Live Cyclone Vardah to make landfall near Chennai tomorrow noon

The weather system now lies about 300 km east of Chennai and 350 km east-southeast of Nellore. It is very likely to move nearly westwards and weaken gradually while moving towards north Tamil Nadu and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts.

It is very likely to cross north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coasts, close to Chennai, with a wind speed of up to 100 kmph on Monday afternoon.

Tidal wave warning

Tidal waves likely to inundate the low lying areas of Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kanchipuram districts of Tamil Nadu; and Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.

The IMD has predicted isolated heavy to very heavy falls over south coastal Andhra Pradesh, north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry during the next 36 hours. The rainfall intensity will increase gradually becoming heavy to very heavy rainfall (7-19 cm) at a few places and isolated extremely heavy rainfall (≥ 20 cm) over Chennai, Thiruvallur and Kanchipuram districts of Tamil Nadu and Nellore and Prakasam districts of Andhra Pradesh on Monday.

8.16 P.M.

Highlights of the press note from Chennai Police:

- All officers instructed to mobilise maximum manpower and keep them ready for deployment.

- Public are advised not to park their vehicles underneath trees or lamp posts.

- Police teams positioned at vital locations to remove obstructions due to tree falling, if any.

-  Police Control Room will be functional round the clock and public seeking any assistance can call 100. Contact 103 to convey messages and complaints.

8.03 P.M.

Helpline numbers:

Chennai Corporation: 25619206, 25619511, 25384965, 25383694, 25367823, 25387570

Grievances can also be sent via Whatsapp to: 94454 77207, 94454 77203, 94454 77206 , 94454 77201, 94454 77205

Puducherry: 1077, 1070

Cuddalore: 1077, 04142 220700, 231666

7.53 P.M.

Holiday declared for schools and colleges in Puducherry, Karaikal and Cuddalore district.

7.36 P.M.

Chennai schools, colleges closed on Monday, December 12, 2016.

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6.40 P.M.

Tamil Nadu government issues advisory to private companies to let employees avail leave.

The letter said, "In view of the impending 'Vardah' cyclone, Government issues an advisory to private undertakings/establishments to permit their staff to avail holiday permission or work from home on 12.12.2016, as being done in many IT and private companies."

6.30 P.M.

Six teams of the 04 battalion of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Arakkonam, have moved to Chennai, Tiruvallur, and Mamallapuram for flood rescue operations following the prediction on cyclone.

CM O. Panneerselvam chairs meeting to review preparatory arrangements ahead of cyclone Vardah.

5.57 P.M.

Rainfall over chennai and neighbouring districts may continue till Tuesday morning.

5.56 P.M.

During the landfall on Monday, Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Puducherry will get rainfall. Once the system crosses, places like Vellore and Dharmapuri will begin to get rains.

5.55 P.M.

S.B. Thampi, Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Chennai says, "Most places expected to get light to moderate rain. There may be isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall up to 20 cm.

One or two places may get exceptionally very heavy rainfall more than 25 cm."

5.54 P.M.

Schools and colleges in Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur will be shut on Monday in view of the cyclone.

4.35 P.M.

Cyclone Vardah likely to cross TN and South AP Coast, close to Chennai, as a cyclonic storm by Monday afternoon: IMD

Oops! Shah Rukh Khan’s Raees Trailer Has A Blooper

Finally the trailer of Raees is out and how! It has left us all eagerly waiting, wanting to see more of Shah Rukh Khan aka Miyan Bhai.

The teaser of the film that came out last year left us all eagerly awaiting the release of the trailer as well as the film. The look and style and attitude of Shah Rukh floored everyone.

When the much awaited trailer was finally out, no one can stop raving about SRK’s look and style and dialogues predicting them being memorable already.

The trailer surely makes you think if the first month of the year will see it’s best movie of the year.

Everything looks stunning in 70s style, unfortunately there was this tiny blooper that caught the eye.

Aamir Khan on Dangal and more: I always fear, it keeps me alert

After Aamir Khan’s comments on intolerance in 2015, the actor landed in a major controversy with Dangal nearing release, the last thing he wants is redux of the same situation.Aamir Khan is one actor who doesn’t leave you disappointed with his witty and intelligent replies. The actor was in the city to speak about his upcoming movie Dangal releasing on December 23. When asked about his thoughts as an artiste on Karan Johar-MNS controversy, Aamir took his time and said, “I am thinking of an answer that doesn’t get me into trouble. I will give you my answer in January.”

After Aamir’s comments on intolerance in 2015, the actor landed in a major controversy. With Dangal nearing release, the last thing that Aamir wants is redux of the same situation.

