Wednesday 9 April 2014
Barcelona Get Out From Champions League By Atletico Madrid
it’s official. The final whistle has sounded on Atletico Madrid’s highly impressive 1-0 victory over Barcelona that has not only seen the Catalans beaten, but bounced from the Champions League altogether, in what can only be called their worst performance of the season.
Koke struck early in the first half to give Los Colchoneros the 1-0 lead. The home side would go on to strike the post three times and could have been up by as much as four goals at the half.
While Atletico dazzled their fans and showed they are truly one of the best clubs in Europe, Barcelona underperformed beyond belief.
The Catalans were sloppy, uncreative and lacked any intensity whatsoever as their Spanish rivals took the game to them over and over again.
In the second half, things improved for Barcelona, but the result would be no different.Atletico would look to defend deep as the Blaugrana were able to get a few chances together, but nothing came from the space.
Again, it was the home side who were completely in control of the game as they broke on the counter-attack several times and nearly doubled their lead on a few occasions.
As the final whistle sounded, the result was both surprising and expected. The embarrassing play of Barcelona had fans in complete amazement, while followers of La Liga were not in the least surprised by the performance of Atletico Madrid.
It marked the second consecutive year that Barcelona had been eliminated from the European classic in a disappointing way and was felt on an emotional level by the fans.
To be fair, Atletico Madrid should receive all of the praise in the world at this point. Their time has truly come and they have proven that they belong among the European elite.
However, a dark cloud hovers over FC Barcelona at the present, and it looks more ominous with each passing day.
Yes, the disappointing Champions League result is not the worst thing to happen to the club over the last few days.
After FIFA handed Barcelona a staunch transfer ban due to their rule-breaking signing of underage players across international lines, all of the focus has been on what will happen next.
Many questions have been raised as to whether or not the club will be able to sign players this summer, even though Barcelona have officially appealed the sentence handed down by FIFA.
At this point, the immediate future of the Catalan giants is cloudy and uncertain at best.
Stars such as Xavi have come out to voice complaints against the transfer ban claiming “it's disproportionate and unjust,” while club President Josep Bartomeu has also hailed the ban as an “injustice”.
Regardless of what the club thinks about the ban, it doesn’t look like it will be lifted. Barcelona’s counter-argument that they treat their kids well does not exempt them from the rules, meaning their appeal will likely not hold any water.
What fans are seeing taking place at Barcelona at the moment is nothing short of disastrous. Not only is the club’s future at jeopardy due to the ban, but the club is also suffering on the pitch before the ban can even be put into action.
The result at the Vicente Calderon is simply the bittersweet icing on the Barcelona cake for the fans and the club.
At the moment, Barcelona need to address several problem areas. The defense is still struggling, creating chances is becoming tougher and the sheer lack of interest in games has become evident in the players.
In the spotlight is manager Tata Martino, who was brought in this summer and has yet to show he has the capability to motivate his stars or make changes when a match calls for tough decisions.
Truly, FC Barcelona is club walking in darkness right now. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel and the sun could come out tomorrow, but for now the Blaugrana will have to trudge through rain that doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon.
In short, Barcelona are in need of a major overhaul. Coaches, board members and even some positions need to be changed or addressed. Yet, with the ban, it looks like the Catalans will be stuck to handle things on their own.
For the last few years, people have begun to say that we are witnessing the end of an era for FC Barcelona. As long as Lionel Messi and company are at the club, nothing is impossible, yet this could possibly be the end of an era and the dawning of a new one—a more difficult one.
Barcelona are still locked in a battle for the La Liga title, which they could definitely win, as well as for the Copa del Rey. There is a silver lining in their dark cloud, but if this result tells us anything, it is that the Catalans may be in for a difficult few years ahead.
Afridi served show-cause notice by PCB
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued a show-cause notice to all-rounder Shahid Afridi in connection with the statements made by him to the media at Karachi’s Quaid-i-Azam International Airport last week.
The all-rounder, in his chat with the media upon his arrival from Dhaka, censured Pakistan team’s poor show in the important World Twenty20 match against the West Indies which saw the greenshirts crashing out of the tournament.
