Amitabh Bachchan is also a film producer and the former television presenter of the game show Kaun Banega Crorepati. He is regarded as one of the finest actors in Indian cinema and one of the top-paid actors of the industry. He is married to actress Jaya Bhaduri and is the father of actor Abhishek Bachchan and father-in-law of actress Aishwarya Rai.
The Star Of The Millennium
Mega Star Of Movies
Embarking on a career in cinema with a little known film Saat Hindustani in '69, Amitabh Bachchan soon shot into limelight with his performances in Deewar, Zanjeer, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar and the blockbuster Sholay. His angry young man persona on screen has ignited many a blockbuster, leading to scores of box office records. A freak accident on the sets of the movie Coolie had millions of his fans worried and praying for his life. Amitabh made forays into new territory, politics to lend support to his friend Rajiv Gandhi only to return to mainstream cinema, few years later.Amitabh Bachchan is also a film producer and the former television presenter of the game show Kaun Banega Crorepati. He is regarded as one of the finest actors in Indian cinema and one of the top-paid actors of the industry. He is married to actress Jaya Bhaduri and is the father of actor Abhishek Bachchan and father-in-law of actress Aishwarya Rai.
Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan is all set to make his debut in Bhojpuri films with his makeup man Deepak Sawant's movie titled "Ganga". "Seventy percent of the film is complete.
He's the last 'King' of Bollywood. Even at the other side of 60, Amitabh Bachchan is the reigning Shahenshah of movies. Rituparna Ghosh's movie was premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last week. Even Shakespeare must've stirred from his 400-year-old slumber on hearing Big B's rendition of his play. It had the celeb-studded audiences enthralled all right. His almost theatrical performance as an ageing Shakespearian actor leaves you feeling, 'Yes! All the world's definitely a stage' for Amitabh Bachchan.
A prolific actor, Mr. Bachchan has starred in more than 150 films. Many of his films, particularly those from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, were resounding successes. He is not only a Bollywood star but has also received international accolades. In 1999, Mr. Bachchan was voted the Star of the Millennium in BBC's poll on the Internet. He defeated the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Robert De Niro to win this honour. In 2001, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan for his outstanding contributions to Indian cinema. He has also provided narration for numerous films and cultural programmes.
Mumbai, May 17 Superstar Amitabh Bachchan is enjoying his blogging experience and "the ugly abuses, the healthy criticism" that come along with it.
Stars on the Web Suddenly, Bollywood actors seem to have found a wonderful way to shed their starry airs and connect with their fans? Star bloggers Amitabh Bachchan Living a bachelor's existence in London.
Amitabh Bachchan dominated the Bombay film industry, by far the most prolific movie production centre in the world, far more so than Hollywood, for more than a decade. His is recognized by far more people in sheer numbers, on the planet, than any other film personality ever - considering that his following comprises primarily of people from the Indian subcontinent which is more than 16% of the world's population!
Amitabh Bachchan - the name itself conjures up a larger-than-life image, which has become immortalised by the passage of time. Who could have thought that a dark, lanky young man who had come all the way from Allahabad with stars in his eyes, would become the Big B of Bollywood one day? Like any other person who has made it big in any walk of life, even Amitabh Bachchan had to go through many rejections and heartbreaks.
It takes courage to stand all the hardships of Bollywood and it was only because of hard work and dedication that Amitabh Bachchan is what he is today. Zanjeer (1973) shaped the future for Bachchan. Soon with this movie Amitabh achieved the angry-young-man title and things were to remain the same for more than two decades.
No other actor in Hindi cinema has got the love and affection that Bachchan has from the masses. Though the list of his movies is endless, some of his memorable roles have been from the movie Abhimaan, Amar Akbar Anthony . Amitabh Bachchan in the process became a hit-producing machine who could do anything but give a flop.
The music of director Apoorva Lakhia?s next film 'Mission Istanbul', which deals with terrorism, was released here by yesteryears Bollywood star Jeetendra. Amitabh Bachchan is the brand ambassador of IIFA.
He might have done many multi-starrer films but his performance always overshadowed everyone else's. This is the reason why many actors who worked in his movies shot to fame and could survive the turmoils of this industry. Amitabh Bachchan is a name to reckon with!
Bangkok - In a continued effort to take Indian cinema to the world, the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) kicked off Bollywood's three-day awards weekend in Bangkok . Indian cinema's version of the Oscars is attended by a long list of Bollywood stars and big names in fashion.
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- Response to Auro is miraculous: Amitabh Bachchan
- The poignant story of 13-year-old Auro who suffers from progeria in "Paa" has touched many hearts and megastar Amitabh Bachchan says he never expected ...
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- Amitabh Bachchan- Call it the 'Paa' effect or his incessant run in the race for the throne, the 67-year old megastar has earned himself the title of 'Most ...
- Ash caught Ranbir sketching
- The lives of the Bachchans and the Kapoors seem to be intertwined on many levels. First, it was Amitabh Bachchan's daughter Shweta who married Nikhil Nanda, ...
