Bright News

·           Number of catastrophic events in India increased to 25 in the year 2015 ·           Total economic losses almost six times that of insured losses ·           Many cities - including Delhi - in northern India are vulnerable to earthquakes ·           Protection gap in India is high by regional and global standards Mumbai, 30 March 2016:  According to the latest sigma study by Swiss Re, India’s total economic losses from all disasters, including natural and man-made events exceeded USD 6.2 billion (or 6.8% of worldwide losses) in 2015, down from USD 13.4 billion (11.9% of global losses) in 2014. Total insured losses were USD 1 billion, up from USD 971 million the year before. Based on sigma criteria, there were 25 catastrophic events in India last year, up from 20 in 2014. The sever...

Mumbai, March 30 th , 2016:   Rana Daggubati, who had been shooting for Ghazi in Hyderabad all through March, recently took off on a week-long vacation to Japan with his friends.He visited Tokyo, Hakone and Kyoto. “We stayed in Tokyo for the most part but Kyoto, known for its cherry blossoms, was my favourite, though we didn't see the blossoms as they were going to bloom only this week,“  says the 31-year-old actor, adding that for a foodie like him, sampling authentic Japanese cuisine like seared tuna with wasabi and avocado, Japanese curry and rice, fish eggs and rice, and miso oyster soup, was the highpoint of the trip. He points out that there used to be many Korean and Japanese restaurants in Chennai and he developed a taste for the cuisine at a young age.  “Sushi and sashimi top my list of Japanese favourites.“ Can he rustle up any of the dishes he sampled? “I can cook but I like eating more. I used to cook frequently earlier,“ he laughs, as he recounts how ...

Provides Dettol Air Protect Masks for on-ground task force Mumbai, March 29, 2016:  With over 80 years of strong heritage in product innovation and creating new categories in the country, Dettol has played an integral role in providing better health and hygiene to consumers across the country. By launching an innovative Air Protect Mask, Dettol has further strengthened its commitment towards consumer health by helping them stay protected from the rising air pollution. Dettol has partnered with the dedicated on-ground task force of Gurgaon Traffic Police, which tirelessly works towards improving traffic management for the residents. To add to the agony, the high pollution levels expose them to the risk of respiratory problems and allergies. In order to acknowledge and appreciate their effort, Dettol has provided the recently launched Dettol Air Masks to the on-ground task force to help them prevent harmful particles, bacteria, dust and pollen which they get exposed to. ...

Mumbai, March 29 th , 2016:  Lara Dutta whose last onscreen appearance was Fitoor will now be seen playing the role of a no-nonsense lawyer in Azhar. The actress described her character as a fearless lawyer who stands for the truth and is unafraid of her colleagues.  “It's a challenging role and I had fun playing it because it's a totally fictional character but integral to the narrative ,” says Lara. She shot for most of her scenes in Hyderabad with a few sequences in London. The actress will be seen as Azhar’s arch nemesis in the film that goes out of her way to prove that he was responsible for the match fixing scandal. Lara has worked hard to fit the bill of a lawyer. As a part of her preparation, she met with a lawyer friend to understand her working style and observe her body language. Director Tony Dsouza is deeply impressed with her acting prowess said,  “She went through all the legal documents pertaining to the case. We also had regular reading sessions...

Mumbai,  29th March 2016:  Countries in the WHO South-East Asia Region must take vigorous and concerted action to ‘prevent, treat and beat’ diabetes, a potentially fatal disease that has reached epidemic proportions and is expected to further increase in coming years. “Diabetes rarely makes headlines, and yet it will be the world’s seventh largest killer by 2030 unless intense and focused efforts are made by governments, communities and individuals,” Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia, said ahead of World Health Day which is celebrated on 7 April every year. World Health Day this year focuses on diabetes and calls for scaling up efforts to prevent, care for and detect the disease to arrest the global epidemic which is hitting the low and middle income countries the most. “Diabetes is of particular concern in the Region. More than one out of every four of the 3.7 million diabetes-related deaths globally occur in the Regio...

