Pak-India football series cancelled

A two-match football series between the two sides scheduled to be held in Britain next month has been called off.

“The series has been postponed due to unavoidable circumstances and a fresh date will be announced in due course,” said a Pakistan Football Federation spokesman in a statement.

The two matches were scheduled for Derby on September 3 and Glasgow on September 9 and were anxiously awaited by fans at home and in Britain, which has a sizeable South Asian population.

Pakistan had announced a 22-member squad for the series on Thursday and the team was scheduled to fly on Saturday.

The series was supposed to be played last year but the Indian Football Federation could not get clearance from its own government.

New Delhi put a stop to bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan in the wake of terrorist attacks on Mumbai in 2006, which India blamed on militants based in Pakistan.

Pakistan cricket authorities are trying to organise a tour of India early next year

Aamir’s Khan threw impulsive bash to celebrate Delhi Belly’s success

Aamir Khan broke free of his three years of no drinking rule on Friday night …actually Saturday morning, when he threw an unscheduled impromptu party for the spectacular opening of his production Delhi Belly at his residence in Bandra.
Yes, Aamir can be unrehearsed and spontaneous too, if he wants. He proved it on Friday night with his impulsive decision to have a party and an even more impulsive decision to drink after staying away from alcohol for three years.
Says an invitee at the party, “Yes, Aamir suddenly decided to host a party for all the cast and crew of Delhi Belly at his residence. He drank for the first time in three years. Aamir had champagne and Bacardi. We were all surprised when he phoned us to come over to his house post midnight on Friday evening. We thought it’d just be a small and brief celebration for the delightful opening of our film. But the celebration went on until morning. We left at 4 am.”
Significantly the film’s official director Abhinay Deo was missing from the bash. Apparently Abhinay is in London. More importantly the Delhi Belly writer Akshat Verma who, to everyone’s surprise, has been billed as the film’s associate director in the credit titles, was openly and wholeheartedly thanked by Aamir for his contribution to Delhi Belly.
Says the invitee, “Yes, Aamir thanked everyone. But it was Akshat whom he thanked first of all. And that was not a coincidence. We could see Aamir wanted to make public Akshat’s contribution to Delhi Belly.” While every member of the Delhi Belly cast had a blast.

Big B lends voice to Aamir Khan Productions’ Delhi Belly

Not too long ago, the media was rife with tussle between the ‘perfectionist’ Aamir Khan and the stalwart of Bollywood Amitabh Bachchan, over the latter’s film Black. When everything seemed lost, there was an olive branch extended and Bachchan and Aamir once again became close friends. Now Bachchan Sr. will be lending his voice to Aamir Khan Productions’ forthcoming film Delhi Belly.

One may recall, Amitabh Bachchan, had lent the voice earlier too for Aamir Khan’s first home production Lagaan.

Couple of days ago, Aamir and Kiran were seen visiting Amitabh Bachchan on sets of a film where he was shooting. After a long closed door meeting and catching up, they left almost after two hours. And yesterday morning Amitabh Bachchan dubbed in a suburban studio for Delhi Belly.

Bachchan’s voice-over will also be heard in the first trailer of Delhi Belly that will be attached with Dhobi Ghat on Jan 21. The said piece will be an introductory piece and what’s interesting is that Aamir has written the piece.

Aamir has been concentrating and working diligently with Abhinav Deo the director on the final edit of Delhi Belly.

Delhi Belly stars Imran Khan, Kunal Roy Kapur and Vir Das in lead roles.

Sonakshi Sinha harassed at 26/11 tribute event

Click above for more event stills

It is a question that is being raised to not just the involved party but all of India, as to what occasion will it take for the average Indian man to behave himself in public places. Recently, the lovely actress Gul Panag was ill-treated at the Delhi Marathon by the very people who were participating in it. The actress couldn’t file charges as it is difficult to recognise miscreants who indulge in such obscene acts concealing themselves in numbers. She blamed it on Delhi culture.

Yet again another young actress had to undergo a similar incident. Sonakshi came to attend an event organised by three NGOs in the memory of 26/11 victims at the Gandhi garden near the Mantralaya in South Mumbai. Sonakshi came to the event, sat for an hour and just as she was leaving a large group of people began following her. Among those who were her ardent fans, few were there just to create trouble. Sonakshi sensed something ugly and tried to fasten her stride, but the mob followed relentlessly. Some of them some started saying, “Idhar dekho naa, humse baat karo naa” as they tried coming close and some touched her on her arm and her shoulder. Their behaviour was disgusting and out-of order.

Sonakshi’s bouncers rushed her out of the place and tucked her in the car that sped away. So shaken was the Dabangg girl that she was in tears when she left. It has to be said that such behaviour and that too at an occasion that demands one’s complete respect and harmony, is completely unacceptable.

