The Tamil remake of last year's Telugu indie hit Pellichoopulu has been titled Pon Ondru Kanden and it will star Vishnu Vishal and Tamannaah Bhatia in the lead roles, a source said.

"The title has been finalised as Pon Ondru Kanden. The shooting will commence from the second half of the year. Vishnu and Tamannaah have been finalised," a source from the film's unit said.

The project will be bankrolled by Gautham Vasudev Menon and directed by Senthil Veerasaamy.

Tamannaah, on signing the project, had told that it has been her long-time desire to work with Gautham Menon.

"I'm a huge fan of Gautham's work, especially how he portrays women in his films. It's my long-time desire to work with him. Nobody understands the romance genre like him and I'm really looking forward to commence work on this project," she said.

The makers are currently in the process of finalising the rest of the cast.

Ahead of the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on July 1, the Union government has renamed the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC’s) to Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC).

“In the run-up to GST rollout, the government renames Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) as Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC),” according to reports on Saturday.

To implement the GST on July 1, the government is planning to complete all the legislative work in the ongoing budget session of Parliament.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Lok Sabha last week had said the GST Council has cleared all the major hurdles for the GST Bill.

Ahead of the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on July 1, the Union government has renamed the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC’s) to Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC).

“In the run-up to GST rollout, the government renames Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) as Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC),” according to reports on Saturday.

To implement the GST on July 1, the government is planning to complete all the legislative work in the ongoing budget session of Parliament.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Lok Sabha last week had said the GST Council has cleared all the major hurdles for the GST Bill.

The dusky leggy lass of Bollywood Deepika Padukone made a mark in the entertainment industry not only at home, but also abroad, and now she is crowned with ‘Entertainment Leader of the Year’ title.

The actress was awarded the Entertainment Leader of the Year’ at the India Business Leader Awards held in the national capital on Friday.

The award was presented to the actress by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

Padukone wore a beautiful floral saree for the event.

The dusky leggy lass of Bollywood Deepika Padukone made a mark in the entertainment industry not only at home, but also abroad, and now she is crowned with ‘Entertainment Leader of the Year’ title.

The actress was awarded the Entertainment Leader of the Year’ at the India Business Leader Awards held in the national capital on Friday.

The award was presented to the actress by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

Padukone wore a beautiful floral saree for the event.

La Liga giants Barcelona and five other football clubs were fined by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for their respective fans misconduct.

Barca were fined 19,000 euros ($20,534) as their fans in Camp Nou invaded the ground following a 6-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the return leg of Champions League last 16, which resulted in a historic comeback, reports Xinhua news agency.

Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne received a 50,000-euro ($54,037.5) fine as their fans lit fireworks in a Europa League showdown with Manchester United at Old Trafford, where the Red Devils won 3-0. Russian side Rostov were also fined 16,000 euros ($17,292) for fireworks in a Europa League contest with Sparta Prague.

Napoli must pay 38,000 euros ($41,068) following their fans' use of a laser pointer in a Champions League matchup against Real Madrid.

The remaining two fines went to Arsenal and Bayern Munich respectively, with the former suffering a 5,000-euro ($5,404) fine for fan pitch invasion, while the latter was penalised 3,000 euros ($3,242) after their fans threw objects in a Champions League match. 

La Liga giants Barcelona and five other football clubs were fined by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for their respective fans misconduct.

Barca were fined 19,000 euros ($20,534) as their fans in Camp Nou invaded the ground following a 6-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the return leg of Champions League last 16, which resulted in a historic comeback, reports Xinhua news agency.

Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne received a 50,000-euro ($54,037.5) fine as their fans lit fireworks in a Europa League showdown with Manchester United at Old Trafford, where the Red Devils won 3-0. Russian side Rostov were also fined 16,000 euros ($17,292) for fireworks in a Europa League contest with Sparta Prague.

Napoli must pay 38,000 euros ($41,068) following their fans' use of a laser pointer in a Champions League matchup against Real Madrid.

