TV show host Jimmy Kimmel says he is in no hurry to start writing his material for his hosting gig at the Academy Awards 2018.

Whether it is related to industry’s ongoing discussion about sexual misconduct or the campaign by women to lead a change — the themes which dominated the conversation at Golden Globe Awards on Sunday — Kimmel says it is difficult to judge what the mood will be at the event to be held on March 4 here, reports cnn.com.

“I do thank (Seth Meyers) for being that litmus test,” Kimmel told reporters at the Television Critics Association press tour, referencing the Golden Globes host.

“As far as how I will handle it, the problem is it’s two months from now. So it’s almost like getting into a hot tub or something; you can’t really know what the temperature is until you get there. I couldn’t tell you that I have one joke in mind that I know I’ll do.”

Whether sexual harassment will continue to be top of mind remains to be seen, said Kimmel. But he thinks the moment had a noticeable impact on the red carpet, reports cnn.com.

“I thought the red carpet was really interesting because people were talking about something for once, and I think that was refreshing. And at the very least, it was great to see people discussing something of significance. I think, ultimately, how can you argue that any of this is anything but good?”

Asked whether he will write some jokes about disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, Kimmel said: “You can but you just don’t know. Who’s to say Harvey Weinstein is going to be alive in two months?”

Kimmel — known for his hit Jimmy Kimmel Live! show, which is aired in India on Star World and Star World HD — made a successful debut as the host of the Oscars last year.

After creating quite an impact with Lipstick Under My Burkha, producer Ekta Kapoor and director Alankrita Shrivastava have joined hands for another project that will centered around women.

Ekta is glad to work with Shrivastava again to tell “some more path-breaking and hugely entertaining stories”.

“Alankrita’s style of filmmaking is bold, entertaining and asks all the right questions to our society. I’m only too glad we’re reuniting to tell some more path breaking and hugely entertaining stories together. The Lipstick rebellion thus continues,” Ekta said in a statement.

The project is under scripting at the moment. Casting is underway, and all the other details related to the project have been kept under wraps.

Shrivastava said: “I’m really excited about collaborating with Ekta Kapoor and Balaji for my next film. I think it needs courage and a certain risk-taking ability to back films like the ones I want to make. And I’m so glad to have found a brave producer and presenter in Ekta.

“The future is female, and I think more women collaborating is the change that we need to see. Not just in India, but the world over.”

Ekta was the presenter of Prakash Jha’s production Lipstick Under My Burkha — which struggled for certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) earlier this year over its sexual scenes and abusive words.

The film, featuring Ratna Pathak Shah, Konkona Sen Sharma, Ahana Kumra and Plabita Borthakur, was later cleared for a theatrical release by the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT). It opened in India in July last year.

Work has begun on actress-producer Priyanka Chopra’s new Marathi production titled Firebrand.

A tweet from Priyanka’s home production banner Purple Pebble Pictures read: “Welcoming 2018 with our upcoming Marathi Project: ‘Firebrand’.”

Priyanka wrote on Tuesday: “2018 is here and we’ve hit the ground running with our new Marathi production ‘Firebrand’ directed by the amazing Arunaraje Patil, which began filming yesterday. All the very best team Purple Pebble Pictures, Madhu Chopra and Sandeep Bhargava.”

Priyanka’s first Marathi production venture was Ventilator. It was directed by Rajesh Mapuskar and starred Ashutosh Gowariker, Jitendra Joshi, Sulabha Arya and Sukanya Kulkarni Mone.

Ventilator won three honours at the 64th National Film Awards.

Singer-rapper Badshah resleased his new single Kareja on Tuesday and hopes his fans enjoy the dance number.

“I had promised my fans that I will release the second single from ‘O.N.E’ early 2018 and here it is. I really hope you all enjoy it and if you have not heard it yet, then do it now. 2018 ka pehla dance song,” said Badshah in a statement.

Composed and written by the rapper, the video of the track features playback singer Aastha Gill.