During his interaction with the media, Afridi also expressed willingness to accept the post of national T20 captain which is being considered as infringement of PCB disciplinary rules.
According to sources, the showcause notice has been issued to the all-rounder after lot of consultation within the board and to thwart the pressure that came from some of the ‘high-ups’ in the federal government regarding elevation of Afridi as the next T20 skipper following the resignation of Mohammad Hafeez.
Nargis Fakhri Sex Scandal with Ranbir kapoor
By the looks of the new "Koffee with Karan" promo, Nargis Fakhri is not very fond of her "Rockstar" co-star Ranbir Kapoor.
Nargis debuted with Imtiaz Ali's "Rockstar" (2011) opposite Ranbir. But it seems the American model was not at all swayed by the charm which the Kapoor heartthrob weaves on his co-stars usually.
The actress, who will feature in the upcoming episode of "KWK" with Freida Pinto, had some candid answers, targeting Ranbir in the 'rapid fire' round.
When host Karan Johar asked Nargis who according to her is a "mama's boy", the actress unhesitatingly replied "Ranbir" and further labelled him as "gossip queen".
And just when we thought that Nargis was over with her remarks on Ranbir, she took a dig at couch-mate Freida's reply to a question about the actor. The "Slumdog Millionaire" actress stated that she would love to marry Ranbir to which Nargis quipped: "I am just going to remain quiet on that one" and gestured sealing her lips.
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It can be pointed out that the 34-year-old actress was once reported to be in relationship with the "Besharam" star, and the scathing remarks directed at Ranbir is assumed to be the actress' take on him, after the liaison left her in bitter taste.
Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor had also created some controversy, after voicing not so-favourable comments on Ranbir in the previous season of the show.
Meanwhile, the episode Nargis and Freida has been pushed to an 11pm slot because of its bold content. This is the first such occurrence in the history of "Kofee with Karan".
Bhoothnath Returns dialogue promo: Is Ranbir Kapoor going deaf because of Amitabh Bachchan?
Here is the dialogue promo from Big B’s upcoming film, Bhoothnath Returns
People have been waiting with bated breath ever since it was announced that Ranbir Kapoor and Shahrukh Khan will make a special appearance in Amitabh Bachchan’s upcoming film, Bhoothnath Returns. And looks like the wait is finally over as the makers of the film have released the dialogue promo featuring Ranbir.
The video titled Sunai Nahi De Raha starts with Sr Bachchan, who is a friendly ghost, talking about the importance of having a voter ID card. In the film, Big B is pitted against Bhau (played by Boman Irani), who is a local MLA.
As the promo continues, we see Ranbir Kapoor, who as we already told you, plays himself in the film, pulling the leg of a crew member who does not have a voter ID card. While the crew member calls Ranbir for a shot, he doesn’t listen to him saying he can’t hear what he is saying and implying that getting the voter ID card is the most important thing.
Watch the dialogue promo from Bhoothnath Returns here and tell us how do you like it.
Hrithik Roshan, Rekha and Aamir Khan’s most sensational magazine covers!
The best way for magazines to grab attention is by coming up with a stellar coverpage which is of course high on shock factor. So here’s looking back at seven most controversial magazine covers which took our nation by storm
Aamir Khan is one actor who has managed to stay away from controversies almost all his career. But in 2005 the superstar got embroiled in an ugly controversy thanks to the cover of a popular glossy.
His Baazi co-star Mamta Kulkarni found herself behind the bars when she shot for the cover of the same magazine. This was back in ‘90s. Posing for a magazine wasn’t a crime even then but Mamta had to pay a price for her daredevil act. But before Mamta Kulkarni, the original diva of Bollywood Rekha decided to bare it all for a magazine cover in 1975 and it created quite a stir. However, wethinks the title of the ‘most controversial cover magazine’ goes to Mahesh Bhatt and his beti Pooja Bhatt. The duo courted a huge controversy which till date is fresh in our minds. So let’s take a look at these covers which put some of the most celebrated actors of B-town right in the spotlight but for the wrong reason
Aamir Khan: In 2005, this superstar woke up to the shocking news about him having an illicit relationship with British journalist Jessica Hines. That’s not all! The popular glossy carried this as their cover story which also stated that Aamir was the father of Hines two-year-old son Jaan whom he had abandoned.