- It's raining compliments for Amitabh Bachchan
- Post Paa, Amitabh Bachchan has lost count of the compliments showered on him. The actor par excellence has an illustrious body of work and therefore, ...
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- MUKESH MUKESH Sep 3, 2009 @ 12:40 am
- IN AMITABHBACCHAN FACE SHOWS TOO MUCH INDIAN YOUNGMAN QAULITIES IN HIS YOUNG LFE{INDIAN ALWAYS TOLD AT FILM TIMES THEATER TIME AND HAPPY LAMBU CAME{SCEEN AT FIGHT TIME
FACES AND TOO MUCH GOD GIFTS QAULITIES IN U GOOD CAPABITLITY AND DECCESSTION MAKEING
BRITISHES ENGLISH PERSON S ROLE FULLY SUCCESS{ROBBER MAN TOO MUCH WIFES AND SOME SUSPENSE AND NECCESATY OF SEX ROLE
BRITISH ALWAYS WANTS COMMON KISSES FILM FAVOURING KISSING SCEENS
AND LOOK LIKES DRESS SENCESS GIRLS MODEL WEARS STYLE
BRITISH MAN SERIOUSE WHY DONT LIKES BAD MANNER THEY LIKES SEX MANNER
BEAUTY STYLE ADVERTISEMENTS EASLY IMPRESS BRITISHES
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- kvivek05 kvivek05 Sep 12, 2008 @ 3:11 pm
- Hey
great lens ..
Found it while i was creating one for Last Lear.
Shades of Amitabh Bachchan is great.
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- asiacue asiacue Jun 8, 2008 @ 5:51 pm
- Thank you for joining. I'd suggest to play with tags to get the lens found. thefluffanutta recently posted an article for tag optimization: http://squidutils.com/blog/lens-building/how-to-pick-your-primary-tags
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Blogging News of Big B!
- Response to Auro is miraculous: Amitabh Bachchan
- The poignant story of 13-year-old Auro who suffers from progeria in 'Paa' has touched many hearts and megastar Amitabh Bachchan ...
- Response to Auro is miraculous: Amitabh Bachchan (Interview)
- New Delhi, Dec 19. Director R. Balakrishnan is planning to incorporate three deleted scenes from his recently released movie "Paa" to increase the footage of Auro, the film's protagonist, revealed lead actor Amitabh Bachchan. ...
- Amitabh Bachchan Speaks On Paa's Success & Auro » Bollywood Actors ...
- Bollywood Blog: All about Bollywood Films, Bollywood Indian Stars, Actors, Actresses, Bollywood Movies Updates, Hot Videos and more.... December 18, 2009. Amitabh Bachchan Speaks On Paa's Success & Auro. Has Auro become a bigger star than Amitabh Bachchan? Ha ha?There is genuine love being expressed towards him and several people have unabashedly desired to take him home! Did you expect Auro to have such a far-reaching impact on the nation's psyche? ...
- Response to Auro is miraculous: Amitabh Bachchan
- Little-paa-movie-photo The poignant story of 13-year-old Auro who suffers from progeria in ?Paa? has touched many hearts and megastar Amitabh Bachchan says he never expected people to so ?warmly embrace? his premature ageing character. ...
Free Movies
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Indian Film Industry
The cinema of India consists of films produced across India, including the cinematic culture of Mumbai along with the cinematic traditions of states such as Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Indian films came to be followed throughout South Asia and the Middle East?where modest dressing and subdued sexuality of these films was found to be acceptable to the sensibilities of the audience belonging to these regions.Watson (2009) As cinema as a medium gained popularity in the country as many as 1,000 films in various languages of India were produced annually. Expatriates in countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States continued to give rise to international audiences for Hindi-language films, some of which?according to the Encyclopædia Britannica (2009) entry on Bollywood?continued to carry "formulaic story lines, expertly choreographed fight scenes, spectacular song-and-dance routines, emotion-charged melodrama, and larger-than-life heroes."Encyclopædia Britannica (2009), Bollywood. This is contrasted by the 'Parallel Cinema' movement, prominent in Bengali cinema, Kannada cinema,Malayalam cinema and other regional industries, known for its serious content, realism and naturalism.
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Amitabh Bachchan
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- swarvanu
- Voted Amitabh Bachchan (Paa) for Best Indian Actor. http://uurl.in/2YPGx @HeadlinesIndia #HiFlyers2009
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- sana_shq
- Saw Paa in the evening, @juniorbachchan you were outstanding in the movie :) and Mr Amitabh Bachchan was just awesome!!