Pawanesh Pajnu, Head (North) at Sony Music India, said: “Our plan was to release the song on January 1, but we waited to reset the party mood. ‘Kareja’ is an earworm and the song will be another milestone in the pop industry.”

After Mercy, Kareja is the second single from the album ‘ONE’ aka “Original Never Ends”, Badshah’s first pop album which will feature 6-8 songs.

Actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, known for his role of Jaime Lannister in TV series Game of Thrones, has been announced as the global brand ambassador of the male grooming brand L’oreal Paris Men Expert.

Excited for his new role, the actor said in a statement: “I’m absolutely on-board with Men Expert’s ethos of being the best man you can be, at any age. Their goal to have a positive influence on men’s daily lives, through grooming expertise, philanthropy and everything they support as a brand, speaks to me and the projects I take on personally.

“It’s a great honour, and challenge, to stand for men to keep aiming for their best, through the years.”

Pierre-Emmanuel Angeloglou, L’oreal Paris Global Brand President, says if there is a definition of an everyman hero, it is Coster-Waldau.

“He is a real match for Men Expert. Beyond his range as an actor, he is generous with his fame and his time, using his platform on one of the world’s biggest series to advocate for progress. We’re thrilled to welcome an actor of talent, and a man of integrity to Men Expert, the brand making skincare innovation accessible for our everyday heroes,” said Angeloglou.

Apart from his acting role, Coster-Waldau also advocates for climate action and for gender equality.

India will launch ISRO’s 100th satellite along with 30 others in a single mission on January 12 from Sriharikota, in a milestone event in the country’s space history.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said it was “back in the game” with the launch, the first Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) mission after the unsuccessful launch of the navigation satellite IRNSS-1H in August last. “The 31 spacecrafts, including weather observation Cartosat-2 series satellite, will be launched by PSLV-C40,” ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) director M Annadurai said today.

Stating that 28 of the satellites were from abroad, the official noted that the launch of three Indian satellites during the mission would mark the roll out of the hundredth satellite from ISRO. “When the last satellite is ejected out it will become the hundredth satellite…the first century we have done.

It is the maiden century. So PSLV-C40 marks maiden century of Indian satellite….we are eagerly waiting for that,” he said. Speaking to reporters on sidelines of an exhibition on ASTROSAT here, Annadurai said, “With PSLV-C40 we are back in the game”.

Jailed BSP MLA Mukhtar Ansari, who was lodged in Banda jail in connection with various criminal cases against him, on Tuesday suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the district hospital in Banda.

“I have talked to the SSP, Banda, and he told me about it (heart attack). I have sought a report from both the SP and the DM, Banda. The legislator will be provided the best treatment,” Principal Secretary Home Arvind Kumar said here.

About reports in a section of media that Ansari’s wife too suffered a heart attack, Kumar said he cannot confirm it immediately.

“I can confirm it only after I get a report from there,” he said, adding that directives have been issued to provide best possible treatment to the legislator.

The gangster-turned-legislator from Mau constituency had been in various jails in the state since 2015 under various sections of the IPC.

The CBI has arrested an official of the Central Board of Excise and Customs posted at the finance ministry, North Block, here, and another attached with the GST office in Mumbai, for alleged bribery in the processing of a service matter, officials said here today.

Ashish Thakur posted as assistant section officer in the administration section of the CBEC office in the finance ministry here and S K Swaminathan, Superintendent of Central Excise and Customs posted in GST, Mumbai office, were arrested in the case, they said. Another Mumbai-based person Ravindra Kumar Mandal has also been nabbed in the case, they said.

Swaminathan had approached Thakur for favourable consideration of file pertaining to his promotion to the post of assistant commissioner that was pending because of certain ongoing disciplinary proceedings against him, the CBI FIR has alleged. Thakur allegedly assured Swaminathan he would favourably process his file in return of considerable illegal gratification, it said.

He also gave contact number of Mandal for the delivery of the alleged bribe, it alleged. Swminathan approached Mandal and spoke to Thakur over phone who demanded an amount of “50” from him assuring the promotion file would be processed favourably and an order issued shortly, it alleged.