Mamta Kulkarni: This B-town beauty posed nude for the cover of a popular glossy and though it grabbed eyeballs, Mamta had no clue of what was in store for her after she dared-to-bare. Apparently, the actor was arrested and asked to pay Rs 15000 as fine for going topless for a photoshoot. Bizarre, hai na? Well, this babe shocked everybody including industrywallas coz back in ‘90s B-town heroines preferred staying away from showing their assets. No wonder, Mamta Kulkarni was touted as the boldest leading lady of Bollywood at that time.
Hrithik Roshan – Kareena Kapoor Khan: A lot has been said about how Duggu and Bebo were once the ‘it’ couple of Bollywood despite the fact that Jr Roshan was somebody else’s man. While this supposedly torrid affair was under the wraps until Stardust magazine reported about Hrithik and Kareena’s relationship as their cover story.
Rekha: From scandals to nude pictures, the Silsila actor stayed in the news throughout her filmi career for various reasons. At a time when Bollywood was far from being westernised, Rekha shed all her inhibitions and posed nude for the cover a filmy magazine.
Pooja Bhatt: This former actor-turned-filmmaker courted many controversies during her hey days in Bollywood. But topping that list is the magazine cover for which Pooja kissed her father Mahesh Bhatt. This father-daughter duo grabbed headlines post that and till date their infamous kissing picture is talked-about. Few years back while talking about the same to a leading daily, Mahesh Bhatt had said, “It was to do with the sensitivity of that region. They did not understand that Pooja comes from an Anglo-Indian family where a daughter and a father kissing is not looked at as incestuous. It was unnecessary noise.” That’s not all! Ms Bhatt once came under the scanner when she spray painted her body and posed for the cover of another magazine. The talented actor was inspired by Hollywood hottie Demi Moore who had walked down the same path.
Mithun Chakraborty: Ok, so this isn’t a controversial magazine cover but we found it very funny and hence decided to mention it. Before we saw John Abraham just in his trunks in Dostana, it was Mithun Chakraborty who almost bared it all for the cover of a magazine. Check out the picture and tell us – does he look hot or funny.
Arvind Kejriwal meets auto-driver who slapped him, gets an apology
Mr Kejriwal first called on Lali, an auto-rickshaw driver who slapped him in Sultanpuri in northwest Delhi yesterday.
Lali was a picture of contrition as he spoke to the AAP leader with folded hands, and tried to touch his feet. "I committed a huge mistake. He is god for me. I did it because he left the government after some days," he said, referring to Mr Kejriwal's resignation in February, after 49 days in power, over the Jan Lokpal bill.
The AAP leader was in an open jeep when Lali garlanded him and then struck him hard on his left cheek, leaving him with a swollen eye. The 38-year-old was immediately tackled to the ground by AAP supporters and beaten. He was taken to a hospital later.
Lali had called Mr Kejriwal a "liar" and accused him of "betraying auto-drivers."
Mr Kejriwal, who called off his roadshow and meditated at Mahatma Gandhi's memorial Rajghat after the attack, today said the Delhi Police should track down the "mastermind" of these attacks.
"I don't want security. What's the use if everyday someone comes and slaps me. The attacks will stop only if the mastermind is caught. The police commissioner said he will trace the mastermind in the next few days," Mr Kejriwal said after meeting Delhi Police chief BS Bassi today.
Mr Kejriwal has blamed political rivals for attacks on him in the past few weeks. He was punched in Delhi's Dakshinpuri area on Friday and has earlier had ink, mobil oil and even an egg hurled at him in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, where he is contesting against BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
Narendra Modi will divide the nation into pieces: Rahul Gandhi
"Modi wants to become the PM and he can do anything for it. He will divide the nation into pieces, make people fight against each other," Mr Gandhi said at a rally in Kanker in Chhattisgarh.
The BJP, led by Mr Modi, is widely tipped to win the election, but opinion polls suggest it may fall short of a clear majority.