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- Voted Amitabh Bachchan (Paa) for Best Indian Actor. http://uurl.in/2YPGx @HeadlinesIndia #HiFlyers2009
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- janvi1991
- Voted Amitabh Bachchan (Paa) for Best Indian Actor. http://uurl.in/2YPGx @HeadlinesIndia #HiFlyers2009
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- Voted Amitabh Bachchan (Paa) for Best Indian Actor. http://uurl.in/2YPGx @HeadlinesIndia #HiFlyers2009
Everything About Amitabh
- Amitabh Bachchan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- [edit] Early life. Born in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, Amitabh Bachchan hails from a Hindu ... Amitabh is the elder of Harivansh Rai Bachchan's two sons, ...
- Amitabh Bachchan, Bollywood Actor Amitabh, Life of Amitabh Bachchan,
- amitabh- this information guide has in store the life of the legendry bollywood actor amitabh bachchan. it tells you about the childhood, ...
- Amitabh Bachchan, Bollywood Actor Amitabh, Life of Amitabh Bachchan,
- amitabh- this information guide has in store the life of the legendry bollywood actor amitabh bachchan. it tells you about the childhood, ...
- Amitabh Bachchan Biography
- The adulation for Amitabh became clear when he was gravely injured during the filming of 'Coolie' in 1983. While he was battling for life in the hospital, ...
- Amitabh Bachchan Biography
- The adulation for Amitabh became clear when he was gravely injured during the filming of 'Coolie' in 1983. While he was battling for life in the hospital, ...
- Bollywood Time: Amitabh Bachchan - Revisiting his life...
- In Shakti as son of a strict police officer (Dilip Kumar), Amitabh takes the life to the dark side (high crime and smuggling) ...
- amitabh bachan blog : Simple way of life
- Just now i had visited the blog maintained by India's greatest actor, the legendary star of many block buster hindi movies, the one and only Amitabh Bachan.
- amitabh bachan blog : Simple way of life
- Just now i had visited the blog maintained by India's greatest actor, the legendary star of many block buster hindi movies, the one and only Amitabh Bachan.
- On Amitabh and Aishwarya « Life Is a Street Car Named Desire
- May 2, 2007 ... She certainly has a point though as an individual Amitabh is entitled to do what he pleases, and to criticize him for believing in ritualism ...
- 'Sarkar Raj' is an episode in the life of Nagre family: Amitabh ...
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Latest News
- Copenhagen closes with weak deal that poor reject
- Non-binding accord limits temperature rises but includes no emissions targets Click here to read the full text of the accord [pdf] The UN climate summit in Copenhagen has formally closed with a deal many countries admit falls far short of the action needed to tackle global warming. The non-binding accord, which the US reached with key nations including China and Brazil, "recognises" the scientific case for keeping temperature rises to no more than 2C but does not contain commitments to emissions reductions to achieve that goal. US officials spun the deal as a "meaningful agreement" but even Barack Obama said: "This progress is not enough. "We have come a long way, but we have much further to go." It is up to national parliaments to adopt the accord, after which signatories will be obliged to take measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and start preparing to help poor countries adapt to climate change. The intention is for a full legal agreement to be signed within a year. Gordon Brown, the British prime minister, said the agreement was a "vital first step" and accepted there was a lot more work to do to get assurances it would become a legally binding agreement. He declined to call it a "historic" conference. "This is the first step we are taking towards a green and low-carbon future for the world, steps we are taking together. But like all first steps, the steps are difficult and they are hard. "I know what we really need is a legally binding treaty as quickly as possible." The deal was brokered between China, South Africa, India, Brazil and the US, but it disappointed African and other vulnerable countries that had been holding out for deeper emission cuts to hold the global temperature rise to 1.5C this century. As widely expected all references to 1.5C in past drafts were removed at the last minute, but more surprisingly the earlier 2050 goal of reducing global CO2 emissions by 80% was also dropped. Last night it was unclear whether the accord would be adopted by all 192 countries in the full plenary session. The talks were on the verge of collapse with the Danish prime minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, bringing his gavel down to abandon the meeting. But early this morning the UK climate secretary, Ed Miliband, successfully intervened to salvage the deal and the accord was formally recognised by the UN. The accord achieves much wider acceptance by nations that global warming must be limited to an increase of less than 2C. It preserves the Kyoto protocol for now. The attempt to kill Kyoto dominated Copenhagen and the resulting furore used up days of precious time, contributing to the ultimate weakness of the accord. The deal aims to provide $30bn a year for poor countries to adapt to climate change from next year to 2012, and $100bn a year by 2020 ? but no details were given on its source. No specific targets for greenhouse gas cuts were stated, meaning no action to keep temperatures under a 2C rise was set. There was no deadline for the