Mumbai, March 28, 2016 : Family time is something everyone who works away from home misses and craves every now and then. The same feeling has consumed the gorgeous star Amy Jackson who decided to make the most of the Easter weekend she got off from work. She flew down to the UK to surprise her family and friends and spent the weekend with them on this special holiday. It's been a very hectic last couple of months for the stunning lady who has been shuttling between cities for her work commitments across 3 industries. After wrapping her Robot 2 current schedule in Bolivia, she dashed off to Bangkok for her brand shoot and then was in Mumbai to kick start the film shoot for Sohail Khan's next opposite Nawazuddin Siddiqui. After she packed up her shoot on Thursday in Mumbai, she headed straight to the airport to fly out and be with her family and family for the weekend enjoying the Easter festi...

Mumbai, March 28th, 2016:  After a successful innings at the Bigg Boss House,  Gautam Gulati  will now be seen playing a cricketer turned commentator, Ravish in the film Azhar. Commenting on his character, Gautam said,  “When I read the script I instantly fell in love with the character. He's a flamboyant, sophisticated cricketer who had played an important role in Mohammad Azharuddin's life when he was just starting out”. The actor has worked hard to get into the skin of the character. As a part of his preparation for the role, he had to undergo a 2 month long workshop with the director before shooting commenced apart from watching commentary videos.  “ You'll see me doing a lot of commentary, so besides the reading sessions I watched a lot of commentating videos as part of the prep. Cricket commentary is not an easy job; it requires presence of mind and impromptu lines. It was great fun.” Gautam also shared great camaraderie with Emraan on the...

·           Also discloses how ten hands moved under his t-shirt to make his chest bleed ·           Learnt German to woo a teacher he had a crush on ·           Demonstrates what Big B, SRK would sound like if they were bikes Mumbai, March 28, 2016:  In this episode of  M Bole Toh  hosted by the peppy  Malishka, catch John Abraham sharing his deepest and most intimate secrets such as sleeping naked, being objectified and getting clawed by girls.  While promoting his upcoming film ‘Rocky Handsome’ to the millions of young digital Indians through Hotstar, John delves deeper into his love for bikes over babes and that he does not believe in speeding, respects and follows all the laws of the land. On being asked by the show’s host about his thoughts on macho men crying and how it is perceived, John shares that he does not think there is...

“CANADA DI FLIGHT” Date 26 th  March 2016, Mumbai, Film star Govinda graced the premier cum press show of Punjabi Film “Canada Di Flight” at PVR Juhu, Govinda appreciated the film and said ‘one should watch this movie for unlimited fun and a social message’. Besides Govinda, music director Shravan Rathod and actor Tanuj Mahashabde (Krishnan Iyer of TV serial Tarak Mehta…..). Director Roopesh Rai Sikand & Tejas Parmar welcomed everyone including entire team and media on the show. Film stars Yuvraj Hans, Navraj Hans, Tarun Mehta, Rana Ranbir, Nirmal Rishi, Akriti Bharti, Shobhita Rana, Aanushka Ramesh, Minto, Sanjeev Atri & Rajinder Gill (Shakku Rana). The film is produced by Maxwell Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., & Krishan Choudhary presentation, AM Films and Srishti Cine Entertainment and the producers are Sunil Pathare, Ajay Makkar, Deepak Chowdhary and Tejas Parmar. The screenplay and story is written and developed by Roopesh Rai Sikand and Manoj Sabhar...

The official teaser of Sunny Leone’s upcoming Bollywood movie  One Night Stand  has been launched online! The romantic thriller stars  Sunny Leone  and  Tanuj Virwani  in lead roles. The Teaser gives us a glimpse into the union of two souls Urvil and Celina and how one night changed their lives completely. Watch the union of “Samundar” aka Urvil and “Aasmaan” aka Celina here: http://bit.ly/ONS_Teaser    Produced by  Swiss Entertainment  and directed by  Jasmine D’souza the film is slated to release on  22ndApril 2016.

