Latest news with #RAJ
IOL News
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Letters to the Editor: Ode to the Hollywoodbets Durban July and Let's fix SA first, then Palestine
Ode to this year's Durban July Sir, Here is my contribution to the fashion, fabulous fillies and flamboyance of this year's Hollywoodbets Durban July which will be run at Greyville on Saturday. I hope your readers enjoy it! GLADATORIAN, celebrates ROYAL VICTORY at Club EIGHT ON EIGHTEEN. The NATIVE RULER of SELUKWE was a worried man. His twin sons, THE REAL PRINCE and SON OF RAJ had been kidnapped. He announced in SEE IT AGAIN Magazine: 'I swear, ON MY HONOUR, that whoever rescued them would be rewarded with my prized painting, PURPLE PITCHER. As an added bonus, I'll include my POMODORO'S JET." From OKAVANGO to MADISON VALLEY they all came hoping to land the spoils. However, many, including the wily, ATTICUS FINCH, lost their way at the final hurdle – coming up against the CONFEDERATE. Eventually, a GLADATORIAN, who just escaped LITIGATION on RAINBOW LORIKEET Island saved the day. He used his ORIENTAL CHARM and soon celebrated a ROYAL VICTORY at Club EIGHT ON EIGHTEEN. 'Others may have had the IMMEDIATE EDGE, but I gave it MY BEST SHOT, ' he quipped when asked about the secret to his success. | ANAND-JAY Phoenix Let's fix SA first before Palestine As sympathy is demanded for the Palestinians by the likes of Essa and Alaa Nassar, I fail to understand how, when Hamas attacks Israel at a music festival, any sane person would demand undeserved grace for the people of Gaza. Israel gave the Gazans multiple chances before for the acceptance of democratic autonomy, but they blew it by electing the Neanderthals who would act as proxies for the IRGC. Since 1979, the Iranian leaders had one agenda in mind: suppression of their people – especially women – and the destruction of Israel and so-called Zionism. What is happening in the UK, with so many Islamic ministers taking charge, is a full-on assault on Western civilization. The longer we sympathise with false pro-Palestine propaganda, the further we will find ourselves from the truth! Terror acts committed by the proxies of Iran, should be called out for exactly what are: Terrorism. We must stop fooling ourselves by trying to sympathise with a people who have little or nothing to do with South African people! The mere fact that there are rumblings about the ANC having been compensated by either Iran or Qatar for taking Israel to court, leaves a very bad taste in our mouths! Not to mention the changing of a street name in Sandton to some terrorist who is only celebrated by those who value acts of terror. When are we going to learn that siding with terror and hiding behind the mask of a cause so falsified by socialist and Marxist tendencies, only brings pain and division. I may not be a Jew, nor a Zionist, but I know the difference between right and wrong, the difference between propaganda and facts, the difference between truth and lies and refuse to accept this narrative of Israel committing genocide. Let's fix SA before we say anything about 'freeing Palestine. | L Oosthuizen Durban Credit to the DA for governing well I READ Mr Parker's article in your sister paper, The Mercury of June 25, with interest on his take on what the Government of National Unity (GNU) has delivered in its year of existence. Why does he never give credit where it is due? He rants about the GNU cabinet singing from different song sheets because of a lack of talent through no fault of their own. But he doesn't say who lacks talent. He calls the DA MPs cronies when a lot of them are doing what the ANC hasn't done in years: Jacking up their departments. And doing it well. He says that whenever the DA rears its ugly head, they are dancing to the tune of the Pied Piper of Mar-A-Lago. What is he trying to say? Where Ramaphosa and his cohorts not at the White House meeting as well? I'm sorry, Mr Parker but your article says it all! Your hatred for the DA comes out in every sentence. You quite rightly say the tragedy of what has happened to our country is largely due to state capture under the Zuma years – corruption, cronyism, self-enrichment