conclusion of the climate talks, despite many leaders saying previously that six months to a year should be the maximum delay. Negotiators will now work on individual agreements such as forests, technology, and finance ? but without strong leadership the chances are that it will take years to complete. Lumumba Di-Aping, the Sudanese chair of the G77 group of 130 poor countries, compared the proposed deal to the Holocaust. "[This] is asking Africa to sign a suicide pact, an incineration pact in order to maintain the economic dependence of a few countries. It's a solution based on values that funnelled six million people in Europe into furnaces." Di-Aping's comments triggered immediate protests and calls to withdraw his remarks. Sweden called them "absolutely despicable" and Ed Miliband condemned what he called the "disgusting comparison" which he said "should offend people across this conference whatever background they come from". In the final plenary session a Venezuelan delegate cut her palm and asked if she had to bleed to have her points heard. "You are witnessing a coup d'etat against the UN," she said. It is unclear how many states will sign up to the accord. The European Union, Japan, the African Union and the Alliance of Small Island States all urged delegates to adopt the plan, but many Latin American countries and Sudan are known to be vehemently against it. Copenhagen climate change conference 2009Climate changeKyoto protocolAfrican UnionVenezuelaEuropean UnionJapanUnited StatesChinaSudanJohn VidalJonathan Watts guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
- The grim meaning of 'meaningful'
- Like businessmen who insist a deal is legit, politicians protesting they have done something "meaningful" arouse suspicions that the opposite is in fact true. And "meaningful" was about the best word the spin doctors could muster in respect of the agreement of sorts that was brokered in Copenhagen late last night. The climate change summit had three big tickets on its agenda: emissions, financial assistance and the process going ahead. And on each of these counts the accord ? which was effectively hammered out not by the whole conference, but rather by the US, India, China and South Africa ? fell woefully short. There was no serious cementing of the positive noises on aid that had emerged earlier on in the week. On emissions, a clear-eyed vision for the distant future was rendered a pipe dream by outright fuzziness about the near term. And most alarmingly of all, there was no clear procedural roadmap to deliver the world from the impasse that this summit has landed it in. Outright failure to agree anything at all would have been very much worse, but that is about the best thing that can be said. The course of the summit as a whole ? which moved from bold rhetoric, through blame games to eventual grudging concessions ? was neatly epitomised in Barack Obama's flying visit. The newly-crowned Nobel laureate opened his brief speech in near-identical terms to those we recently deployed ? in common with 56 newspapers worldwide ? in a shared editorial which called on global leaders to do the right thing. Stating climate change was a frightening fact, the president pronounced his determination to act. Soon, however, he broke his own rhetorical spell by following his eloquent overture not with a magnanimous announcement, but with some none-too-subtle pointing of the finger at China. He may have been technically accurate in implying that it nowadays emitted more than the US, but this cheap point distracted from the reality that much of China's ? in any case low ? per-head emissions are incurred in serving western consumers. Later on he stood back from the brink. First, by conceding some language on monitoring emissions which addressed China's concerns about sovereignty, and secondly ? at a late-night press conference ? by making a nod towards UN scientists who have this week been warning that the offers tabled so far would set the mercury surging by a catastrophic 3C. Obama's singular failure to raise the American game no doubt reflects his having one eye on the Senate, whom he still needs to persuade to enact his climate laws. Other leaders, however, proved equally unable to transcend parochialism when the crunch came. China's premier Wen Jiabao used his own speech to harry the developed world to make good on the cash it has pledged to the poor, an important demand but one that would have carried more force if it had been married to the explicit acceptance that China will soon have to find the means to prove to a sceptical world that it will curb its emissions as it promises. Throughout the evening, Europe seemed bent on clinging to its trump card of increasing its emissions offer from a 20% to a 30% cut, refusing to think beyond the horse-trading that has been failing the climate for years. Only two years ago, the world's leaders swore this would be the summit to build a new carbon order. The threadbare agreement thrashed out last night has not even laid the foundations. The progress on financial assistance over the fortnight is welcome, but with much of the money earmarked for climate adaptation, the global community is left resembling an alcoholic who has decided to save up for a liver transplant rather than give up drink. It is a sad tribute to collective failure that the all-important question at the end of Copenhagen is: what happens next? Copenhagen climate change conference 2009Barack ObamaUnited NationsChinaEuropean Union guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
- MP: What's wrong with blacking up?