At the rally, Mr Gandhi also invoked the 'Snoopgate' controversy or the alleged spying on a young woman by police officers in Gujarat in 2009 to target the BJP's prime ministerial nominee.
"The Gujarat Chief Minister gets women's phones tapped, sends policemen behind them and then we see posters talking about empowerment of women," the Congress No. 2 said.
Earlier in the day, his mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi had, at a rally in Karnataka, alleged that women were subjected to atrocities in Mr Modi's Gujarat, in an apparent reference to the spying scandal.
"You have witnessed how the personal lives of women were played with in their (BJP) rule... Various atrocities are being committed on our sisters in Gujarat. This is their real face," Mrs Gandhi said at a rally in Kolar in Karnataka.
The 'Snoopgate' scandal surfaced when a senior Gujarat police officer submitted tapes of secretly-recorded phone conversations in 2009 to the CBI. The conversations allegedly indicate that the woman was being tailed at the instructions of a "saheb" or big boss. The Congress has alleged that this man is Mr Modi, who is the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
The BJP said the woman's father, who was known to Mr Modi, was worried about her safety and had asked for her to be protected. The father, in a letter, verified that claim.
Three southern stars hope to win over western UP
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This is the Hindi heartland, where women make up almost about 45 per cent of the population, but have hardly contested elections owing to the conservative caste politics that has dominated this landscape. The writ of khaps or all-male village bodies that some have even equated to kangaroo courts, is law in many parts of this region and gender discrimination makes headlines very often.
In Meerut, 39-year-old Congress candidate Nagma finds it difficult to step out of her car, so heavily mobbed is she as she campaigns. But the actor seems most comfortable in the UP heat and dust, far away from her posh Mumbai home.
There have been irritants though. More than her main rival the BJP's Rajendra Agarwal, her battle so far has been with over-excited crowds, eager to get a glimpse of the star. At times people have got too close. In one instance, she allegedly slapped a man who tried to grope her.
In another she was seen on camera angrily shrugging off the hand of a Congress MLA Gajraj Singh. She has denied that he tried to kiss her.
But in her entourage, Nagma includes bouncers for security.
She is the only woman candidate fielded by a big political party in Meerut, considered a BJP stronghold. The seat is held by the BJP and three of the five MLAs of Meerut are from the party as is the city's mayor.
The actor is not overwhelmed by the "outsider" tag.
"If so, Modi is an outsider in Varanasi, Sushma (Swaraj) in Vidisha and L K Advani in Gandhinagar," she says.
In neighbouring Bijnor, another star is drawing crowds.
Jaya Prada is not a debutant, nor is she new to UP. She has won the last two elections from Rampur as a Samajwadi Party candidate. This time she is contesting as a member of Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).
At her road show in the narrow lanes of the Chandpur market, she points to a cinema hall where one of her fiilms is showing. She calls UP her karmabhoomi or workplace and seeks votes in Bijnor on the basis of her stint as Rampur MP.
"The Lok Sabha is a very difficult task. You have to leave your stardom behind in Mumbai and come down here as a normal person. But I don't have to introduce myself, that's the bonus of films. My work speaks, that's the bonus of politics."
Jaya Prada, who was best known for playing demure characters in her films, says politics has changed her image.
"I played subdued characters who wept. But my image has changed. They used to call me the goongi gudiya (dumb doll) because of my film Sargam, but now I am a lioness".
The RLD has retained the Bijnor seat since 2004, but last year's communal violence in this region is expected to affect traditional vote bank calculations. Amid deeply polarised politics, the BJP has fielded against Jaya Prada, Kunwar Bhartendra Singh, an MLA accused of making a hate speech just before the riots tore through the Muzzafarnagar and Shamli districts in this region in September 2013.
Not far from Bijnor, in the land of Lord Krishna, the original "dream girl" of Bollywood is weaving dreams for Mathura, promising change.
Hema Malini is the BJP's candidate in a seat held by the RLD. Her opponent is Ajit Singh's son Jayant Choudhary, Jat leader and sitting MP in constituency that has 3.5 lakh Jat voters.