The remaining two fines went to Arsenal and Bayern Munich respectively, with the former suffering a 5,000-euro ($5,404) fine for fan pitch invasion, while the latter was penalised 3,000 euros ($3,242) after their fans threw objects in a Champions League match. 

At least three people were injured after a gunman opened fire outside a metro station in the city of Lille in northern France, days after the attack in London.

Armed police rushed to the scene and sealed off streets near the Porte d'Arras Metro station at around 9.45 p.m. (local time) on Friday night, the Mirror reported.

The shots, say reports, were fired at Jacques Febvrier square, a few metres from the metro station.

Witnesses reported at least three injuries, including a 14-year-old boy. The boy is believed to have been shot in the leg, said the local media. They were taken to hospital and are not in a life-threatening condition.

The wounded were reported to have been shot several times, according to French news outlet La Voix.

The motive behind the shooting is not yet known. The shooter is reported to be still on the loose. 

France has suffered a string of Islamist terror attacks during the past 12 months.

It comes after a suspected Islamist terrorist was gunned down at Paris Orly airport last week after launching an attack on a police traffic patrol.

Also, a suspected terrorist was arrested in the Belgian city of Antwerp on Thursday after he allegedly tried to drive a car into shoppers on a pedestrianised street, less than 24 hours after the Westminster attack.

The vehicle was reportedly full of liquid gas, knives and rifles.

The suspected driver, in camouflage, was later arrested by the police, the local media reported.

The incident, according to reports, was being investigated as a possible terrorist incident.

At least three people were injured after a gunman opened fire outside a metro station in the city of Lille in northern France, days after the attack in London.

Armed police rushed to the scene and sealed off streets near the Porte d'Arras Metro station at around 9.45 p.m. (local time) on Friday night, the Mirror reported.

The shots, say reports, were fired at Jacques Febvrier square, a few metres from the metro station.

Witnesses reported at least three injuries, including a 14-year-old boy. The boy is believed to have been shot in the leg, said the local media. They were taken to hospital and are not in a life-threatening condition.

The wounded were reported to have been shot several times, according to French news outlet La Voix.

The motive behind the shooting is not yet known. The shooter is reported to be still on the loose. 

France has suffered a string of Islamist terror attacks during the past 12 months.

It comes after a suspected Islamist terrorist was gunned down at Paris Orly airport last week after launching an attack on a police traffic patrol.

Also, a suspected terrorist was arrested in the Belgian city of Antwerp on Thursday after he allegedly tried to drive a car into shoppers on a pedestrianised street, less than 24 hours after the Westminster attack.

The vehicle was reportedly full of liquid gas, knives and rifles.

The suspected driver, in camouflage, was later arrested by the police, the local media reported.

The incident, according to reports, was being investigated as a possible terrorist incident.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amita Shah on Saturday came heavily on the Aam Aadmi Party and said that corruption has flourished in Delhi under the Aam Aadmi Party.

"Corruption has flourished in Delhi under Aam Aadmi Party," the BJP chief said while addressing an election rally in Delhi ahead of the municipal polls.

"No other party has done as much corruption as the AAP did during their tenure in Delhi," he said.

Three municipal corporations of Delhi will go to polls on April 22, 2017.

Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad on Saturday has been summoned by party chief Uddhav Thackeray following the case of assault on a Air India staffer.

Gaikwad is likely to meet Thackeray in Matoshree to justify his out-of-line action and present his side of the story.

Gaikwad has been asked to be present before a three-member panel formed by the Shiv Sena to probe into the matter, according to reports.

The panel will decide whether to suspend Gaikwad for allegedly hitting an AI staffer with his slippers over seat issue on Thursday.

The Sena leader was banned by AI and other top airlines with ‘immediate effect’ on Friday and he boarded a train to Mumbai later in the evening. He boarded the August Kranti Rajdhani from Nizamuddin railway station in New Delhi.

Meanwhile, an FIR has also been registered against him by AI for repeatedly hitting their 62-old-year staffer that broke the victim’s spectacles.

Gaikwad, when asked about the brazen assault on the staffer on Friday, refused to owe any apology to the victim.