- Tory's extraordinary letters about race and sex discrimination A Tory MP has bombarded the government's equalities watchdog with a series of extraordinary letters about race and sex discrimination, in a one-man campaign against "political correctness". In the latest of 19 letters sent since April 2008, and likely to dismay equal rights campaigners, Philip Davies asks Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission: "Is it offensive to black up or not, particularly if you are impersonating a black person?" In a postscript to the letter, he asks "why it is so offensive to black up your face, as I have never understood this". Davies, MP for Shipley and "parliamentary spokesman" for the Campaign Against Political Correctness lobby group, also asked: ? Whether the Metropolitan Black Police Association breaches discrimination law by restricting its membership to black people. He compared this to the BNP's whites-only policy, which the far-right party has now agreed to change. ? Whether the women-only Orange prize for fiction discriminates against men. ? Whether it was racist for a policeman to refer to a BMW as "black man's wheels". ? Whether it was lawful for an advert for a job working with victims of domestic violence to specify that applicants had to be female and/or black or ethnic minority. ? Whether a "Miss White Britain" competition or a "White Power List" would be racist, after Phillips justified the existence of Miss Black Britain prizes and the Black Power List. "Is there any difference legally or morally than publishing a white list? Do you think this entrenches division?" ? Whether anti-discrimination laws ought to be extended "to cover bald people (and perhaps fat people and short people)". Phillips (or on one occasion an adviser) answered each letter at length, with the exception of the last query, to which the EHRC chairman gave a succinct reply: "The answer to your question is no." On the Metropolitan Black Police Association, Phillips said its membership criteria might be protected as a professional, trade or members' organisation, although this would be for a court to decide. Answering another letter from Davies a year later on the difference between the Black Police Association and the BNP, he wrote: "The BNP only permits white people to become members of the party and ? this is unlawful under the Race Relations Act 1976 ? The Metropolitan Black Police Association ? is not a political party and therefore is not directly comparable with the BNP. We are, however, interested in any organisation which appears to act in breach of the equality enactments and thank you for drawing this matter to our attention." Regarding the domestic violence job, Phillips wrote: "It is not clear that this advertisement is unlawful because there appears to be a reasonable argument that the requirement to be female and/or from the BME [black and minority ethnic] community was a genuine occupational requirement for the roles in question." On Miss Black Britain, Phillips wrote that such competitions "clearly seek to celebrate black and minority ethnic people in the UK, who often suffer discrimination from mainstream providers". Regarding the Black Power List, Phillips wrote: "'Racist' is used to describe material which is derogatory and insulting, which this publication clearly is not." Two letters sent by Davies on the subject of Carol Thatcher's infamous "golliwog" comment were not received by the commission, the correspondence shows. A reply to Davies's question about blacking up is not in the correspondence, which was obtained through a freedom of information request. A spokesman said the reply was on its way to Davies. The spokesman added: "There are many writings produced by scholars about blacking up, arguing that minstrel shows lampoon black people in derogatory ways, and many people clearly find blacking up to portray minstrels or black people offensive." Blacking up is often viewed as racist because of its connections to the minstrel shows of the 19th and 20th centuries, which promoted the mocking stereotype of a grinning, happy-go-lucky, infantilised black rascal. Davies regularly addresses Phillips as Sir Trevor, leading the EHRC chair to eventually add a handwritten note to one reply: "Thank you for the 'knighthood' but HM has ? probably rightly ? never extended that honour to me!!" Davies replies with his own handwritten PS: "Surely your knighthood is only a matter of time! You heard it here first!" Davies said: "Anybody who follows my career in parliament knows I'm concerned with the issue of political correctness. I'm merely pursuing a subject I raise more regularly than anyone else in parliament. "It's one of my bugbears. Lots of people are castigated for being racist when that's not their intention." He said he believed in equality and as such disagreed with "positive discrimination". "That builds up a resentment that doesn't exist before." Asked what David Cameron made of his views, he said: "I've absolutely no idea. If he doesn't agree with me about it, it won't be the first time he didn't agree with me." He added that he was a "humble backbencher" who didn't speak for his party. Davies established in 2008 that male staff at the commission were paid on average £4,500 more a year than female staff, and that white staff were paid £1,800 more a year than black and other ethnic minority staff. He also protested at moves at the BBC to fast-track ethnic minority staff. Peter Herbert, the chair of the Society of Black Lawyers, said: "This correspondence seems a complete and utter waste of time. Half of this stuff, he should go and get legal advice, and the person that's meant to action these are the individuals who feel aggrieved. If he wishes to have recourse to law he shouldn't be using the Human Rights Commission as basically a source of legal advice, which is what he appears to be doing." He said Davies had the right to raise issues on behalf of his constituents with the commission, or issues of great national importance. But he added: "These are not important points of public policy at all. They are all of the same generic type. It looks very much like an effort to find