and the inability of the Ramaphosa administration to extricate itself from this legacy scourge through ineffective state prosecution and enforcement often involving ANC cadres and even sitting ministers. So, as I said, give credit where it is due and thank the DA MPs who are doing their jobs under difficult circumstances without fear or favour. We all need to pull together to save our country and not have this continuous carping from afar. Talk is cheap. | BARBIE SANDLER Constantia ANC outsmarted truculent GNU ally The ANC outsmarted out-thought and outmaneuvered the DA by luring them into the GNU fiasco. The once meaningful DA is today nothing more than window dressing in an ANC shop window. The DA was a fighting force on its own with John Steenhuizen firing from the trenches and keeping the ANC hopping around from one foot to the other. It was always destined to be a powerful opposition party and a thorn in the side of the ruling party. The once-powerful Steenhuizen is wasted as agricultural minister with the ANC putting him in a corner. His leadership has been eroded and watered down. Participation in the GNU is meaningless without teeth. Time for the DA to shake off the shackles, resign from being a junior partner with no say and get back into the trenches as the powerful opposition party they once were. | Colin Bosman Newlands A tall order but the alternative is worse South African leaders face a baffling conundrum: On the one hand, they are still battling for the basics – affordable electricity, functional infrastructure, and operational ports. On the other, the global business landscape is being rapidly reshaped by advances in AI. It is forecast that, within just two years, AI systems could outperform top research engineering experts. This would fundamentally transform how companies around the world conduct research and development – making it faster, cheaper, and more efficient. It's understandable that local business leaders might feel disconnected from these developments. After all, their day-to-day challenges include load shedding, water interruptions, and impassable roads. But while South Africa struggles to stay operational, global competitors are investing billions into AI to accelerate product development and improve their ability to deliver goods and services globally. South African business leaders must now do the seemingly impossible: Remain engaged in national efforts like the recently announced National Dialogue to improve the local business environment while simultaneously leading the adoption of new technologies that will define the future of work. This is a tall order, but the alternative is far worse. Falling behind in AI adoption will only deepen the existing crises of low growth, unemployment, and inequality. Our leaders must resist short-term thinking and begin preparing our workforce and businesses for a world that is changing at exponential speed. | Daniel Novitzkas Chairman, Specno Digital Innovation Agency DAILY NEWS
News18
28-06-2025
- Sport
- News18
Elite Women's Boxing Tournament: Nikhat Zareen Starts Campaign With Win
Last Updated: Nikhat Zareen and Anjali, Nitu and Yashi Sharma secured wins at the Elite Women's Boxing Tournament. Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen began her campaign with a precise 4:1 victory over Uttar Pradesh's Rashi Sharma in the 48–51 kg category on the opening day of the Elite Women's Boxing Tournament on Saturday. In the 57-60 kg category, Haryana's Anjali achieved an upset win against World Championships bronze medallist Manisha Moun at Hyderabad's Saroornagar Indoor Stadium. Other notable results from Day 1 included a 5:0 win for 2023 world champion Nitu (Haryana) in the 45–48 kg category over Rajani Singh (UP), while Telangana's Yashi Sharma defeated K Monisha (Tamil Nadu) 5:0 in the 60–65 kg category. Another impressive performance came from Laxmi of the TOPS setup, who secured a dominant 5:0 win in the 51–54 kg bout against Ragini (UP). The gold and silver medallists in each of the 10 weight categories will be selected for the elite national camp in Patiala. Bout 2 (45-48KGkg): MONIKA (DEL) vs YAMINI SINGH (RAJ). Winner: YAMINI SINGH (BLUE) by WP (5:0). Bout 3 (45-48KGkg): CHANCHAL (SAIN) vs BINA DEVI (AIP). Winner: CHANCHAL (RED) by WP (5:0). Bout 8 (51-54KGkg): TANU (SSCB) vs KANUPRIYA KANWAR (RAJ). Winner: TANU (RED) by WP (5:0). Bout 9 (51-54KGkg): BHUPALI HAZARIKA (SAI N) vs AASHIMA (DEL). Winner: BHUPALI HAZARIKA (RED) by WO. Bout 10 (54-57KGkg): VISHU RATHEE (HAR) vs BHUMIKA SHARMA (DEL). Winner: VISHU RATHEE (RED) by WO. Bout 11 (54-57KGkg): KAMALJEET KAUR GILL (AIP) vs SWAPNA CHAVAN (MAH). Winner: KAMALJEET KAUR GILL (RED) by WP (4:1). Bout 12 (57-60KGkg): RUCHIKA WADTE (MAH) vs VANSHIKA (RAJ). Winner: VANSHIKA (BLUE) by RSC R1. Bout 13 (57-60KGkg): MANISHA MOUN (TOPS) vs ANJALI (HAR). Winner: ANJALI (BLUE) by WP (3:1). Bout 14 (57-60KGkg): (TN) vs PRIYANKA (CHD). Winner: PRIYANKA (BLUE) by WP (5:0). Bout 15 (57-60KGkg): NEELAM SINGH CHAUHAN (UP) vs DISHA VIJAY PATIL (SAI N). Winner: DISHA VIJAY PATIL (BLUE) by WO. Bout 16 (60-65KGkg): YASHI SHARMA (TEL) vs KMONISHA (TN). Winner: YASHI SHARMA (RED) by WP (5:0). Bout 17 (60-65KGkg): UNNATIPARDESHI (MAH) vs AMITA KUNDU (AIP). Winner: AMITA KUNDU (BLUE) by WP (5:0). Bout 18 (65-70KGkg): GITIMONI GOGOI (SAI N) vs POOJA BISWAS (TEL). Winner: GITIMONI GOGOI (RED) by RSC R3. Bout 19 (70-75KGkg): VIDHI RAWAL (MAH) vs MEHTAB (RAJ). Winner: VIDHI RAWAL (RED) by WP (4:1). Bout 20 (70-75KGkg): INDRAJA K.A (AIP) vs LASHU YADAV (RSPB). Winner: LASHU YADAV (BLUE). First Published: June 28, 2025, 21:44 IST News sports Elite Women's Boxing Tournament: Nikhat Zareen Starts Campaign With Win
News18
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Aamir Khan Reveals Why Dangal Didn't Release In Pakistan: 'Flag, National Anthem Nikalne Bola Tha'
Last Updated: Aamir Khan's Dangal hit theatres in 2026, but was not release in Pakistan. When Aamir Khan's movie Dangal hit theatres in 2026, it did not release in Pakistan. Do you know why? Because the censor board of our neighbouring country had asked the makers to remove two things from the movie – the Indian National Flag and the Indian National Anthem. Recently, Aamir Khan appeared on Aap Ki Adalat, when he revealed the same and shared what had exactly happened in 2016. The actor mentioned that even though the producers told him that cancelling the Pakistan release might impact their business negatively, he was clear that he did not want to support anything which is against India. 'When the film was released, Disney was one of the producers; they presented it. Pakistan's censor had asked them to remove the Indian flag and the Indian national anthem from the scene where Geeta Phogat wins a match. They said they won't release this film unless this is done. Within a second, I told them that our film will not be released in Pakistan. I did not want to think about it either. They said this might impact our business. I said, 'I have no interest if somebody asks me to remove our national flag and national anthem. I do not want this'," Aamid said. "I refused to release Dangal in Pakistan bcoz they decided not to show our national flag and national anthem, people told me you will lose lot of collections, then I said I don't care about collections from Pak":- Megastar #AamirKhan 🫡 — RAJ (@AamirsDevotee) June 13, 2025 Meanwhile, Pakistani actors have also been banned in India. The decision was taken in April this year after Pakistan-sponsored terrorists attacked civilians in the Baisaran Valley in Pahalgam, and killed 26 people in cold blood. Amid the tensions, the Government of India issued an advisory to OTT platforms, media streaming services, and intermediaries regarding content originating from Pakistan. All streaming platforms were advised to discontinue Pakistan-origin content, including films, web series, songs, and podcasts, with immediate effect. Social media accounts of Pakistani actors were also banned in India. Aamir Khan had also reacted to India's Operation Sindoor previously with a statement which read, 'Saluting the heroes of Operation Sindoor. Heartfelt gratitude to our armed forces for their courage, bravery and unwavering commitment to the security of our nation. Thank you to the Hon'ble Prime Minister for his leadership and resolve. Jai Hind." First Published:
