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Fires ravage southern France, Portugal; 4 dead, scores flee
Multiple fires form a column marching toward the Mediterranean port city of Marseille, on Wednesday, hundreds of miles away, a fire swept overnight into Funchal, the capital of Portugal’s Madeira Islands.Fires whipped by high winds ravaged swaths of southern France and Portugal, killing at least four people, burning scores of homes and forcing the evacuation of thousands, including tourists.
In France, multiple fires formed a column marching toward the Mediterranean port city of Marseille, yesterday. Hundreds of miles away, a fire swept overnight into Funchal, the capital of Portugal’s Madeira Islands, killing three elderly people and leaving more than 300 with minor burns and smoke inhalation.
Forest watchman burnt alive
A forest watchman was killed on the mainland during the night when one of more than 100 blazes engulfed the caravan he was sleeping in 150 kilometres (95 miles) north of Lisbon.Two people were reported injured, one seriously, as the fire in southern France moved toward Marseille, fire-fighters said, and 20 to 25 homes were burned. At least 2,700 hectares (6,670 acres) of land were devastated.
Four fire-fighters suffer burns
Four fire-fighters were injured, three seriously, battling a separate blaze in the nearby Herault region after bringing under control a fire in an industrial area outside Marseille that stocks oil and petrochemicals.The Marseille airport rerouted incoming flights to make way for fire-fighting aircraft, while officials in Marseilles, France’s second-largest city, were bracing for flames that risked lapping at its doors, and the airport warned flights risk delays or cancellations on Thursday.
Thick layers of ochre-coloured smoke dimmed the afternoon skies of sun-drenched Marseille, while black plumes rose above Vitrolles and Pennes-Mirabeau.
‘Really like the end of the world’
“It was a scene really like the end of the world,” Caroline Vidal, a Vitrolles resident told iTele TV, describing the scene as she fled her home to her grandmother’s house and saw people running on the highway to escape.Assistant Prefect Yves Rousset, asked at a pre-dawn meeting with reporters in Marseille, whether the fire might reach France’s second-largest city overnight, said, “We can never say there will be no risk, but we’re doing everything so it doesn’t.” Fire-fighting aircraft were restarting duty at daybreak, while the battle continued on the ground.
Multiple blazes
Fire-fighters in both countries battled multiple blazes fanned by high winds and fed by brush in a hot, dry summer, considered fire season in both countries. A full 186 wildfires were counted on Werdnesday on Portugal’s mainland.But the blazes were exceptionally powerful in both countries, roaring through Madeira and southern France at the height of the tourist season, a mainstay of the economy of Madeira islands, off northwest Africa.
Portugal’s untrammelled wildfires
Portugal’s National Civil Protection Service reported 14 major wildfires burning out of control in mainland Portugal where almost 4,500 fire-fighters were in action in a massive operation, supported by 28 water-dumping aircraft and 1,300 vehicles. Desperate, the government requested help from other European Union countries.
US wants India to step up aid to Kabul
The U.S. is in favour of India providing greater security assistance to Afghanistan, General John William Nicholson, Commander of the U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, said on Wednesday.“It is up to the Indian government to decide what form it would take… We encourage it,” said Gen. Nicholson, who also commands the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan.
The gift of four MI-25 attack helicopters by India to Afghanistan was specially cited by the U.S. military commander while flagging the crucial role India is playing in the war-torn country. “I know that they [Afghan authorities] have requested more. There is an immediate need for more. If they get these helicopters they will get into the fight soon.”
“The tremendous cooperation India has made in the human capital of Afghan security forces is the one contribution that is going to be enduring,” he said referring to the training provided by India to Afghan forces.Gen. Nicholson, who’s in Delhi now, said Afghanistan military requires more aircraft. “The Afghan air force needs to expand. We are concerned about making it sustainable, so that they can maintain the aircraft, get their parts in time, etc.”
He said efforts were under way to create a facility in Afghanistan for servicing Russian made military equipment such as the MI-25 helicopters they got from India. “Due to sanctions on Russia, it’s difficult to acquire supplies of spare-parts for Russian military platforms, because much of the money is given to Afghanistan by donors who have sanctions against Russia in place.”
Fighting Taliban
The fight against Taliban, he said, is making progress. “Last year, Afghan forces suffered over 5,000 deaths. But by the end of the year, they were able to take control of all major population centres. In 2016, they have gone on an aggressive mode.” The main focus of the U.S. forces in Afghanistan is counter-terrorism mission, primarily targeted at al-Qaeda, Taliban and Islamic State.Compared to the limited success against the Taliban, he said the IS’s faction in Afghanistan has suffered major setbacks in recent times.