The CBI alleged that Swaminathan agreed to pay half the amount initially and remaining after the order was issued. The agency got input that Mandal was going to despite the alleged bribe in the account of Thakur on Monday evening following which all the three were nabbed, the officials said. While Swaminathan and Mandal were arrested from Mumbai, Thakur was arrested from here.

A female student of Hyderabad Central University was killed and two techies were injured in a car crash on Outer Ring Road on the city outskirts early on Tuesday, police said.

Ananya Goel, 22, hailing from Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli, was on a long drive with her two friends after celebrating the birthday of one of them when the accident occurred.

According to police, the car overturned near Burjugadda under Shamshabad Rural police station limits while they were on their way to Gachibowli from Pedda Amberpet.

Ananya, Nikhita and Nitin, whose birthday it was, sustained grievous injuries and were shifted to a corporate hospital where Ananya succumbed. Nikhita and Nitin were undergoing treatment.

Police said the car was being driven at a high speed and this led to the accident. They registered a case and were investigating.

Details will be known after recording the statement of the injured, a police official said.

Police shifted the body to government-run Osmania Hospital and informed Ananya’s family about the accident.

She was pursuing MA at the HCU.

China warned on Tuesday that an Iranian oil tanker, which collided with a freighter in the East China Sea, could explode, while rescuers were still searching for 31 missing people after an incident which could unleash an environmental disaster.

The oil tanker Sanchi — registered in Panama — was still on fire after a collision with the Hong Kong-registered bulk freighter CF Crystal, which took place at around 8 p.m. on Saturday in the East China Sea, 160 nautical miles east of the Yangtze River estuary.

The Chinese Transport Minister said there was a danger of the Iranian tanker exploding or sinking, adding that the rescue operations were extremely tricky as the toxic smoke in the area could harm the people involved, Efe news reported.

Thirteen rescue vessels were operating at the site of the accident to search for the missing people in a 900-square nautical mile area.

Operations were hampered due to persistent rainfall and strong winds which were causing waves of up to four metres (13 feet) in height.

A 20 nautical mile security perimeter was established where ships were not allowed to enter.

Initially, there were 32 people missing — 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis — but the Ministry said that one corpse was recovered on Monday morning, bringing the number of missing to 31.

The Chinese government said that an oil spill had taken place, but did not specify the extent of the area affected.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang had said Monday that clean-up efforts were under way and that the authorities would try to gather more information about the cause of the accident.

Environmental organisations including Greenpeace are concerned that the incident could become a major maritime disaster.

Greenpeace East Asia told Efe that the non-profit was trying to get more information via satellite to assess the situation.

The Sanchi was transporting 136,000 tonnes of refined petroleum from Iran to South Korea.

The National Green Tribunal has directed a Noida-based association of homeowners to approach the Uttar Pradesh government with its plea that the proposed Sector 123 site was unfit for setting up a landfill for municipal waste.

A bench headed by acting Chairperson Justice U D Salvi asked the residents, who are opposing the setting up of a waste-to-energy plant and landfill at the site, to make a representation to the state government and the NOIDA authority.

“It can be seen that the matter of utilisation of the site at Sector 123, NOIDA for municipal solid waste processing site/waste to energy plant lies before the authority and the aggrieved parties are granted liberty to approach the authorities concerned to vent their grievances.

“The present application can be disposed of with liberty being granted to the applicant to approach the state of Uttar Pradesh and NOIDA authority with a plea that as per sitting criteria the site at Sector 123, NOIDA is not an appropriate site. Liberty in aforesaid terms is thus granted,” the bench said.

The green panel also directed the authorities concerned to take a decision in this regard after considering the plea in accordance with law.

The tribunal’s direction came while disposing of a plea filed by Homes 121 Apartment Owners Association seeking relocation of a waste-to-energy plant at sector 123 in Noida on the grounds that it would cause air and water pollution.

The plea contended that nearly half-a-dozen residential sectors with at least 20,000 families were staying in the area and severe health hazards were likely to occur in case the plant is constructed there.

The tribunal had earlier refused to review its order directing the Noida Authority to use the landfill site at Sector 123 as a temporary place for dumping of waste.

