Panaji, Jan 19 - Anthony Gonsalves, a Goan orchestra maestro and the man to whom the legendary Bollywood song "My Name is Anthony Gonsalves" was dedicated, is dead.

Gonsalves, 84, who was suffering from pneumonia in the last few days, died in his hospital bed at the Goa Medical College Wednesday night.

An orchestra maestro and a capable music arranger, known for his magical violin skills, had worked with well-known composer duo Laxmikant-Pyarelal, who had dedicated the "Amar Akbar Anthony" song to the Goan musician.

Panaji, Sep 21 - The annual feast of Goa's most revered saints is posing to be the main hurdle in the finalization of the dates of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) later this year, an official said Wednesday.

The film festival is held in Goa every year through November and December. Generally, Nov 23 is the day when it kick-starts.

Panaji, Aug 31 - Zuari Industries limited (ZIL), a K. K. Birla group company in Goa, has been temporarily shut due to a shortage of naphtha, a raw material needed to manufacture agricultural fertilisers, a company spokesperson said Wednesday.

The temporary shutdown follows a major accident last week in which leaked naphtha caused a major fire in the port town of Vasco, 30 km from here, resulting in the death of three people trapped in the fire.

"We had to take the decision as there is no supply of naphtha," ZIL spokesperson Anand Rajadhyaksha said.

Panaji, April 21 : The government could go to court against "Dum Maaro Dum" to protect the dignity of women, a Congress MP said Thursday, citing Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni's dissatisfaction with some dialogues in the film.

Goa's only Rajya Sabha MP Shantaram Naik said this in a press statement here just a day before the global release of Rohan Sippy's controversial film.

Panaji, April 7 : The Panaji bench of the Bombay High Court Thursday issued notices to the director and producers of Bollywood film 'Dum Maaro Dum' and other officials, over a petition seeking a ban on the film scheduled to be released April 22.

"The movie is against public order, decency and morality and there is clear violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of India to the people of Goa," petitioner Savio Rodrigues said in his plea. (IANS)

Panaji, Nov 29 - Holywood filmmaker Woody Allen may be old enough to be her grandfather, but when it comes to creativity, he is much younger, says "Slumdog Millionaire" star Freida Pinto.

Asked by a reporter Monday how the 26-year-old actress felt being directed by the 1935-born Allen, a Hollywood legend "who was old enough to be her grandfather", Freida first quipped: "He might not like what you said."

Panaji, Nov 29 - Indian actress Freida Pinto, who made it to Hollywood after the Oscar winning "Slumdog Millionaire", says women are not treated like dolls in Bollywood and she is certainly game for a Hindi movie if a good one comes along.

"Women are not treated like dolls in Bollywood," Freida said addressing a press conference on the sidelines of the 41st International Film Festival of India (IFFI), where her film "You Will Meet a Tall, Dark Stranger" directed by Woody Allen, is being screened.

Panaji, Nov 28 - B. R. Chopra could well be called the Nostradamus of Bollywood. He dwelt on issues like capital punishment long before there was a debate on it and even made a song-less film at a time when movies without songs were unwanted, says his biographer.

Vinay Vairale, 45, who currently works with the Films Division of India (FDI), said Chopra's films knocked on the doors of greatness not because of their commercial success but because they were predictive visual documents of the time to come.

Panaji, Sep 8 : Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn was puffing cigarettes in close vicinity of regulation-size "No Smoking" sign boards, officials in Goa said Wednesday.

Manoj Srivastava, the chief executive officer of the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), which conducts the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), has countered Devgn's claim to the media Tuesday that smoking was permissible in the ESG complex.

The actor was found smoking in the ESG complex in May this year and subsequently fined Rs. 100 for violating the provisions of the Control of Tobacco Products Act (COPTA).

Panaji, Sep 1: Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn has been fined Rs. 100 for smoking in the courtyard of a multiplex in Panaji, police said Wednesday.

"The notice will be issued today (Wednesday). We are acting on a complaint filed by the state health department (Directorate of Health Services, DHS)," Deputy Superintendent of Police Deu Benaulikar told IANS.

A police official said the complaint was filed by the DHS director Rajnanda Desai after the National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE), an anti-tobacoo watchdog NGO, submitted photographs to her office showing the Mumbai-based actor smoking at the INOX multiplex premises.

Panaji, April 28 - Tobacco watchdog National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) has filed a police complaint against Bollywood actors Arshad Warsi and Tusshar Kapoor for smoking in a college campus in Goa.