But one topic on which the actor is eloquent is Dangal. When asked if he intends to enter any club with Dangal, Aamir said, “I don’t have any expectations. I hope that people love this film the way we felt while making it.”

The actor also spoke about demonetisation and said he has not been affected by it personally. “It’s mostly people who are dealing in cash who are facing a problem. My entire money is in a bank. I use credit cards for everything.”

Aamir Khan has earlier said that he will not promote Dangal on TV. The actor clarified and said, “We will, of course, promote Dangal on TV but not on TV shows. TV is an important medium for us. I have a different logic. There are two aspects of marketing – one is to inform people about film’s release date and the other is creating a desire amongst them to watch the movie. Being part of a big TV show doesn’t ensure that people will watch your movie. Instead, our goal is to create a desire. Sometimes disappearing can create a desire. And people already know about big film releases. Yes, if we take a small film like Peepli Live to a TV show, it will definitely give a boost to its promotion.”

The behind-the-scene footages of Dangal shows Sanya Malhotra and Fatima Sana Sheikh in their most depleted self and in dire need to drink water much like their onscreen characters

On asked in what ways Dangal is unique, Aamir said, “What attracted me about Dangal were its moments of humour. It’s like a Rajkumar Hirani film. You are trying to say something but say it in the light-hearted matter. The humour is the surface level of that film. With Dangal, we have the same deadly combination of humour and dramatic moments.”

Asked if by making a biopic a Bollywood personality overshadows a real life icon Aamir says, “We are not promoting our film by taking inspiration from Mahaveer Phogat’s life. I am sure Phogat family’s glory will increase tenfold once the film releases. I recently heard the Sanjay Dutt biopic script from Rajkumar Hirani and I was blown away by it. I am sure Sanjay Dutt will gain more appreciation and fame than Ranbir Kapoor who is playing the character.”

Aamir is working with four newcomers in Dangal. When asked if there has been a difference in their approach, he said, “All these girls come from city background. For them, they had to transform themselves in their first film. When I was doing Qyamat Se Qyamat Tak, I was in my comfort zone. I was doing all that was normal for my age. But these girls had to learn wrestling and had to adapt themselves into the characters from a small village in Haryana. They are as passionate as I was 25 years ago. The thirst is same. But in this film, they are ten steps ahead of me.”

Aamir Khan is speaking Haryanvi in Dangal. “Learning Haryanvi was difficult for me as I was coming out of Bhojpuri zone. It took me four months to learn the accent. And we have not been 100% strict with the language. We have diluted it so that people from the country can understand it.”

Aamir also spoke about film collections. “One can’t trust newspapers for film collections. But a person inside a film industry knows the exact figures of every film.” When asked if after all these years if he is still afraid before starting a movie, the actor said, “I always fear. I fear every time I start making a film.”

Superstar Aamir Khan with international wrestler Geeta Phogat at her wedding with Dangal film cast at Balali village of Charkhi Dadri district on Sunday.November 20, 2016: Express Photo

Aamir narrated an incident from his movie Lagaan. “Everyone in the industry told us that the film is not going not work. We were speaking Avadhi, wearing dhotis and playing cricket. The scenes of cricket were not ending at all. My wife Reema told me that she couldn’t understand the language we were speaking in the film, how will the audience understand the film? There is a scene in the movie where I say, ‘Ma ye beda uthake maine kauno galti toh nahi kar di hai?’One day me and Ashu ( director Aushutosh) are sitting and I say instinctively,‘Ashu, yeh beda uthake hamne kauno galti toh nahi kar di?’ I always remember that line. So fear is always there. And my films are so new and unique that I don’t know where I will end up. Fear makes me alert and it also makes me excited about the film.”

Jhanvi Kapoor is the new golden girl of Bollywood, here's proof

Jhanvi Kapoor is the new golden girl of Bollywood, here's proof

Jhanvi, who's all set to debut in a Karan Johar production wore a Sonakshi Raaj short golden dress along with golden pumps.

Her little sister, Khushi matched up to Jhanvi's bling to perfection in a wrap Zhivago mini dress.

For god’s sake, transact business, President tells MPs

Parliament is not a place for dharna and disruption which amounts to “gagging of majority” by the minority, he says

President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday said Parliament is not a place for dharna and disruption which amounts to “gagging of majority” by the minority.

He told parliamentarians that they are meant to discuss and transact business and not to disrupt.