Gen Nicholson said when the IS began to emerge, its fighting cadres numbered about 3,000, and had occupied 9 or 10 districts.After President Obama gave authority to attack the IS in January this year, U.S. forces have been aggressively targeting them, he said. “They (Afghan and U.S. troops) killed a number of top leaders, and over 300 of their fighters. What this amounts to is at least 25 per cent of the organisation. It has reduced their territory, population under their control and they have started withdrawing to the south.”
Samsung Galaxy On5 (2016), Galaxy On7 (2016) release date: Launch imminent as the smartphones clear TENAA
All eyes will be on Samsung’s budget and mid-range smartphones now that the company has unveiled the much-awaited Galaxy Note 7. The company appears to be working on the launch of the Galaxy On5 (2016) and Galaxy On7 (2016), and it may happen earlier than expected.Now, both the Galaxy On5 (2016) with model number SM-G5700 and the Galaxy On7 (2016) with model number SM-G6100 have been approved by the Chinese telecom equipment certification authority TENAA (via TimesNews), giving a clear hint that their release date is not far off.
The devices were earlier spotted on Geekbench and Zauba, a website that keeps track of imports and exports in India. Samsung Galaxy On5 (2016) has also been certified by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC).According to TENAA listing, the Galaxy On5 (2016) sports a 5-inch display with 720×1,280 pixels screen resolution, measures 142.8×69.6×8.1 mm in dimension, weighs 142 g, powered by a 2,600mAh battery, and available in Gold, Pink Gold, Black and Metallic Gold colours. Under the hood, it has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor, 32GB internal memory expandable up to 128GB via microSD card, 3GB RAM, 13MP main camera, 8MP front-snapper, and Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow operating system.
On the other hand, the Galaxy On7 (2016) has been spotted with a 5.5-inch display with 1,920×1,080 resolution, measures 151.5×74.9×8.0 mm in dimension, weighs 166.7 g, and powered by a 3,300mAh battery. It is also expected to feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, 32GB inbuilt storage expandable up to 128GB, 3GB RAM, Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, 13MP main camera, and an 8MP front-snapper.Interestingly, benchmarking website Geekbench has listed a device with model of number SM-G610F, believed to be the Galaxy On7 (2016), which means Samsung could release another model of the device with an Exynos 7870 processor.
Flipkart Freedom Sale Day 1: Lenovo K5 Plus, K5 Note, iPhone 6s and other best deals
India is set to celebrate its 70th Independence Day on Aug. 15 and online retailers are leaving no stone unturned to mark this day with great deals and discounts on a wide range of products. Flipkart, which is one of the primary resorts to buy products at best prices, is also commemorating the Indian Independence with Freedom Sale, which started on Aug. 10 and runs till Aug. 12.
As a part of the three-day Freedom Sale, Flipkart is offering generous discounts on products ranging from mobiles and tablets to fashion and lifestyle. In addition, HDFC credit card holders can avail an extra 10 percent discount during the sale on a minimum spend of Rs. 4,999 with a maximum discount of Rs. 1,500. In order to make the sale more attractive, the e-tailer is offering 5X reward points on shopping through SmartBuy Flipkart Store, even on EasyEMI.
Electronics are a major part of Independence Day sale and Flipkart is offering some attractive offers on its site. For those who wish to compare
offers from other retailers can go to deal aggregating sites such as DealPlatter, for easy and quick search. To make it easier for shoppers to get the best offers, we have listed the best deals that we find are worthy below:
Apple iPhone 6S, 6S Plus, 6 and 6 Plus
Apple iPhones aren’t usually on discounts, but the Freedom Sale on Flipkart changes that. The iPhone 6S 16GB variant is available for Rs. 46,999 and the iPhone 6S Plus 16GB costs Rs. 49,999. If you prefer older models for a cheaper alternative, then the iPhone 6 16GB is priced at Rs. 35,999 while the bigger iPhone 6 Plus 16GB Space Grey variant is selling for just Rs. 39,999.
All iPhones are available with no cost EMI scheme and attractive exchange offers.
Lenovo K5 Plus
Lenovo’s Vibe K5 Plus attracted several buyers for its attractive price and specifications. As a part of the Flipkart Freedom Sale, the handset comes at a special price of Rs. 7,499 instead of Rs. 8,499, making it an irresistible deal for those who wanted to get a budget premium smartphone.
