST: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Halle Berry, Elton John, Channing Tatum

    DIRECTION: Matthew Vaughn

    GENRE: Action

    DURATION: 2 hours 21 minutes

    STORY

    When their headquarters are destroyed and the world is held hostage, the Kingsman’s journey leads them to the discovery of an allied spy organization in the US. These two elite secret organizations must band together to defeat a common enemy.

    REVIEW

    In 2014, ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’ surprised everyone with an audacious screenplay, visceral action and a completely self-aware premise.

    It went on to become a sleeper hit that begged for a sequel. But does the follow-up meet everyone’s expectations? It’s certainly no easy task to recapture that lightning-in-a-bottle success, but ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ certainly tries to up the ante, keeping the same tongue-in-cheek humour intact, along with gritty action and a cast of well-known names.

    Its problem stems from the fact that it doesn’t know exactly when to pull back, in an excessive effort to surpass its predecessor.

    The story is one that we’re all quite familiar with – a psychotic villain holds the world, or at least the US, hostage in an absolutely preposterous manner. Our heroes need to save the day, but the odds are stacked against them when their resources are taken away. In order to make it even more challenging, they need to earn the trust of their new allies, and again that’s a two-way street. Throw in some crazy bad guys and we have a neat little package. But ‘The Golden Circle’ still has some tricks up its sleeve.

    Since action is the primary focus, there’s some nifty editing and camerawork that makes it much easier to follow, reminiscent of the insane chapel sequence in the ‘The Secret Service’. In the acting department, Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Pedro Pascal and Julianne Moore are all effective in their respective roles, but it’s a missed opportunity by not saving Colin Firth’s return as a shocking surprise. On the other hand, Halle Berry, Channing Tatum and Jeff Bridges feel underutilized – undoubtedly being reserved for the next entry in this franchise.

    This also means there’s a lot of fluff this time around which could have been done away with, to make it a leaner, meaner screenplay. But the cast,and director Matthew Vaughn seem to have had a lot of fun making this movie and that essence translates well on screen too. As long as you don’t expect it to be a genre-defying blockbuster, get comfortable and enjoy ‘The Golden Circle’ for what it’s worth. If nothing else, check it out for Elton John playing an extremely colorful version of himself – and that’s saying something!

  • ‘PLAYING BILLIE JEAN KING WAS CHALLENGING’

    ‘PLAYING BILLIE JEAN KING WAS CHALLENGING’

    Oscar-winning actress Emma Stone, who will be seen playing Billie Jean King in upcoming ‘Battle of the Sexes’ movie, feels that it was challenging to play former world number one tennis player.

    While talking at the Red Carpet of the movie, the ‘La La Land’ star said, “I’ve never played a real person before and it’s, like, this person is an icon and an absolute badass that I could never even hope to be exactly like.”

    According to a report, the actress also revealed that capturing the essence of was really important to her.

    “Capturing the essence was very important to us. It was super challenging, but [King] was so warm and welcoming and open to all of it. She was generous with her story that it made it much easier than if she was like, ‘Please don’t make this movie about me, good night,” noted Stone.

    Also in attendance was the real Billie Jean King, who is played by Stone in the film.

    “Emma, thanks for making me look so good,” King quipped about Stone when introducing the film.

    King had met everyone involved with the film before it started shooting. Although she had spent time with Stone, directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (who are also married) made sure the two kept their distance as well.

    Emma also shared that she felt weird because she had to just study videotape of Billie Jean. She needed to hear her voice at 29. Helmed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, ‘Battle of the Sexes’ also stars Steve Carell in the lead role.

    Source: ANI

  • ALICIA VIKANDER’S FIRST LARA CROFT POSTER OUT

    ALICIA VIKANDER’S FIRST LARA CROFT POSTER OUT

    Warner Bros and MGM have released the first official poster for the upcoming ‘Tomb Raider’ reboot, starring Alicia Vikander as the globetrotting archaeologist Lara Croft.

    The reboot comes more than 15 years after Angelina Jolie first brought the video game adventurer to the silver screen.