India scolds Pakistan two years after Mumbai

NEW DELHI: India on Thursday accused Pakistan of not doing enough to punish the men who plotted the 2008 militant attacks on Mumbai, as the city prepared to mark the second anniversary of the bloodbath.

A senior Pakistan diplomat confirmed to AFP that an official diplomatic message was delivered to the embassy in New Delhi urging Pakistan to “fulfil its obligation and commitment” to bring the plotters to justice.

Ten gunmen launched coordinated attacks on luxury hotels, a railway station, cafe and Jewish cultural centre on the evening of November 26, 2008, starting a 60-hour siege that left 166 people dead.

Nine of the gunmen were killed, and the sole survivor has been sentenced to death in an Indian court.

The letter accused Islamabad of stalling over the trial in Pakistan of seven suspects accused of plotting the attacks.

“New Delhi

Indian police arrest Commonwealth Games treasurer: reports

NEWDEHLI: Indian police have arrested the sacked treasurer of the Delhi Commonwealth Games organising committee in connection with an investigation into alleged corruption, reports said on Monday.

M. Jayachandran was arrested Sunday after several rounds of questioning and searches were being carried out at his residence, a spokesman for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.

The Times of India said the CBI had seized laptops and documents from his office and residence.

The latest action comes a week after police arrested two other top former Games officials over alleged corruption in connection with an event held last year in London, the Queen’s Baton Relay.

Sacked organising committee joint director general T. S. Darbari and deputy director general Sanjay Mahendroo were arrested on November

Gul Panag molested at Delhi Marathon 2010

Delhi has steadily maintained its image as one that is extremely unsafe for women. In between, thanks to the Common Wealth Games, the spotlight shifted to corruption but with the latest Delhi Marathon 2010, its back to its past stature. The victim this time was none other than the actress who is a sports enthusiast, Gul Panag, who has never missed an opportunity to put her fitness regime to test.

On Sunday, 21st November, when Gul Panag participated in Half Marathon held in Delhi, she was groped by the men standing at the starting point. They took advantage of the crowd to feel her up and the actress was obviously quite taken aback by the whole indecent act.

It was a typical women-in-crowded-places syndrome and Gul being the fighter, instead of letting this event disturb her more than required, went ahead with the marathon and completed the run.

Gul says that she has participated in several other marathons and has never experienced something like this before and blames it on the Delhi culture. She feels that compared to Mumbai, something like this is expected in Delhi which is typical of that city.

The offenders on the other hand took advantage of the melee and got away. Gul too realised the futility of filing a complaint as she really cannot recognise the offenders considering the crowd of people. Though she did feel that no matter what the security, certain decorum is expected from participants.

Evacuations after Delhi building collapse that killed 69

NEWDEHLI: Authorities in New Delhi on Wednesday ordered dozens of buildings to be evacuated near a five-storey residential block that collapsed killing nearly 70 people.

Fears of other collapses prompted officials to order residents to leave about 40 allegedly illegal buildings which were found to have water-logged basements — one possible cause of Monday evening’s disaster.

Hopes of finding survivors buried under the piles of concrete slabs and iron rods faded as rescuers completed their search through the remains of the building, which had housed scores of poor migrant families.

“Stagnant water was found in the basements of 38 buildings in the district, so the inhabitants must vacate immediately for their own safety,” Deep Mathur, spokesman for the Delhi municipal corporation, told AFP.

“We will look into the issue of illegal construction later.

No sedition charges for Indian author Arundhati Roy

NEW DELHI: India has decided against prosecuting award-winning author and activist Arundhati Roy for sedition after she spoke out about the disputed region of Kashmir, an official said Friday.

Roy, winner of the prestigious Booker award for her novel “The God of Small Things” in 1997, is a fierce critic of India’s tactics in Kashmir, where protests against New Delhi have claimed more than 100 lives since June.

She shared a stage with hardline Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani last week and backed the idea of “azadi” or freedom for Kashmir, leading New Delhi police to look into charging her with sedition.

But the police have been instructed to “avoid pursuing the issue and consider it as a closed chapter”, said a senior official in the Indian interior ministry, who asked not to be named.

“No criminal case has been registered against her.

CWG: Aisam clinches opening match

Tennis Star Aisamul Haq got off to a flying start at the Delhi Commonwealth Games after defeating Mugabe Duncan Kasumba of Uganda in straight sets on Monday, giving a chance to the crises-ridden nation to cheer.
Qureshi stormed into the lead in the first set, taking it easily with a 6-2 victory. The second set proved to be a much sterner test for Aisamul haq as his opponent matched him stride for stride. The set eventually went to a tie break. Qureshi eventually won the second set to secure a 6-2, 7-6 victory.
Earlier, Aisams doubles partner Rohan Bopanna defeated Robert Buyinza of Uganda in straight sets in the mens singles event. Bopanna completed a 6-1, 6-4 win in just one hour and two minutes in the first round.
He is likely to meet second seed Peter Luczak in the second round.

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