fault with the Human Rights Commission for political point-scoring." When the Conservative party was asked for a view on Davies's campaign, a spokesman said: "For over a decade the Conservatives have made the case for fairness, not special treatment. We will continue to argue that Britain's strength is the freedom it offers and its steadfast commitment to tolerance, respect for the individual and democracy." Read the letters here. What Davies said "Thank you for your letter ... regarding the Black Power List [and] the Miss Black Britain competition. Do I take it from your responses that if there was a Miss White Britain competition or a White Power List that you would not consider that to be racist either?" "Please find enclosed an article about a senior police officer who was demoted for referring to a toy BMW as 'black man's wheels'. Do you think this is racist?" "1. In your opinion, does the Orange prize discriminate against male authors? If it does, is it a legal prize? 2. What evidence is there to suggest that female authors cannot compete with male authors in competitions? 3. Would there be any circumstances in which the setting up of a male-only author prize would be legal?" "Please find enclosed a copy of an article about a cycling course for Asian women ... What would be the reaction if there was a similar course for white men?" "Is it offensive to black up or not, particularly if you are impersonating a black person? PS I would be grateful if you could explain to me why it is so offensive to black up your face as I have never understood this." "Do you believe that anti-discrimination laws should be extended to cover bald people (and perhaps fat people and short people) ... ?" Phillips's replies "Thank you for your recent letter regarding Miss Black Britain. The commission does not consider such competitions to be racist, as they clearly seek to celebrate black and minority ethnic people in the UK, who often suffer discrimination from mainstream providers." "Thank you for your recent letter regarding the Black Power List 2008 ... 'Racist' is used to describe material which is derogatory and insulting, which this publication clearly is not." "In my view, Superintendent Petty's comments were an example of tasteless racial stereotyping." "The Metropolitan Black Police Association ... is not a political party and therefore not directly comparable with the BNP." "The Orange prize is restricted to women authors (of any nationality) within the historical context that meritorious women novelists were overlooked for the biggest literary prizes, prior to this one." "Various organisations arrange separate provision for women to participate in swimming, aerobics sessions etc but they also provide alternative sessions for men." "The answer to your question is no." ConservativesEquality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)EqualityTrevor PhillipsRace issuesPaul Owen guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
- Right to strike eroded, says BA union
- Previous dispute at bus firm uncovered loophole seized on by lawyers in British Airways case A swath of strike ballots are in danger of being struck down under legal challenges using the same loopholes that disabled the 12-day British Airways strike. According to sources close to active industrial disputes, a number of strike ballots involving rail and bus operators are facing legal challenges using the same arguments that won BA a surprise injunction this week. BA's lawyers were inspired by a case against a bus strike in London last year that was ruled illegal due to irregularities in the ballot running up to industrial action. Metrobus won the legal battle using a section of the 1992 Trade Union Act that requires unions to give the company accurate voting information, including the number of employees who voted and details of their respective departments. The revelation comes as Unite, which lost the Metrobus and BA court fights, officially informed the airline today that it will re-ballot crew members for industrial action early in the new year. In a letter to BA's head of human resources, Tony McCarthy, the union requested employee information that would enable it to provide "the most accurate information possible concerning the ballot". An industrial relations expert said the number of injunctions secured under the 1992 act had nearly trebled over the past year. "Because the demands [under the act] are so onerous it provides a large enough canvas on which employers can look for mistakes to find the grounds for an injunction, or the threat of one. Because of the threat quite a lot of ballots have been stood down," said Prof Gregor Gall, a professor in industrial relations at the University of Hertfordshire. Including the BA case, employers have applied for at least 11 injunctions this year under the 1992 act and have been successful eight times, according to Gall. Seven of the injunctions have been sought by transport firms, and two by Royal Mail. A further 12 businesses have threatened injunctions in 2009. A trade union source said the Metrobus case had rapidly gained notoriety within the movement as legal cases have snowballed. "When you say Metrobus in union circles people gasp, because of the ramifications of what it represented." The source added that there was now serious concern among union leaders in the wake of the BA decision that the 1992 act, brought in under a Conservative government, will gain even greater potency under a new Tory administration. A Unite spokesman said: "People have to face up to the fact that the right to strike is being eroded." BA's lawyers used a similar argument when they secured a high court injunction against a 12-day strike by cabin crew that would have brought the airline to a halt from next Tuesday until 2 January. Mrs Justice Cox ruled the vote unlawful after hearing that about 900 cabin crew were balloted despite taking voluntary redundancy, which meant they would not be working for the airline at the time of any industrial action. It allowed BA to neutralise a strike vote that had a 92% majority on an 80% turnout. Marc Meryon, architect of the Metrobus case and industrial