The green panel had said that said “no interference” was required in its order of October 24, 2017 which prohibited dumping of municipal solid waste at the site in Sector 138-A Noida.

The NGT had on October 24 last year directed the Noida authority not to dump municipal solid waste or any other waste at the site in Sector 138-A Noida.

It had said they should use the site at Sector 123, Noida as a temporary site for dumping of waste and this dumping of waste should be strictly with the provisions of Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules.

The NGT had then directed Uttar Pradesh government and the Noida authority to start construction of waste-to-energy plant at the designated site within six months.

“They will ensure that pits are created, constructed and waste is properly segregated is stored in a scientific manner, it is covered with soil and disinfectants are spread on regular intervals.

“We direct the UP pollution control board to issue directions in this behalf and ensure that those directions are properly implemented without delay and default,” it had said.

The BJP won the posts of mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, the voting for which was held here today.

Davesh Moudgil won the post of mayor, Gurpreet Singh Dhillon senior deputy mayor and Vinod Aggarwal deputy mayor in the 27-member Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, an election office spokesman said here after counting.

Moudgil will be the 22nd mayor of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation.

Moudgil bagged 22 votes as against his Congress rival Davinder Singh Babla who got five votes.

Dhillon got 21 votes as against Congress rival Sheela Phool Singh who got six votes.

Aggarwal got 22 votes as against Congress candidate Ravinder Kaur who got four votes, while one vote was declared invalid.

In the 27-member Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, the strength of BJP councillors is 20, Congress four, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) one, Independent one and one vote is of sitting MP Kirron Kher of the BJP.

The nine nominated councillors could not vote this year as their right to exercise franchise was struck down by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in August 2017.

In the run-up to the polls, the BJP despite having a brute majority witnessed rift within the party which was sorted out yesterday.

BJP rebel and outgoing mayor Asha Kumari Jaswal and Ravi Kant Sharma had earlier filed their nominations as Independents, but after a truce with Moudgil they withdrew from the race yesterday.

Moudgil is considered close to former BJP MP Satya Pal Jain.

Both houses of the Jammu and Kashmir (J-K) Assembly on Tuesday witnessed unruly scenes as members of the opposition raised slogans against the Speaker of the Assembly and Chairman of the Legislative Council for “lowering sanctity”.

The issue arose after the Speaker and the Chairman attended a dinner meeting hosted by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti reportedly to chalk out the floor strategy of the ruling PDP-BJP government during the current budget session.

Members raised slogans and occupied the Well of the respective houses accusing the Speaker and Chairman of having lowered dignity of their offices by attending a political meeting.

Proceedings of the two houses remained disrupted for quite some time until the Speaker Kavinder Gupta and the Chairman Haji Anayat Ali said that in future they will not attend such functions.

As the Assembly and the Council met for the question hour in the morning, all opposition members raised the issue of Gupta and Ali attending the dinner meeting hosted by Mehbooba. National Conference (NC) and Congress members staged a walkout from the Council on the issue.

Leader of Congress Legislative Party, Nawang Rigzin Jora said in the Assembly, “You (Speaker) are not the Speaker of the government or the BJP but of the entire House. You should not have taken part in the meeting of the coalition government. We want your reply.” He was seconded by CPM MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami who said that the sanctity of the house cannot be compromised.

NC MLA Ali Mohammad Sagar said, “It is unprecedented. This has not happened in the past.”

After over half-an-hour of protests and sloganeering, the Speaker replied to the opposition and said that he had taken part in the dinner and if it was wrong, he would not repeat it.

Engineer Rasheed (Independent) was marshaled out of the Assembly when he started walking into the Well of the house and demanding construction of tunnels in Gurez and Karnak areas for connectivity during winters.

While taking part in the debate on the Governor’s address, Omar Abdullah, Leader of the Opposition, lambasted the government for celebrating killing of more than 200 terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. The need was to understand that what has led to creation of more militants in the valley.