    The new ‘Tomb Raider’ finds Croft as an ordinary 21- year-old living in London. Haunted by the apparent death of her archaeologist father (Dominic West), she soon sets out on a high-stakes mission to find him. Roar Uthaug is directing, with Walton Goggins on board as the film’s villain.

    ‘Tomb Raider’ will hit theaters on March 16,

    2018. Source: PTI

  • MOVIE REVIEW – SIMRAN

    MOVIE REVIEW – SIMRAN

    CAST: Kangana Ranaut, Sohum Shah

    DIRECTION: Hansal Mehta

    GENRE: Comedy

    DURATION: 2 hours 4 minutes

    STORY

    Praful Patel (Kangana) is a 30-year-old divorcee living in Georgia with her middle-class parents. A housekeeper by profession, she gets drawn to a life of crime after her tryst with gambling at a Las Vegas casino. One bad turn leads to several more and before you know it, Praful is in a sordid mess.

    REVIEW

    The nice thing about Simran is that it ventures into an area where the Bollywood heroine offers no defence for being a badass. The protagonist, a woman with an undaunted spirit, lives and loves by her own set of rules. She refuses to have ‘sex without protection’ and is constantly up for adventure. She doesn’t think twice about slipping into a life of crime just to support her `character flaws’. So far so good.

    Besides the premise, everything else about the film is improbable. The writing falters in parts and naturally the execution follows. The way Praful goes about robbing banks and gets away scot-free, even after leaving her finger prints all over and notes scribbled with lipstick seems unbelievable. The media brands her the ‘lipstick bandit’, and the Atlanta cops and the victimised bank employees seem like a bunch of jokers, who keep harping on the fearless bandit’s modus operandi, and yet, they fail to foil the half-a-dozen heists! It is almost like Hansal Mehta is attempting a comic story.

    Nothing wrong there, but if is a tale that is being recounted in lighter vein, then it should have at least made the audience laugh some more.

    The only one who is having a good time here is Kangana. Whether she’s docile or daring, the actress goes about her screen business with a flourish; getting her mannerisms pat. However, there are occasions when even she gets carried away with the constant focus. But then again, is she really to be blamed? The filmmaker doesn’t even have another noteworthy star on celluloid to share the limelight.

    Simran’s parents and her fiancee, Sameer (Sohum) and other actors–foreign and desi–don’t quite add up.

  • SHRADDHA’S JOURNEY FROM HASEENA PARKAR TO AAPA

    SHRADDHA’S JOURNEY FROM HASEENA PARKAR TO AAPA

    Shraddha Kapoor, who is currently on an all-time career high, believes her journey from Haseena Parkar to Aapa was literally a switch.

    Describing further her journey, the ‘Baaghi’ actress in an exclusive chat with ANI said, “When she decides to do certain things which she hasn’t done before. She always helped people in need and maybe sometimes which is a questionable thing, which is still a theory as it’s not proven yet that she had 88 cases against her where she probably used illegal means and ways to get certain things done be it in real estate or anything else and these are all speculations and nothing has been proven yet. So this journey is of somebody who has been shaped by certain events that happened in her life and it can affect you deeply on an emotional level and it was that for all of us involved in the film.”

    In ‘Haseena Parkar’, Shraddha plays the role of dreaded ‘aapa’ (as Haseena Parkar was called), who became an underworld ‘Mafia Queen’ after she was tried and persecuted because she was Dawood Ibrahim’s sister.

    Parkar, who had 88 cases registered against her, but was taken to court only once in her life, was rumoured to have single-handedly run her brother’s Rs.1000-crore underworld empire in the city. The film shows Haseena’s journey from a 17-year-old teenager to a 43-year-old.

    For this, Shraddha underwent drastically different looks by using prosthetics, body suits and heavy make-up.

    Siblings Shraddha and Siddhanth Kapoor will be seen playing reel life siblings Haseena Parkar and Dawood Ibrahim respectively in Apoorva Lakhia’s upcoming gangland drama ‘Haseena Parkar.’