relations partner at Bircham Dyson Bell, said: "It means that unions cannot run with the argument that if they have a majority in favour of a strike, you should allow it even while overlooking technical defects." Meryon's firm has recently advised on a number of strike polls in a range of sectors including transport. It is understood that other companies caught up in the Metrobus strike, which hit bus operators across the capital, have been able to sue Unite for compensation for organising strike action which was retrospectively unlawful. The BA and Metrobus rulings could inspire more compensation claims, because companies can sue over strikes that occurred six years ago if they discover voting irregularities. Meanwhile, Unite is still digesting the consequences of a ruling that the union has labelled a "disastrous day for democracy". The union said in a statement today that it was minded to move "swiftly" towards a new strike ballot rather than appeal against the ruling: "Unite, while not ruling out a future appeal, is expected to move swiftly towards a fresh ballot, believing it to be the surest way to ensure members' voices are heard." Trade unionsLawBritish AirwaysTransportAirline industryDan Milmo guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
- Strictly Come Dancing: the final
- After 14 weeks of dancing ? 14 weeks! ? Saturday night sees Strictly 2009 draw to a close. So which celebrity will win: Ricky Whittle or Chris Hollins? 7.40pm: That's the end of part one. Pop out for alcohol, get yourself something to eat, and be back here at 8.40pm. Apparently two former finalists are performing, we'll see the rest of this year's rejects, and of course we'll find out who this year's winner is. 7.38pm: That was a freakin' shambles of Something's Gotta Give. But it was better than the "wonderful" Strictly "singers" would have managed. At the end, Bruce holds on to Alesha's hand and she is desperately trying to get away from him, which is no wonder when he starts saying, "I've got SOMETHING, the boy's got SOMETHING," and thrusts in her general direction. Ew, ew. 7.35pm: Oh, holy....Bruce and Alesha are doing their duet now. It is Bruce-heavy. You may wish to cover your ears and eyes. Alesha looks beautiful, though. 7.34pm: They tango to A View To A Kill (MASSACRED by the singers, of course), and that was honestly the first time I've had shivers watching a pro-celeb routine on this show since Alesha and Matthew's showdance. 7.31pm: Phil Tufnell has flu, but now we have the special event of Jade Johnson and Ian Waite dancing their tango - you'll recall that they had to pull out when she incurred a knee injury. Looking forward to this routiine. 7.30pm: Jo Wood looks beautiful in her white floaty dress. She's still not great on her feet until Brendan takes her firmly in hold and can steer her around the floor, but that doesn't really matter. Then Zoe Lucker and James Jordan return, but really they're just placemarkers for the glorious return of Craig BLACKPOOL Kelly and Flavia. 7.25pm: Now we get to see the next batch of eliminated couples in action. Not before a lengthy recap of what happened in BLACKPOOL, which is where Craig Kelly is FROM. Oh, and the best week of the series, when Bruce was off sick. 7.23pm: The lines are now OPEN! 7.22pm: VT of people who want Chris or Ricky to win. Including Westlife. And some firemen. And an eagle. And some fish. Oh, and that runs into the plinky sentimental family support VT, with Ricky's dad calling him "Richard" and Chris's mum being lovely and his dad being John Hollins. 7.18pm: Oh, they're scoring this. Ricky and Natalie - 8s from Craig and Darcey, 9s from the others. Chris and Ola - 8 from Craig, 9s from the others. Like it matters what the judges say now. 7.16pm: Craig thinks the lindyhop is HARD FOR TALL PEOPLE, and calls Ricky and Natalie out on the screwed-up lift. He and Darcey concur that it can look a little bit laboured for the TALL PEOPLE. Len says that Chris held his own very well. Fnar. He thinks Ricky was more rhythmic, but other than that there wasn't anything in it. Alesha thought Chris was nicely controlled and entertaining. Bruno tells Chris that he is like a "cheeky frantic monkey" but apparently that is a good thing - "I was going to throw you a banana! Carry on!" 7.14pm: Sing, sing, sing, sing - is there a contractual obligation for Strictly to use this music every series? The routine starts with a spot of man-on-man leapfrog, and includes some slow-motion fake-out high-fiving. Ricky and Natalie have such brilliant tricks, except the last one seems to go slightly awry, with her foot catching his neck. And the routine ends with Ola and Natalie both getting a piggyback from Ricky. That's...odd. 7.11pm: Now both finalists are going to lindyhop. Together. Well, presumably "at the same time", rather than partnering each other, which would be fun. Training footage shows Ricky and Natalie being wonderful, and Chris shouting, "We're having MUCH MORE FUN THAN YOU!" at them, as he totally misses Ola's hands and flails his legs in some kind of sub-Riverdance parody. 7.09pm: CUTLER ALERT! He and Martina Hingis do an excerpt of their awkward stilted routine to Alone. Then Richard Dunwoody and Lilia make a long-overdue return (and her costume is one of the skimpiest ever - I think she's staking a claim to reclaim her title from Ola). Rav nearly gets garotted by Aliona's flying bits of dress, and keeps beaming. Lynda and Darren's routine to Calendar Girls is much, much too slow; it sounds like the band need their batteries replacing. And ugh, Calzaghe and Kristina with a jive that involves him miming a bass guitar on her leg. No good can come of miming instruments on a person's body as part of a dance routine. Just ask Gary Rhodes and Karen Hardy. 7.03pm: Time for a quick reminder of the couples who have left us already in a week-by-week recap. Ah, Martina Hingis, Jo Wood, Rav Wilding, Lynda Bellingham, we hardly knew you. And Craig BLACKPOOL Kelly. I'd forgotten that stupid strop off from Brendan when judge Craig made that Skippy the bush kangaroo reference. Such drama! 