Hema points out, "I'm a Jat bahu (daughter-in-law)...I am no different." The 65-year-old star is married to actor Dharmendra.
Hema Malini does not mingle with the crowds. She interacts with voters from the cool confines of her Audi as it drives through the narrow by-lanes of Vrindavan
"I can't just get out and go into the crowd. I have my limitations. Being a celebrity and artist, people want to reach out and touch...we have to safeguard ourselves," she explains.
If Hema Malini wins Mathura, she will be the first woman MP from here.
"Dharamji was not very comfortable" with the idea of her contesting Lok Sabha elections, she shares.
She says the BJP gave her a choice of seats. "I chose Mathura since I have a 20-year old link with Braj Bhoomi."
"We are like the three shaktis (Hindu Goddesses) in this region -- like Mahalaxmi, Mahakaali and Mahasaraswati," says Jaya Prada.
pakistani Shia doctor, madressa students among 12 killed in Karachi
KARACHI: At least 12 people including a Shia doctor and three madressa students were killed and several others injured in different incidents of violence in the port city, DawnNews reported on Wednesday.
The latest incident took place near Continental Bakery in Gulistan-i-Jauhar neighbourhood when unidentified attackers killed three students of an Islamic seminary. Two students sustained bullets wounds also. They are reportedly in critical condition at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).
Enraged people took to the streets after the incident. They set ablaze push carts and forced local shop keepers to shut their businesses.
Police and Rangers personnel reached the site to disperse the angry mob.
The incident followed yet another high-profile Shia killing in the same area when Doctor Haider Raza was gunned down by unidentified attackers in front of Darul Sehat Hospital. Another man accompanying Raza in his car was injured in the attack. His identity is yet not known.
Jafaria Alliance and Pakistan Shia Ulema Council condemning the attack demanded an early arrest of the culprits.
Earlier during the day, a bomb weighing 13 kilograms was defused near Khalid Bin Waleed road in Karachi’s PECHS area.
Karachi, the largest metropolitan city of Pakistan, is riddled with targeted killings, gang wars, kidnappings for ransom, extortion and sectarian violence. Targeted operations led by Rangers’ forces with the support of police are ongoing in the city under a directive issued by the federal government against criminals already identified by federal, military and civilian agencies.
'I took Reeva's life,' Pistorius tells South African court
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| i kill my lovely wife. |
Oscar Pistorius told a South African court on Wednesday that his girlfriend died in his arms, blood pouring from her body, as he tried to revive her after shooting her by mistake.
Facing questioning from prosecutor Gerrie Nel for the first time in his murder trial, Pistorius admitted killing Reeva Steenkamp at his home on February 14 last year but said "I made a mistake".
The double amputee Olympic and Paralympic sprinter, once revered the world over for his triumph over adversity, faces life in prison if convicted of the murder of Steenkamp, a 29-year-old law graduate and model.
His defence hinges on his contention that he thought he was firing at an intruder when shot Steenkamp through a toilet door in his luxury Pretoria home. The prosecution aims to show he was a hot-headed character who loved to play with guns.
Pistorius, fighting back tears, told the court how he desperately tried to revive Steenkamp, who was hit by three of four pistol rounds he fired through the door.
"I checked to see if she was breathing and she wasn't," he said. "I could feel the blood was running down on me," Pistorius said.
Pathologists said she was mortally wounded by one shot to the head.
He eventually managed to carry Steenkamp down stairs where neighbours tried to administer first aid before paramedics arrived.
But Pistorius said he knew that Steenkamp - with whom he said he was planning to buy a house - was already dead.
"The paramedics arrived. They asked for some space to work so I stood up," he said, his voice quavering with emotion.
"Reeva, Reeva had already died whilst I was holding her, before the ambulance arrived, so I knew there was nothing they could do for her."
MODEL SPORTSMAN
With no direct witnesses, Nel's main task is to pick holes in Pistorius' version of events and cast doubt on the veracity of his testimony about a perceived burglar.
He opened his case by asking Pistorius about his international reputation and strong Christian beliefs before hitting him with the reality of what took place.