    It’s for the first time that we will see Shraddha playing a grey character on screen and the film also features Ankur Bhatia, who will essay Haseena’s husband Ibrahim Parkar in the film.

    ‘Haseena Parkar’ is all set to hit the theatres on September 22.

    Source: ANI

  • RAKHI SAWANT TO PLAY ‘MISSING’ HONEYPREET

    RAKHI SAWANT TO PLAY ‘MISSING’ HONEYPREET

    Actress Rakhi Sawant says she will expose Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a biopic in which she will star as the disgraced Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief’s adopted daughter Honeypreet Insan, who is believed to be now hiding in Nepal.

    “Yes, I’m playing Honeypreet as I have known her for seven to eight years. I know everything about her. I believe she is in London right now.

    My brother Rakesh Sawant and I are producing the film,” Rakhi told IANS.

    “I’m in Delhi right now. We will be shooting here only. Our set will be exactly like his Sacha Sauda. I promise my audiences that ‘Main baba ki sab pol khol ke hi dum lungi’ (I will be relieved only after exposing him),” she added.

    The release date of the biopic is yet to be finalised. Source: IANS

  • Madhav: Ready to talk to all unconditionally in Kashmir

    Madhav: Ready to talk to all unconditionally in Kashmir

    NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR (TIP): The government is ready to talk to all stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir without preconditions, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, who arrived in Srinagar on September( 21 Thursday), said.

    “We have said from the beginning and we have maintained that our doors are open to all the stakeholders in the state, they are welcome to come and have a dialogue with the state government as well as whoever wants to talk to the central government, we are open to a dialogue,” Madhav said when asked if talks would be held with separatists in Jammu and Kashmir.

    “The question should be asked to those who do not want to go for dialogue,” he said, in what was seen as a hint at the separatists.

    Speaking to reporters, Madhav said, “If they (separatists) wish, they can have a dialogue with the state government and they can have talks with New Delhi as well.”

    Source: TOI

  • DAWOOD IS IN PAKISTAN, BROTHER KASKAR TELLS INTERROGATORS

    DAWOOD IS IN PAKISTAN, BROTHER KASKAR TELLS INTERROGATORS

    THANE (TIP): Fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim is still in Pakistan, his brother Iqbal Kaskar has told the interrogators from the Intelligence Bureau and the Thane police’s crime branch, said officials.

    Thane police arrested Kaskar two days ago in Mumbai in a case of extortion.

    “Along with crime branch officials, Iqbal is also being questioned by the IB officials for the last two days and he has provided some vital information related to Dawood and his whereabouts,” said a senior official of Thane police. Kaskar, according to the official, confirmed that his brother, wanted in several cases, including the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, is in Pakistan.

    Dawood is of late wary of calling his relatives or his men in India on phone for fear of tapping, he said.

    Kaskar also told the interrogators that he has spoken with his other brother, Anees Ibrahim, who lives with Dawood, only four or five times in the recent past.

    The information given by Kaskar will help in the investigation of several cases registered against the members of Dawood gang in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane, the official said.

    According to the police, Dawood’s drug business has spread to Africa and even South America, while Kaskar looks after his ‘real estate business’ in Mumbai area.

    The crime branch has also sent a team to Bihar to probe the present case, as the shooters hired to scare the complainant had been hired from there, the officer said.

    Two more persons have come forward to complain about the extortion racket run by the Dawood gang in Mumbai- Thane area since Iqbal’s arrest, and the police are expecting at least a dozen more complaints.

    The police are likely to give protection to the complainants, the official said.

    Kaskar and his associates had allegedly been threatening a prominent builder in Thane in Dawood’s name since 2013 and had extorted Rs 30 lakh and four flats from him.

    Kaskar was deported from the UAE in 2003.