7pm: Another adorable little routine from Chris and Ola, ending with a kiss which she mistakenly directs onto his mouth, much to his delight. Alesha advises him to enjoy every moment; Bruno congratulates Ola for turning a frog into a prince. Craig says that timing and footwork is difficult and Chris did it very well, but it still had horrible hands and a lack of swing and sway. Darcey says the routine showed Chris at his best (well, yeah, that's the point). Len calls Chris "Prince Charming" and then pursues a tedious line of argument about a routine travelling well from Blackpool. It's been a long time since we heard about BLACKPOOL, hasn't it? Its return is not a welcome one. Scores - 9s from everyone except Alesha, who gives it a 10 for a total of 46. 6.55pm: Chris and Ola now. They are tiny and cute. He talks about the rumba being difficult, which I believe may have been mentioned on the show before. Ola never thought she would be in the final, and her first impression of Chris was that he is short, which makes me cackle really loudly for no discernible reason. Then she talks about "my little Chris and me, Olachops" and this is why people like them - they clearly have a great affection for each other and enjoy dancing together for the hell of it, not simply in pursuit of victory. Anyway, they're doing the foxtrot to I Could Have Danced All Night. 6.52pm: OK, I know Chris pulls some weird faces when he's dancing, but Ricky has some very peculiar expressions during this. Is that his acting? The footwork is obviously beautiful and technically precise, with the entire floor covered and used cleverly in the choreography. Bruce calls Darcey "Arsey" and then pretends he meant to say it. Anyway, Darcey seems to have a bit of a crush on Ricky; Len thinks this was the best quickstep of any male celebrity in any series (and to give Ricky his due, he immediately says it's nothing to do with him, it's Natalie's choreography). Alesha thinks it was one of the greatest routines ever on Strictly. Bruce asks Bruno to try to stay seated, and he screeches, "I CAN'T!" and begins to squeal. Craig says something about a cage, and Bruno interrupts with, "There is NO CAGE strong enough TO HOLD HIM!" Craig smacks him down with, "Pipe down, Norma Desmond!" My friend who is pretending he is not watching this asks if the judges have been drinking. I imagine they have been. Tess presents Ricky with a glittery thong. My friend who is pretending he is not watching this thinks this is scandalous behaviour for a married lady. Scores - straight 10s. 6.44pm: There is a joke about underwear that ends with Bruno mock-throttling Alesha. It's not worth repeating. Anyway, on with the introductory VT where Natalie tries to look sincere and soulful but the blazing ambition burns through the camera lens and into our flesh. Gratuitous shots of Ricky without a shirt, and narrative about how difficult it has been for him to achieve perfection. They're dancing the quickstep as their first dance this evening. 6.41pm: A big drum-roll to welcome the finalists. Ola is wearing a dress that has horrific shoulder-pads. Natalie's dress has a pretty sequinned bodice and a feathery skirt. Bruce makes a funny-because-it's-true joke about Chris crying if he loses because Ola will beat him. 6.40pm: Actually, add to that Natalie saying, "Ola who?" Ooh, BURN. 6.39pm: Welcome, please, to Bruce and Tess; Bruce does his little tap-dancing jig, Tess kicks her leg inelegantly. We begin with a nudge-nudge wink-wink joke about Ali and Brian going on a real date to the hottest ticket in town - the Strictly Come Dancing live final. Ali and Brian are not in evidence at all. That fell a bit flat. Anyway, we're told that our votes and our votes alone decide the result tonight, which is a segue into a football-themed VT, hosted by Gary Lineker and John Motson, notably only for Natalie's terrifying competition face. 6.35pm: Ooh, it's starting! Tess gives us a brief overview of the series so far, telling us that this was the toughest ever. Of COURSE it was. This! Is the grand final! Of Strictly Come Dancing! LIVE! Titles! 6pm: Good evening, everybody, and welcome to the official start of Christmas, otherwise known as the Strictly Come Dancing final! One by one, the contenders have fallen by the wayside - whether it be judging decisions, ineptitude or injury that cast them aside - and now Chris Hollins and Ola Jordan (aka Team Cola, aka the hobbits) take on Ricky Whittle and Natalie Lowe (aka...well, nothing really. Apart from "him off Hollyoaks and the scary robot lady") to lift the sacred trophy. The first instalment of tonight's action begins at 6.35pm, and it's time to lay all the cards on the table - I'm firmly Team Cola tonight for their sense of fun and enthusiasm; if Ricky and Natalie win, they will certainly have been the best dancers; I'm looking forward to Jade Johnson and Ian Waite returning to do their tango; I will be leaving the room when judge Alesha Dixon sings a duet with Bruce Forsyth. What say you? All of last week's Strictly action It's felt like rather a long slog this year ? and with 16 contestants to contend with, it's no wonder ? but finally, we arrive at the Strictly finals. Ricky Whittle and Natalie Lowe, who looked like possible finalists from the very start, will dance against Chris Hollins and Ola Jordan, who perhaps didn't. But who will win? Join us from 6.45pm on Saturday night for the main programme, and then again at 8.40pm for the Strictly results show ? and the decision. It might not have quite the hype of last week's X Factor showdown, but then thankfully it doesn't have Simon Cowell either. But while we wait for the couples to don more spangles than a whole department store decked out for Christmas, tell us what you've thought of this series. Earlier this week we were discussing whether the series had lost its shine this year ? and if so how it could be revived. Certainly, its had its share of controversies. So are you looking forward to the final? And how do you rate this year's Strictly? Let us know below - and see you Saturday at 6.35pm. Strictly Come DancingTelevisionCarrie Dunn guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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