"I will not apologise, he (Air India staff) must come to me and apologise,” Gaikwad said.

Film: Phillauri

Director: Anshai Lal

Starring: Anushka Sharma, Suraj Sharma, Diljit Dosanjh

Sad, but true. Some films work better on paper than on film. I can just imagine how excited Anushka Sharma must have been to play a ghost in a film about a restless spirit trying to find a culmination to her incomplete love story from 98 years ago.

It's a clever premise, evoking nostalgia as well as history in cascades of poetry, music and drama. Lamentably the poetry is more corny than epic, and the music, barring the "Sahiba" track is at best, serviceable. This is an inexcusable lapse in a film that takes us into the Punjabi heartland on two levels, the present and the past, both done in contrasting colour palates, one rusty and rugged the other peachy and saturated.

Alas, the theme of love finding a resting place in two lifetimes barely registers. For a large part, "Phillauri" moves through the lavish labyrinth of a big fat wedding in a Punjabi household with the same misdirected gusto as Vikas Behl's "Shaandaar". Except for the fact that the characters here are in principle, quite interesting in the way they respond to the presence of a friendly ghost in their bustling home.

The pace does the narrative in, bringing what seems like noble ambitions to the ground with a thud. I suggest the makers of this film watch this week's other release "Anaarakli Of Aarah" to see what vigorous pacing can do to a film.

Anushka Sharma makes a pretty ghost. But Shashi is a ghost as interpreted by Anushka Sharma. She behaves like Anushka's character in "Ae Dil Hai Muskil" in blingy apparition with the added advantage of being seen only by Suraj's character.

If only the narrative slid into the past with more economy and equanimity and less misplaced enthusiasm. Shashi's village-bound romance with the neighbourhood poet (Diljit Dosanjh, confident but unremarkable) is drawn with the faint paintbrush strokes of an artiste who has all the time in the world. The relationship between Anushka and Diljit) develops through a series of vignettes planted into plot's oscillating memory-chip with little room for plausibility.

In the present, Kanan (Suraj Sharma)'s wedding to the pretty Anu (newcomer Mehreen Pirzada, adequate) is threatened by the presence of a ghost who has been released through a bizarre ritual.

Suraj's bewildered responses to local superstition is so apt, you wonder if the young actor has stepped into a role written for him. Unfortunately he gets little spice to chew the meat of the plot which simmers on slow-burn, sometimes so sluggishly paced, you wonder at the gall of the director to attempt something so unhurried at a time when audiences have all the patience of a sparrow building a nest during rainfall.

Curiously the languid narrative pacing doesn't bring in its wake a thehrao in the theme. All through the fidgety story, the competent actors wait for the dialogues to get less cheesy, the plot twists to evolve mature and fructify.

Phillauri is deplorably deprived of a smooth narrative. At times the episodes in the storytelling seem like gate-crashers at a wedding, unwanted guests over-staying their welcome.

Initially when Kanan presses the panic button after meeting the ghost, a whole lot of misdirected laughter is aimed at a little servant boy thinking he is being seduced by the bridegroom at a wedding. The joke is stretched to breaking point seeking to justify its presence with painful explanatory footnotes. It all seems like an edifice constructed to impress with little to support its ambitions except a sassy appetite for spirit-hunting and a zest for a self-created melodrama .

Phillauri has its redeeming qualities. The homage to history that is brought into play at the end is so daring in its sweep and suggestion that you admire the film's debutant director for going against the grain. Some of the period detailing in the past is interesting. The moment of the advent of the gramophone disc is warmly caught in the characters' awestruck faces. Such tender odes to a time long-gone should have added up to make a film that leaves us with a bright beam of light piercing our skepticism.

Tragically Phillauri is neither humorous enough to be deemed a rom-com nor propelled by ample heft to be called a historical epic. It is neither this nor that. It is just exasperating for the possibilities it throws open but fails to explore.

The gruesome killings of an Indian IT professional and her 6-year-old son in a New Jersey town has sent shock waves in the neighbourhood with the motive behind the murders still unknown.