    Source: PTI

  • Rohingyas will be deported: Rajnath

    Rohingyas will be deported: Rajnath

    ‘Illegal immigrants, not refugees’

    “The Rohingya are not refugees… No Rohingya has got asylum in India, nor has anyone applied for it. They are illegal immigrants.” — Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister

    NHRC: taken up on humanitarian grounds

    New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday said it had taken up the issue of the Rohingya on humanitarian grounds, but refused to comment on the government’s assertion that the “illegal immigrants” would be deported. “We are taking up the case of Rohingya on humanitarian grounds,” NHRC chairman retired Justice HL Dattu said.

    Source: PTI

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The Centre yet again sent out a clear signal that it will not buy the human rights angle with regard to the Rohingya who have settled in India illegally, and is determined to deport them.

    Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said India was not a signatory to the UN Convention on Refugees and hence would be in no breach of any international protocol in deporting them through legal means.

    Addressing a seminar on “Good Governance, Development and Human Rights”, organised by the National Human Rights Commission, Singh said those concerned with human rights of others should also be concerned with the rights of Indians.

    Referring to the clamour against the deportation, he said: “Do not commit the mistake of categorising the Rohingya as refugees.” They also do not have political asylum in India. “There is a certain procedure to be completed to attain the status of a refugee. The government has not received any application from any quarters to this effect,” Singh added.

    The issue is also related to the country’s security on which this government cannot compromise.

    The government has submitted its affidavit to the court. In this context, he said, Bangladesh was facing trouble on account of influx of the Rohingya. He said the government had extended help to Bangladesh to tide over the crisis on humanitarian grounds. Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, Myanmar has made its intention of taking back the Rohingya clear. He wondered why even then people were building a case against their deportation.

    Batting for human rights as a noble concept, he said it should not be misused for vested interest.

    Drawing a distinction between the concept of human rights understood in the West and in India, he said while in the country it was conceived out of a sense of duty, in the West it was conceived in the backdrop of bloodshed, violence and struggle. Source: The Tribune

  • Govt mulls introducing Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament

    Govt mulls introducing Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The Modi government may introduce in Parliament the Women’s Reservation Bill, which seeks to reserve one third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies for women.

    A senior BJP leader said top echelons of the government and the party have been brainstorming over the Bill, which had polarised the political class whenever various governments introduced it earlier.

    Asked if the government will bring the Bill in its original form orincorporate some changes, he said the matter is still being debated.

    On being asked if the Bill will be introduced in the Winter Session, the leader, on condition of anonymity, said, “It may be introduced. But a final call has not been taken yet.”

    Congress president Sonia Gandhi had on Wednesday written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to introduce the Bill passed in the Lok Sabha by taking advantage of the BJP’s majority in the House.

    BJP leaders claimed that Gandhi was doing politics over the matter and said the UPA government did not introduce the Bill in the Lok Sabha as it could not overcome opposition from within its own ranks.

    The Bill is unique in the way it has polarised opinions as despite getting public support from all major national parties, including the BJP, Congress and the Left, it has drawn fierce opposition from some regional outfits and MPs from backward classes.

    Many OBC MPs cutting across party lines, including the BJP and the Congress, believe that such a law will give advantage to women from upper castes, who are better educated and more resourceful.

    Regional satraps like Lalu Prasad and Mulayam Singh Yadav have also opposed it bitterly, demanding reservation for OBCs and minorities within the quota for women and also that the quantum of reservation should be far less than 33.33 per cent. A strong view within the BJP is that if its government succeeds in getting this constitutional amendment bill passed in Parliament, then it can upend conventional political faultlines and boost its prospects ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha poll.

    Source: PTI

  • INDUSTRIALIST SALARIA BJP’S GURDASPUR PICK, SUNIL JAKHAR CONGRESS’

    INDUSTRIALIST SALARIA BJP’S GURDASPUR PICK, SUNIL JAKHAR CONGRESS’

    CHANDIGARH (TIP): The Bharatiya Janta Party on Sept 21 (Thursday) announced Swaran Singh Salaria as its candidate from the Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency, which fell vacant after the demise of actor-turned-politician Vinod Khanna in April this year.

    The BJP central election committee picked Salaria for the by-election to the parliamentary constituency of Gurdaspur.