  ​ ​ In preparation for her  ​​ Lakme Fashion Week show,  ​veteran ​ designer  ​Monisha Jaising ​ was seen draping and checking the visual appearance of her designs on models, at ​ the​  fittings that took place  ​at St. Regis Hotel, Mumbai.​   ​This season,  Magnum  ​presents  Monisha Jaising ​ ​. ​ Monisha has collaborated with Magnum Icecream to unveil her latest ​ ​ ​ compendium. ​ ​ Catch the designer,  ​showcase her luxe line​   on  ​Satur​ day, ​ 2nd April,  ​9​ .30p.m. , at Lakme Fashion Week  ​Summer​ / Resort​ ​  201 ​6​ . By invitation only.

No, No ! It's not what you are thinking !! Hold your horses because the reality is far different from what the headline suggests! :)  It is actually a testament to the hard work of the cast of Azhar. They seem to be putting in a lot of effort to make the film a success. Recently, we came across a cute picture of Nargis Fakhri and Prachi Desai sleeping on Emraan’s shoulders posted by celebrity photographer Avinash Gowariker marking the end of a gruelling but fun day of an 11 hour long photo shoot!!!  While we wait for Team Azhar to reveal the first poster of the film and bring us the much awaited trailer of the film soon, from the looks of it, all the three actors have worked very hard to get into the skin of the character.  In fact, From learning the ropes of cricket to following Azhar’s nuances and shadowing him through and through...

~ On Jimmy Kimmel Live! the actor talks about the Indiana Jones franchise’s 5 th  installment, the death of his character on Star Wars – and continues to stay mum on the future of Han Solo ~ One of the most memorable and iconic action heroes of all time - Indiana Jones is all set to return with the fifth film from the popular franchise. Renowned actor Harrison Ford is once again all set to take on some new bad guys, reprising his role of Indiana Jones for the FIFTH time. On Jimmy Kimmel Live! the 48 year old actor got nostalgic and revealed the reason for taking on the role once again. The actor said,  “ I’ll be ready, I’m excited about this. It’s the opportunity to work with  Steven Spielberg   again on this character, a chance to revisit this character which has brought pleasure to so many. Not to mention me. It’s great fun to play this character, its great fun to work with Steven; I’m looking forward to it .” Spielberg, 69, directed all four previous ...

Mumbai, March 22, 2016:  Have you heard of absurd myths like women who wear too much red are easy! Or, one should wear jazzy colors only at night? This Holi, ‘All About You’ from Deepika Padukone has launched an interesting social media campaign. The idea behind the campaign is to bust these weird myths around wearing colors. More than often we come across do’s and don’ts when it comes to wearing certain colors; how to wear them, which colors suits what skin tones and which body types and more. With this campaign, ‘All About You’ encourages users to share the colour myths they have come across and have been conditioned to follow. This campaign has already caught the attention of many and they have started participating, with selfies on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook holding up placards sharing their color myths, with the tag #AllAboutColours. Have you come across any such myths about colours? Share your pictures with the All About You team. Break free from the nor...

·           Donates 'Well’ to Mamilapalli district, Andhra Pradesh ·           321 participants experienced rural struggle to source water for daily living ·           An eye opener for the urban population to save precious water Gurgaon, 23 rd  March, 2016 : On the occasion of 24 th  World Water Day, the ‘We Are Water Foundation’,  an initiative of  Roca   launched a global awareness action-  #NOWALKING4WATER.  Supporting the global campaign,  Roca brought  #NOWALKING4WATER  campaign to India   that   highlighted the importance of water for both- Urban and Rural India. As part of the campaign, a two days awareness drive was organized in the heart of the city- DLF Cyber Hub, Gurgaon that concluded today. Through this initiative, Roca sensitized masses about the life challenges of vil...