Taking dig at the Chief Minister for taking credit for projects initiated by previous governments, Omar Abdullah said that when it comes to mess you blame previous governments, but you don’t budge taking credit for the projects started by previous governments.

“I want to ask Mehbooba Mufti what will she leave for next government,” said Omar, adding, “Mufti Sayeed received legacy from Dr Farooq Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad received some legacy also from Farooq Abdullah and even I received some legacy from Azad, but what will you give to the next government.”

Questioning the “actual position” of centrally appointed representative of Jammu and Kashmir Dineshwar Sharma, Omar Abdullah said that there is no clarity in his mandate.

“We don’t know who he is? Is he interlocutor or special representative? The job of the representative should be to discuss major issues with actual stakeholders, but as said, he is not clear with his mandate.

Usman Majeed (Congress) urged the government to withdraw cases against the four cricketers of Bandipura for singing the National Anthem of Pakistan and sought apology on their behalf.

Defending the cricketers, Engineer Rasheed (Independent) said “If it is offence to sing Pakistan’s national anthem then a case should be filed against Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for seeking votes in the name of Pakistan.” Mehbooba’s father and the then Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed immediately after taking oath of office had thanked Pakistan for letting peaceful elections happen in J-K, Rasheed told media persons outside the Assembly.

India is awaiting an appropriate proposal from US tech giant Apple to set up a manufacturing unit in the country, Union Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu said on Monday.

Briefing reporters here after a meeting of the Council for Trade Development and Promotion, the Minister said India was looking to manufacture more of products it currently imported and was eager to partner with Apple in this regard.

“We are waiting for a good proposal from Apple… Please give us a concrete proposal. If the proposal comes, we will examine it. We are always open for that,” Prabhu said.

“We are users, and we should be manufacturers… We should be partners of Apple,” he added.

While the matter of the American iPhone maker setting up a unit in India had been discussed during Chief Executive Tim Cook’s visit to India over a year ago, Minister of State for Electronics and IT Alphons Kannanthanam had, in October, also spoken favourably about the proposal.

In March last year, then Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had informed the Rajya Sabha that the government had not accepted most of the demands of the company for setting up a local unit.

Apple has sought concessions, including duty exemption on manufacturing and repair units, components, capital equipment and consumables for a period of 15 years. It also wants relaxation in the statutory 30 per cent local sourcing of components.

Police arrested a 19-year-old man for allegedly abducting and killing the eight-year-old son of his woman neighbour with whom he was having illicit relations, an officer said today.

Police suspect that the accused, identified as Vishal Rupani, strangulated the boy to death after the relations between him and the woman turned sour over some reasons.

According to a police officer, the boy, a resident of Bairagarh locality, went missing while walking home from his school, located adjacent to Bairagarh, yesterday.

“His body was later found in a sack from the open land near Mubarakpur toll barrier booth on the outskirts of the city,” Bairagarh police station in-charge Sudhir Arjaria said.

He said the police arrested Rupani after the boy’s family members suspected that he could be behind the abduction.

“We arrested Vishal Rupani on charges of abduction and murder of the eight-year-old boy,” the police officer said.

He said Rupani, who is unmarried, developed illicit relations with the mother of the boy whom he was giving tuitions for the last six months.

Two militants and nine overground workers (OGWs) of militant outfits have been arrested in Jammu and Kashmir’s Sopore town.

Sopore’s Senior Superintendent of Police Harmeet Singh said the arrests followed a joint operation launched on Sunday 7 by the Army’s marine commandos and Rashtriya Rifles, the Central Reserve Police Force and the state police in Watlab area.

“During the search operation, two active militants identified as Mushtaq Ahmad Chopan and Shuja-u-din Sheikh were arrested,” he said.

“These militants had travelled to north Kashmir to recruit local youths for Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen outfits. Nine overground workers of these outfits have also been arrested.”

An AK-47 rifle, a pistol and two grenades were recovered from the militants.

Overground workers are sympathizers of militants who act as their eyes and ears, keeping track of security forces’ movements, arranging hideouts and shifting arms and ammunition from one place to another.

Four policemen were killed in a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) explosion planted by militants in Sopore town on Saturday.