Moto X Play with Turbo Charger [32GB variant / 16GB variant]
Moto X Play was well-received for its design and configuration and the discount of 20 percent makes it even more appealing. The 16GB variant of the Moto X Play is priced at Rs. 13,999, down from its usual Rs. 17,499 price tag, while the 32GB model is available for Rs. 15,999 instead of Rs. 18,999. It’s a great savings on a flagship model such as Moto X Play, which comes with Turbo Charger.
Other mobiles
Xiaomi Mi 4 16GB is available at Rs. 10,999, saving Rs. 4,000; Samsung Galaxy J5 2016 is available at Rs. 11,990 instead of Rs. 13,290; Micromax Canvas Xpress 4G is priced at Rs. 5,499 (16% off); and Swipe Elite Plus costs Rs. 6,499 (7% off) There are several other offers such as additional discount on exchanging old smartphones for new handsets like LeEco Le 2 and Lenovo K5 Note.
Smartwatches
If you have longed to have a smart gear for your wrist, now is the time. Motorola’s Moto 360 smartwatch is up on sale at a special price. The second-gen smartphone with 42mm strap for men is available at Rs. 16,999 and the same watch with metal band is available for Rs. 20,999, saving Rs. 3,000 on both models. Moto 360 women smartwatch both leather and metal band variants are available Rs. 3,000 cheaper than the regular price.
Apple Watch series are also getting treated with steep discount on Flipkart. The sport variant with 42mm space grey aluminium case is priced at Rs. 27,999 and the 38mm variant is Rs. 22,900. The 38mm gold aluminium case with sport bands are priced at Rs. 22,999, saving 25 percent.
Power Banks
Avid travelers need this accessory to charge smartphones while on-the-go. Flipkart is offered more than 60 percent off on a wide range of power banks. For instance, Ambrane 10,000mAh power bank now costs Rs. 649 instead of Rs. 1,799 and the 20,800mAh power bank is available for Rs. 1,699 instead of Rs. 3,999. There are several other capacity power banks to suit your needs and demands on Flipkart.
Flipkart is offering discounts on other electronics such as DSLR cameras, external hard drives and more. We will also keep a track of other offers on Flipkart to see if new deals and discounts pop up.
‘Jagan planning to join BJP led NDA ‘
After a long gap, TDP national committee General Secretary N Lokesh has targeted YSR Congress party for the main opposition party campaign against Telugu Desam on special status to Andhra Pradesh.
Lokesh alleged YSR Congress president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy misleading people on special status for political gains. TDP had been fighting on the issue with centre though the party was one of the partners in BJP-LED NDA government.
The AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s son also said that Jagan conspired to force the TDP to come out of NDA and then YSR Congress wanted to join as partner with the centre.Lokesh said his party will not compromise on special status issue and the TDP will also continue struggle on until people’s aspirations are fulfilled.
NTR Received Naidu’s Invitation
Telugu Desam Party, which is inviting all the celebrities and VIPs to take part in the prestigious Krishna Pushkaralu, has extended a warm invitation to Jr NTR as well.
It is not a big secret that all is not well between NTR and TDP. If we dig a little deep into the history, Jr NTR had campaigned extensively for TDP ahead of 2009 elections but later he distanced himself with the party for the reasons best known to him. He also continues to have love-hate relationship with Nandamuri and Nara families. No one is sure what actually happened amidst several theories in circulation but there is an uneasy atmosphere for sure.
However NTR continues to reiterate that his loyalty will be only for Telugu Desam Party, some issues related to Balakrishna forced Chandrababu Naidu to keep him away from the party. But, now TDP seems to be trying to reconcile with NTR. Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Palle Raghunadha Reddy has personally met NTR at his residence in Hyderabad and invited him to take part in the Krishna Pushkaralu. NTR warmly received the invitation and promised that he would try to make it for the auspicious event.Is this is the first step towards the resurrection of NTR in TDP?
Did DSP Hurt Balayya’s Ego?
After raising the fans’ excitement levels by joining Nandamuri Balakrishna’s prestigious 100th film, Gautamiputra Satakarni, Rock Star music director Devi Sri Prasad brought down all the excitement and euphoria after he was sacked by Balayya and Krish.While fans are deeply upset with this sudden development, the film’s hero Nandamuri Balakrishna’s ego is hurt with DSP for not catering enough time to record the songs for the most important project of his career.