    Salaria is a businessman from Chauhana village of Bhoa Assembly constituency. Meanwhile four candidates on Thursday filed their nominations for the Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency by-poll, to be held on October 11.

    An official spokesperson said those who filed nominations include Aam Aadmi Party candidate Suresh Khajuria and his covering candidate Taripata Kumari, besides Rajinder Singh of Hindustan Shakti Saina and Santosh Kumari of Megh Deshm Party. The Congress on Wednesday nominated its Punjab unit president Sunil Jakhar, a loyalist of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, to contest Gurdaspur Lok Sabha by-election scheduled on October 11. Jakhar (63), a threetime MLA from Abohar and a former Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader, was pitted in the intra-party battle against Amarinder’s bête noire and former PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa, whose wife was a claimant for the same ticket.

  • AFTER KERALA CM, KEJRI MEETS KAMAL HAASAN

    AFTER KERALA CM, KEJRI MEETS KAMAL HAASAN

    CHENNAI (TIP): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sept 21 met veteran actor Kamal Haasan and hailed him for coming out against communalism and corruption amid mounting speculation that the latter would take a political plunge.

    Kejriwal also said that the 62-year-old multilingual actor should enter politics.

    Today’s interaction, where the two men expressed mutual admiration for each other, was the second high-profile meeting Haasan had with a political figure in three weeks. The actor had recently called on Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram.

    “It is important at this point when the country is facing strong forces of corruption and communalism, all likeminded people should talk to each other on these issues and work in tandem,” said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief with Haasan by his side.

    Emerging from an hour-long meeting at the actor’s office-cum-residence at Alwarpet here, Kejriwal told reporters that Haasan should enter politics and added that the two would continue to meet in future.

    Haasan, who has of late been dropping hints on taking the political plunge, showered praises on Kejriwal, saying the Delhi Chief Minister had a national profile of fighting against corruption and communalism. “I also have a similar reputation and it is no wonder we decided to have a dialogue on the existing situation (in the country and Tamil Nadu),” he said.

    Stating that he was honoured by Kejriwal’s visit, Haasan said his endeavour was to seek advice from anyone fighting against communalism and corruption.

    Kejriwal said he had always been a great fan of Haasan both as an actor and as an individual. “Kamal Haasan ji enjoys a reputation of integrity and courage,” he added.

    “There are rare people who have the courage to stick their neck out. And Kamal Haasanji happens to be one of them, who has stuck his neck out and he has decided rather than curse from outside that he should enter politics,” Kejriwal said. Earlier on his arrival, Kejriwal was received at the airport by Haasan’s younger daughter Akshara.

    Source: PTI

  • FRENCH RAFALE READY TO MAKE JETS IN INDIA

    FRENCH RAFALE READY TO MAKE JETS IN INDIA

    NEW DELHI (TIP): In line with their contract obligations, French major Dassault Aviation has said it was coordinating between French suppliers and Indian companies to manufacture Rafale fighter jets in India.

    Rafale International comprising Dassault Aviation, Safran and Thales has met over 100 French Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Paris. Indian and French Defence Ministry officials, too, were at these meetings. The French Aerospace Industries Association is the nodal agency producing systems and sub-systems for Rafale.

    French SMEs were being encouraged to set up production activities in India alongside Dassault Aviation, Safran and Thales as part of the Rafale programme to help the company meet its obligations, said a Rafale spokesperson in India. The move comes two days after a US business chamber expressed its concerns over sharing hi-end technology with Indian companies.

    “Encouraging French SMEs to come to India is a key condition to participate in the ‘Make in India’ initiative of PM Narendra Modi and will benefit both French and Indian industries,” the spokesperson said.

    Rafale is looking towards creating opportunities for establishing a full-fledged aero-defence manufacturing ecosystem in India, said Eric Trappier, Dassault Aviation chairman and CEO and GIFAS chairman.

    The GIFAS is a trade body of 382 members ranging from major prime contractors and system suppliers to small specialist companies.

    Source: The Tribune