“Disruption is totally unacceptable in parliamentary system. People send representatives to speak and not to sit on dharna and not to create any trouble on the floor,” he said speaking on “Electoral reforms for a stronger democracy” on the occasion of Defence Estates Day Lecture in New Delhi.

Mr. Mukherjee said, “Disruption means you are hurt, you are gagging majority. Majority never participates in this disruption. Only minority comes to the well, shouts slogans, stops the proceedings and creates a situation in which the Chair has no option but to adjourn the House. This is totally unacceptable.”

Mr. Mukherjee’s sharp attack on parliamentary disruption comes in the midst of paralysis of Parliament for over a fortnight over the issue of demonetisation. The President noted that Parliament is in session for only a few weeks in a year.

“For demonstration, you can choose any other places. But for god’s sake, do your job. You are meant to transact business. You are meant to devote your time for exercising the authority of members, particularly Lok Sabha members over money and finance,” he said.

Maintaining that he is not targeting any single party or individuals, he said the responsibility is of everyone.

“Fact remains that this [disruption] has become a practice, which should not be acceptable at all. Whatever be the differences, we have the opportunity, to speak our mind, to speak freely and no court can interfere in what I say on the floor of the House,” he said.

Even if a member is levelling an allegation against someone, no court can prosecute him because he has said so on the floor of the House, he noted.

“This type of freedom should not be misused by causing disruption,” he said.

It's almost a month and Modi insists demonetisation is only a short-term pain

People crowd the Moti Nagar branch of SBI to withdraw money in Hyderabad on Thursday. It’s been a months since Prime Minister’s demonetisation announcement.

The country has a “historic opportunity” to embrace cashless payments, he says.

Amid a strong sustained attack by the Opposition over the demonetisation move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took to Twitter to assert that the “short-term pain” will pave the way for “long term-gains” and insisted that farmers, traders and labourers stand to gain from this step announced on November 8.

In a series of tweets, Mr. Modi spoke about the benefits of demonetisation. He said the country had a “historic opportunity” to embrace increased cashless payments.

“I salute the people of India for wholeheartedly participating in this ongoing ‘yagna’ against corruption, terrorism & black money,” he said.

“Together, we must ensure #IndiaDefeatsBlackMoney. This will empower the poor, neo-middle class, middle class & benefit future generations,” he observed.

“I always said that the government’s measure will bring a degree of inconvenience but this short term pain will pave way for long term gains,” he asserted.

The decision had several gains for farmers, traders, labourers, “who are the economic backbone of our nation” and “no longer will the progress and prosperity of rural India be curtailed by corruption & black money. Our villages must get their due.”

He went on to add, “We also have a historic opportunity to embrace increased cashless payments & integrate latest technology in economic transactions.”

Go in for cashless transactions and get discounts, says govt.

Union Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley addressing a press conference 

Jaitley announces slew of measures to promote digital dealings

Almost a month into demonetisation of old Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes, the Finance Ministry has come out with a slew of incentives to push cashless transactions.

At a press conference in New Delhi on Thursday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said dealing with cash has economic as well as in-built cost in a democratic set-up.

Following are the measures aimed at expediting digital transactions.

>> Digital payments for buying petrol and diesel will get a 0.75 per cent discount. Payments through digital mode availing services such as catering, accommodation, and retiring room in railways will get five per cent discount.

>> Suburban railway network shall provide an incentive by way of giving a discount of up to 0.5% to customers for monthly or seasonal tickets from January 1, 2017, if payment is made through digital means.

>> Buying general, life insurance policies and renewal premiums from PSU insurers’ websites will attract 10 per cent and 8 per cent discount, respectively.

>> Two Point of Sale (PoS) machines will be given to villages with a population of 10,000 people. One lakh villages will be selected for this scheme.

>> No service tax will be charged on all digital transaction upto Rs. 2000.

>> For payments at toll plazas on national highways using RFID card/Fast Tags, a discount of 10% per cent will be available to users in the year 2016-17.

>> Public sector banks are advised that merchants should not be required to pay more than Rs. 100 as monthly rental for PoS terminals/Micro ATMs/mobile POS. This is aimed at bringing small merchants on board the digital payment eco-system.

>> Passengers buying railway tickets online shall be given free accident insurance cover of up to Rs. 10 lakh.

>> The Central government through NABARD will also support rural regional banks and cooperative banks to issue “Rupay Kisan Cards” to 4.32 crore Kisan Credit Card holders, to enable them to make digital transactions at POS machines/Micro ATMs/ATMs.

>> Central government departments and PSUs will not charge transaction fees for payments made through digital means. The State governments have also been advised to follow it.