Sasikala Narra, 38 and her son Anish Narra were killed on Friday inside their residence at the Fox Meadow Apartments in Maple Shade in New Jersey's Burlington County.

The two were found murdered when Sasikala's husband Narra Hanumanth Rao returned from work Thursday evening.

Officers from the Maple Shade Police Department were called to the Hamilton Road residence just after 9 pm by Rao after he found the bodies of his wife and son.

Authorities said no arrests have been made and the deaths are being investigated as homicides.

Preliminary investigation revealed that both victims were "stabbed multiple times."

Narras' close family friend Mohan Nannapaneni said in a ABC6 Action News report that Rao had called him shortly after finding his wife and son in a pool of blood.

"When he opened the house and he couldn't find his wife and son and then he called Anish his son and he didn't answer, so when he went to open the bedroom and then he found those two people … dead and blood everywhere," said Nannapaneni.

Law enforcement officials have denied the killings were hate crime or a result of bias against the Indian origin of the victims, according to a statement provided by Burlington County Prosecutor's Office.

"Contrary to some media reports, at this point there is no indication that this is a hate crime connected to the fact that the victims are of Indian origin," the statement had said.

The killings have shocked the Maple Shade community, which has expressed concern and sadness over the murders.

"What kind of monster would come up and do something that scary?" said Lisa of Maple Shade in the report in ABC6 Action News.

"Someone is crazy. Someone is really, really crazy.

Delusional, don't know what's going on in life," said Ashante Boorden of Maple Shade.

Alfred Maugeri of Maple Shade said in the report that it is saddening to see a child's life wiped out like that.

"It's unbelievable," he said.

Neighbours said they want whoever is responsible for the crime to be found soon and prosecuted.

Neighbours who were in their homes around the time of the incident said they did not hear anything suspicious, the report added.

They described the Narras as wonderful people, especially little Anish.

"He was always happy… Smart little kid, too," said a neighbour who didn't wish to be identified.

Another neighbour Chris Davis said she heard Rao say "She's dead, she's dead! There's blood all over the place, She's dead!" as others tried to console him.

"This is sad, really said," said Iesha Zuniga, 26, a restaurant worker who had lived in the complex for more than a decade. We feel unsafe."

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton continued his brilliant qualifying run Down Under, taking his fourth consecutive Australian Grand Prix pole on Saturday with a dominating performance at the Albert Park track, with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel a close second.

Valterri Bottas of Mercedes gave a strong showing on his debut for the front-runners, consistently churning out fast times right from the first session of qualifying to the final one and was unlucky to be pipped to the front row by Vettel.

Ferrari, initially started both their drivers on the supersoft tyres, with the rest of the pack all choosing the fastest option, the ultrasofts, but made the shift to the ultras with Kimi Raikkonen (eventually finishing fourth) in particular, struggling to come to terms on a cloudy day in Melbourne.

There was bad news for Force India, however, as neither Sergio Perez or Esteban Ocon could make the cut for Q3, but the biggest disappointment of the day was for the home fans as their favourite, Daniel Ricciardo crashed his Red Bull at turn 14 in Q3 to end up 10th. 

Max Verstappen, F1’s rising star, gave Red Bull something to cheer with a competent display to come in 5th place ahead of Romain Grosjean in the Haas, who placed a creditable 6th on the grid ahead of Williams’ Felipe Massa.

Apart from Mercedes and Ferrari dominating the top four spots, the fact that Red Bull’s feeder team, Toro Rosso managed to squeeze both their drivers, Carlos Sainz and Daniil Kyvat in the top 10 was a major talking points as the young drivers acquitted themselves well on the fast track.

While much of pre-season talk had been about Ferrari finally emerging as contenders after an extended period of under-performance,  the Maranello-based outfit proved that they will be pushing Mercedes all the way this year with a strong showing at the season opener (coincedntally their first front-row since the 2015 Singapore GP).