Hansal Mehta releases a poignant short film – The last letter: Reach for the Stars MUMBAI; 23rd March 2016:  An artiste is defined by his/her conscience. One such artiste is National Award winning filmmaker Hansal Mehta, who has always used his art to focus on pertinent social issues that shape the fabric of India. As part of the ongoing initiative "India Tomorrow" by the India Today group, Hansal Mehta takes the lead by making a sensitive film that focuses on the tragedy that befell Dalit PhD student Rohith Vemula. The ten minute short film is titled-  The last letter: Reach for the Stars .  Poignantly narrated by Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, the film reads out from a thought-provoking letter written by Vemula (translated by Swanand Kirkire). This is his suicide note. Heart breaking in its pragmatism and sad observational tone, this letter sets the tone of the current climate of apathy and indifference that the establishment has shown. Thanking his colleagues ...

Mumbai, 22 nd  March, 2016  - High-street fashion label, 109˚F, and fashion designer, Nishka Lulla, unveiled their brand new collection at Tote on the Turf. Models flaunted the vibrant collection featuring jumpsuits, dresses, Nishka’s signature twin-sets and more. Dreamcatchers and florals were the predominant motifs accompanied by bright summery hues. Athiya Shetty flaunted her inner fashionista donned in 109 ˚ F by Nishka Lullla at the event. 109˚F is a high-street, new age fashion brand that brings finely-crafted designs for the urban Indian woman. The collection design is inspired by the floral and tribal arts, and reflects the bohemian mood of the urban girl who is passionate and fuss-free. Ideal for every young woman with streaks of irreverence hot-stamped into her DNA, the styles can be identified by young women all over. The splashes of neon reflect their fun, non-conformist side and inspire free-spirited women to flaunt their true colours. Sharing ...

Mumbai, 22nd March, 2016- The recent fee hike proposed by MMR Iron &Steel Market Committee, and now approved by the Government for providing basic civic amenities, has drawn protest from the Darukhana Iron Steel & Scrap Merchants Association (DISMA). The reason cited for opposing the steep hike is lack of on-ground application by the MMR committee on improving the existing infrastructure-state of the plots/areas under its direct supervision. The responsibility is to provide basic civic amenities such as Motorable Roads, Proper Drainage System and Drinking Water Facility etc. vests on MMR Iron & Steel Market Committee. In a strong consideration over the matter by DISMA, a live example of Kalamboli Warehousing complex has been stated. The project commenced in the year 1985 for iron and steel trade in a spread area of 302 hectare and today, it consists of 1940 plots. Still, there is no toilet facility as yet. Following which, DISMA has observed in its letter...

Mumbai, March 22, 2016  – The Association of International Wealth Management of India (AIWMI), a not-for-profit and globally recognised membership association for finance professionals, has entered into a new exam delivery partnership with computer-based testing (CBT) leader Pearson VUE. The new agreement means that Pearson VUE will be delivering the certification exams across a wide range of fields including finance, wealth management, alternative investments, credit research, family office, investment banking and real estate at its network of over 5,000 test centres in 180 countries worldwide. Divyalok Sharma, senior director of client development at Pearson VUE,  said: “The financial services sector around the global and more specifically in India is transforming quickly and leaders in the space are realising that future business success hinges on constant learning and knowledge upgrades. I am proud that through this partnership, we can help AIWMI in its mission t...

The South-East Asia Region has achieved the 2015 Millennium Development Goal of halting and reversing TB incidence. It has also achieved the Stop TB Partnership’s target of halving the TB mortality and prevalence rates compared to 1990 levels. Access to TB care has expanded substantially. Almost 22 million TB patients have been treated in the past 10 years. Treatment success rates among new smear positive pulmonary TB cases have remained above 85% since 2005, and were at a high of 88% in 2013. But it is not enough. Recognizing that these gains are inadequate is essential to pursuing bold new policies to accelerate progress. Current trends clearly show that without such policies and approaches, the SEA region, including India, will fail to meet the SDG targets to End TB by 2030. In a Region with a high TB burden and high at-risk populations, we must think out of the box to find innovative ways to tackle the problem of TB. Bold policies come in many shapes and forms. I suggest ...