NINEDAY FILM FEST OPENS WITH ‘NEW INDIA’ THEME

PANAJI: The 49th edition of the International Film Festival of India started with a colourful opening ceremony put together on the theme ‘New India’ in the presence of Union minister of information and broadcasting Col Rajyavardhan Rathore as well as Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar and a host of film personalities from India and abroad. The festival which will showcase 212 films from over 68 countries reflecting a “diversity of taste”. “I think the potential in India and the potential in the Indian young generation is absolutely amazing. We can be world beaters in any sector and film industry is one such place. This film festival is basically a platform for our young generation to showcase their talent, their stories, their skills to the international cinema ...,” Rathore said.

MGP moves HC against former Cong leaders

PANAJI : The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) has moved the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court seeking disqualification of two former Congress MLAS, who quit the state assembly and joined the BJP, from contesting any fresh election. The MGP, an ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party

(BJP) in the Goa government, in its petition claimed that owing to the ill health of chief minister Manohar Parrikar and two other former ministers, the political situation in the state was “fluid”. Goa leaders Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte had last month resigned from the opposition Congress and also from the state assembly to join the ruling BJP.

Cyclone Gaja: HC to monitor relief activities

CHENNAI : Days after cyclone ‘Gaja’ lashed the Tamil Nadu coast, the Madras High Court Tuesday orally observed that one cannot expect authorities to restore everything overnight in cyclone-hit areas but said it would monitor the relief activities. The observation came when the court was hearing a PIL , seeking a direction to declare the cyclonic storm as a National Disaster under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.