"You are a model for sportsmen, disabled and abled bodied sportsmen, all over the world?" Nel asked.
"I think I was, My Lady. I made a mistake," replied Pistorius, answering to judge Thokozile Masipa, only the second black woman to ascend to the South African bench.
"You killed a person, that's what you did," came the reply.
"I made a mistake. My mistake was that I took Reeva's life," 27-year-old Pistorius said.
"You killed her. You shot and killed her. Won't you take responsibility for that?" Nel said.
"ZOMBIE STOPPER"
Nel then went on to ask whether Pistorius, well-known as a weapons enthusiast, knew what a 'zombie stopper' was, to which Pistorius replied 'No'.
After a brief adjounrment, the court then viewed video footage broadcast on Britain's Sky News of Pistorius firing a handgun at a water-melon at a shooting range.
As the melon disintegrates, a male voice off-camera that sounds like Pistorius says: "It's a lot softer than brains. But (bleep) it's like a zombie stopper."
Pistorius admitted it was his voice, leading to Nel to press him on his motives for wanting to see the water melon explode.
"You know that the same happened to Reeva's head. It exploded. I'm going to show you," he said, before projecting a forensic photograph of Steenkamp's head, the side and back of her head matted with blood and brains, on the court monitors.
"Take responsibility for what you have done," he told Pistorius, eliciting gasps from the packed public gallery.
Pistorius hid his head in his hands in the witness stand, rocking from side to side, sobbing and saying he took responsibility "but I will not look".
Baloch separatists claim Islamabad terror attack; 24 killed
ISLAMABAD/QUETTA: United Baloch Army (UBA) – a separatist militant outfit in Balochistan – has claimed responsibility of the deadly terrorist attack in Sabzi Mandi area of the capital city that killed at least 24 people and wounded more than 115 on Wednesday.
Speaking to media representatives over telephone, spokesman for UBA Mureed Baloch said the rebel Baloch group has carried out the attack in retaliation to military’s ongoing operation in Balochistan’s Kalat district.
“We carried out the attack in Islamabad in response to the military operation against us and we will launch more such attacks in other cities,” he said.
The United Baloch Army had also claimed responsibility of deadly train attack in Sibi yesterday. At least 17 people, two women and four children among them, burned to death and over 45 were injured in a powerful explosion in a carriage of a Rawalpindi-bound train at the Sibi station on Tuesday.
The Frontier Corps (FC) began an operation against insurgents early Monday in the Kalat district, around 300 kilometres southwest of Quetta in which up to 40 insurgents were killed.
More than 160 people have been killed in attacks since the start of the peace process, leading many to question its worth. It is also unclear whether the umbrella Taliban group can control all its factions.
Tuesday 8 April 2014
Another Bangladeshi killed by Indian nationals
Two days into the killing of three Bangladeshi nationals by a group of Indian people in the Indian state of Tripura, another Bangladeshi was shot dead by members of India’s Khasia community at Bagaiya of Goainghat upazila along the Sylhet border on Tuesday.
The deceased was identified as Delwar Hussain, 16, son of Shah Alam of Muslimpara village under Goainghat upazilla in Sylhet.
The local people said the members of the Khasia community opened fire on Delwar while he had been collecting dried firewood in the bordering area near pillar No 1262 around 2:30pm.
Later, members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were informed about the incident as the body was lying on the no-man’s land till filing of this report around 7:30pm.
When contacted, the officer-in-charge of Gowainghat Police Station said contacts were being made with the Indian Border Security Force-BSF through the BGB to get back Hussain’s body.
Earlier on April 6, three Bangladeshi nationals were beaten to death in the Khowai town of Tripura state, close to the border of Chunarughat upazila in Habiganj district.
The incident took place when some Indian villagers suspected them to be cattle lifters as they were returning home with cattle.
On Monday, the BSF returned the bodies of the three Bangladeshis to the BGB.
Bangladesh had strongly protested killing of the Bangladeshi people and demanded punishment to the killers through proper investigation.
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Fakhrul released on bail
http://www.theindependentbd.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=210965:fakhrul-released-on-bail&catid=187:online-edition&Itemid=223
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