In his complaint to the district Superintendent of Police Allen D'Sa and officials of the state tobacco control cell, NOTE general secretary Shekhar Salkar said the actors, who are shooting at the Chowgule College campus in Margao, about 35 km from here, were caught smoking in campus Tuesday.

Panaji, Feb 12 - Twenty one Shiv Sainiks were arrested Friday after they protested against the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer "My Name Is Khan" outside a multiplex screening it here.

"Goa Shiv Sena president Upendra Gaonkar was among those arrested outside the Inox multiplex courtyard for holding protests," Deputy Superintendent of Police Deu Benaulikar told IANS.

Panaji, Jan 9 - Congress leaders Saturday remained non-committal on the issue of barring criminally tainted people from entering India's oldest national party, which is in the middle of a countrywide membership drive.

Congress leader Dwijendranath Sharma, addressing a press conference here, said there are procedures to screen those with criminal backgrounds, but refused to say that legislators with a criminal background would not be re-admitted into the party.

"Of course, we do not want people with criminal backgrounds. We have screening procedures in place. But it is up to the Pradesh Congress Committee to debar those with criminal backgrounds," said Sharma, who is in charge of the recruitment drive in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Goa.

Panaji, Jan 9 - Russian tourists in Goa can now have medical insurance. A Moscow-based firm supported by the Russian government is offering policies that will allow the 40,000-odd Russians visiting the state every year to be treated without having to pay.

Speaking to reporters Saturday, legal representative in Goa of the Mumbai-based Russian consulate Vikram Varma said that the formalities had been worked out and a list of hospitals had already been empanelled for cashless treatment of Russian tourists.

Panaji, Jan 7 : Sex aphrodisiac makers Musli Power Xtra, official sponsors of the Churchill Brothers football team, will launch an independent private investigation to get to the bottom of the allegations of molestation against three players by an air hostess.

Speaking to IANS late Thursday night after a crucial meeting Churchill Brothers football club management, K. C. Abraham, managing director of Kunnath Pharmaceuticals, which manufactures Musli Power Xtra, said that until the independent private investigation was completed, the reported Rs. 9 crore three-year endorsement deal would continue.

Panaji, Jan 6 : A leading aphrodisiac manufacturer could review its reported Rs. 9 crore sponsorship of Churchill Brothers Football Club a day after its three players were held for allegedly molesting an airhostess on board a Spice Jet aircraft in Mumbai.

K. C. Abraham, managing director of Kerala-based Kunnath Pharmaceuticals, told IANS Wednesday that he was arriving in Goa to review the situation "following Tuesday's developments".

Panaji, Jan 6 : Chief patron of Churchill brothers football club, Churchill Alemao Wednesday said the cramped interior of a Spice Jet flight could have been one of the reasons for the molestation controversy involving three of his club's players.

Alemao also hinted at a conspiracy against his I-league-winning club, which could have led to Tuesday night's controversy in which the three footballers, including two Nigerians were booked for molestation.

Panaji, Jan 6 : Though the possibility of drugs being sold at the world-famous Sunburn music festival here last month is still being investigated by police, state Home Minister Ravi Naik Wednesday gave a clean chit to the organisers.

"There were no drugs sold at the Sunburn festival. When people get whiskey, beer, brandy there, what use is drugs? Why will they take drugs there?" was Naik's rationale for why drugs 'could not' be sold at the music festival. The festival was endorsed by renowned MTV veejay Nikhil Chinappa. Thousands of music buffs and several celebrities from the fields of sports, films and fashion attended the event.

Panaji, Jan 6 - John Fernandes, accused of raping a 25-year-old Russian girl here last month, surrendered before the Goa crime branch Wednesday afternoon, police said.

John, a local politician, had been absconding since his anticipatory bail was cancelled by the Bombay High Court last month.

His surrender follows a Supreme Court rap Tuesday when counsel for the accused withdrew John's bail plea after severe censure from the apex court.

Panaji, Jan 6 - Goa Home Minister Ravi Naik Wednesday ordered an enquiry into the state police spokesperson's recent statements admitting to drug trade in the state.

Naik has been on the backfoot over rampant drug abuse in and along the coastal tourism hubs of Goa during the tourist season with the death of 23-year-old Meha Bahuguna due to suspected drug overdose at the recent Sunburn dance festival. The minister has been insisting that Goa is a drug-free state.