For Mercedes, the pressing question had been whether Bottas would be able to fill 2016 champion Nico Rosberg’s shoes and if Saturday’s showing is anything to go by, the Finnish driver may just turn out to be the surprise package of the year.

The top 10 drivers as they will line up on Sunday:

1. Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes

2. Sebastian Vettel    Ferrari

3. Valterri Bottas    Mercedes

4. Kimi Raikkonen     Ferrari

5. Max Verstappen    Red Bull

6. Romain Grosjean    Haas

7. Felipe Mass        Williams

8. Carlos Sainz     Toro Rosso

9. Danil Kyvat         Toro Rosso

10. Daniel Ricciardo     Red Bull

Survivors of childhood brain tumours have more body fat, increasing their risk of stroke, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and early death, research has shown.

The study showed that although survivors of childhood brain tumours — the second most common type of cancers in children — have a similar Body Mass Index (BMI) to healthy children with no cancer, they have more fat tissue overall, especially around the abdomen.

"The findings suggest that one of the most important risk factors for heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, which is excess total and central fat in the body, is present relatively early in survivors of childhood brain tumours," said M. Constantine Samaan, an associate professor at McMaster University, Canada.

"This may programme their future risk of these diseases and impact their outcomes," Samaan added.

Over the past few years, advances in cancer therapy have resulted in an increasing number of children who survive their diagnosis of brain tumours.

However, this improved survival is offset by their high risk of several comorbid conditions and early death, said the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports.

"The study indicates that these children need further monitoring for the factors that increase their risk of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.

"Targeted therapies and prevention strategies are needed to deal with the early risk factors to improve survival and the quality of life of survivors," Samaan added.

Actress Lola Albright, best known for her starring role in the late 1950s TV series Peter Gunn, passed away at her home here. She was 92.

A native of Akron, Ohio, Albright died on Thursday, reports variety.com.

"She went very peacefully. She died at 7:20 a.m. of natural causes. We loved her so much," her friend Eric Anderson said.

Albright's first film appearance came in 1947 in The Unfinished Dance. She then starred with Judy Garland in Easter Parade in 1948. The next year she appeared opposite Kirk Douglas in 1949's Champion for which she received an Oscar nomination.

Her other films included The Good Humor Man, The Tender Trap, Kid Galahad, The Way West and Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?

Albright got married twice. Her first husband was actor Jack Carson. She later married actor Bill Chadney. However both marriages ended in divorce. Her survivors include her step-daughter, Susan Chadney.

Former Union Minister and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday said in the current global set-up, there is no alternative to the United Nations (UN).

"There is no alternative to the UN and I definitely believe that it can improve," Tharoor said here while discussing the future of the world organisation in the changing geopolitical scenario.

He was speaking at a panel discussion after the launch of 'Seven Decades and Beyond: The UN-India connect', a book which traces the journey of India at the UN.

The book was launched by Lt. Gen., Satish Nambiar (retd), first Force Commander and Head of Mission of United Nations Protection Force in the former Yugoslavia during 1992-93.

"We are looking at a time when the principal donor country headed by a President who in all these years being a familiar figure in New York… never associated himself with UN… I am told that in the proposed spending cuts, there is huge cuts proposed to the allocation for the UN," Tharoor, former Under-Secretary General of the UN, said while discussing the proposed budget cut in the US by President Donald Trump's administration.

Talking about the challenges being faced by the UN, he said that we are facing number of confusing and competing signals, like, is the US in retreat and how the new assertive Russia and China will impact the political dynamics of the UN. 

"What happens to the legitimate frustrations of countries like India," he said while talking about India's aspiration for the permanent place in the UN security council.

"I really fear in the course of next few years, we will be fretting away the accomplishment, that we are celebrating, in the first 70 years."

The world is neither uni-polar nor bi-polar, and not really multi-polar but is in a transition which is really going to challenge the UN leadership considerably, he added.

"I can affirm that the UN is vital… it is just a mirror of the world," Tharoor said.

"There is no institution in the world that brings together every single country in the planet." 

The event was organised by the UN and India International Centre.