Balayya was particularly unhappy that DSP was giving more importance to Chiranjeevi’s 150th film apart from being busy with NTR’s Janatha Garage and a few other projects in Telugu and Tamil, even though he was roped in for Balayya’s film long before any of these films.
Balayya and DSP joined forces in the past for Legend and the film was a huge blockbuster. Balayya gave a lot of importance to DSP during Legend and fans’ dreams of the same magic being repeated with Gautamiputra Satakarni were crashed.
Jakkanna Producer Sudharshan Reddy thanks audience for Making Movie A Big Hit
Sunil was one of the ace comedians who could put a smile on our faces in any given circumstance. But later he chose to entertain us becoming a hero. He recently enthralled the audience with his latest offering Jakkana, which released on July 29th.The film opened to a decent response and had made a good collection at the worldwide box office. The film has recorded career-best openings for Sunil till date as Jakkana collected 3. 78 Crores share on its opening day. Despite of the drop in its second day, the collections have shown high jump from the third day to twelve days of its release. So, far the film collected 15.28 Crore share at the box office.
Producer Sudharshan Reddy buoyed by the great response over the film. In a recent media interaction, Sudharshan said, “We are extremely pleased with the way ‘Jakkanna’ has been received by the audiences. Although the film opened to divided talk on the first day, it picked up steam and managed to rake in a share of Rs 7.3 Crore in the opening weekend worldwide”.
He further admitted that “Despite mixed reviews, the masses have lapped up the film. The response has been very positive. My three-year-long wait to produce a film after ‘Prema Katha Chithram’ has paid off with ‘Jakkanna’. We are quite happy as our film has been running successful in its third week”.Directed by Vamsi Krishna Akella, Jakkanna has emerged as the biggest opener in Sunil’s career. The film also stars Mannara Chopra as the female lead, and the comedy has been received well by the audience.
Plagiarism Allegations on Mohenjo Daro
Hrithik Roshan’s period drama ‘Mohenjo Daro’, which is gearing up for release on August 12, has been entangled in plagiarism issue.
A writer named Akash Aditya Lama had a few days back filed a case in the Mumbai High Court alleging that Ashutosh Gowariker has made ‘Mohenjo Daro’ by copying the story he had written for his play. After taking up the case, the High Court declared his allegation baseless and fined him with Rs 1.5 lakh for wasting the time of the court.
Akashaditya has now hosted a press conference in Mumbai against the judgment that came on 2nd August. Along with the team of ‘Mohenjo Daro’ play, Lama held the press meet and shared all of the evidence with the media relating to the similarities between the play and the film. “I will continue this fight, and I will go to the Supreme Court to challenge the judgment of Mumbai High Court. I have sold my property on 27th June to file this case in high court, and I have no money to pay the fine imposed by High Court. It’s no more just my fight but the fight of every common man who move to a legal system for justice and get punished in return’.
Nargis reveals interesting facts about her family
Dazzling actress Nargis Fakhri said that as a child she could not take any music lessons as she grew up really poor. In her upcoming film Banjo, Nargis plays a DJ from New York, who comes to Mumbai to find local talent and make music with them.In a recent media interaction, Nargis said, “For me, I regret being really poor growing up so I couldn’t afford to take lessons. That was really sad. I believe playing an instrument is something really beautiful and a great talent.”
Nargis, who made her debut with Rockstar, said she started learning acoustic guitar after her first film. She further added that “I didn’t have people around to inspire me. But after my first film, I got inspired to try the acoustic guitar. It’s hard for me, but I still try. I have three of them at home, and I pick it up once in a while.”
Directed by Ravi Jadhav, the musical drama features Riteish Deshmukh as a Banjo player.
Biopic On Rajinikanth
Super Star Rajinikanth’s original name was Sivaji Rao Gaikwad. There is a lot of hard work behind Rajini achieving a lot of things in life. Today, Rajinikanth has emerged as a biggest Super Star in the film industry, and his daughters are planning for a biopic on him. His daughters Aishwarya and Soundarya are planning to direct the movie themselves. Already one of his daughters is busy in writing a book on Rajinikanth. The transformation of bus conductor Sivaji Rao to Super Star Rajini will be revealed in the book.
The book will be completed soon, and once the book gets completed, they will sit on working of the film’s script. More details about the biopic are expected to be out by the end of the year. More details about the same would be out soon.
