Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

List of famous things to buy in Nainital

I went to Le Bal des Débutantes, where kids of Hollywood legends, royals, and business moguls make their high-society debut. It was a night full of glamour I'll never forget.

Cipla, Bal Pharma, Laxmi Organic and other stocks to watch out for on May 25

<ul><li>Microsoft has appointed former <keyword id="574638" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="McKinsey-Company">McKinsey &amp; Company</keyword> executive Navtez Bal to lead its public sector business in India.</li><li>In his new role as Executive Director, Public Sector, <keyword id="28250" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Microsoft-India">Microsoft India</keyword>, Bal will focus on driving digital transformation and innovation across public sector organisations, empowering them to serve citizens better, the company said on Wednesday.</li><li>He takes over from <keyword id="2472488" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Manish-Prakash">Manish Prakash</keyword>, who will transition to the role of Government Regional Business Lead, <keyword id="1440822" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Microsoft-Asia">Microsoft Asia</keyword> </li></ul>Microsoft has appointed <keyword id="601895" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Former-McKinsey">former McKinsey</keyword> &amp; Company executive Navtez Bal to lead its public sector business in India. In his new role as Executive Director, Public Sector, Microsoft India, Bal will focus on driving digital transformation and innovation across public sector organisations, empowering them to serve citizens better, the company said on Wednesday. He takes over from Manish Prakash, who will transition to the role of Government Regional Business Lead, Microsoft Asia. Prior to Microsoft India, Bal was a Senior Partner at McKinsey &amp; Company, where he led the restructuring and <keyword id="5164746" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Transformation-Services">transformation services</keyword> and operations service line in India. He brings to the new role over two decades of experience in various industries including oil &amp; gas, power, metals &amp; mining and the automotive industry, across several geographies. Microsoft said it is deeply invested in the digital transformation of the government eco-system in India and has been working closely with central and state governments across the country to deliver critical digital skills and technology to accelerate their digital success. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/photographer-of-the-viral-black-panther-images-from-india-shares-his-story/articleshow/76830618.cms">INTERVIEW: Shaaz Jung opens up about the blood, sweat and years behind the viral images of a rare black panther</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/world/news/harvard-and-mit-are-suing-ice-to-block-its-order-forcing-international-students-to-leave-the-us-if-their-course-is-online-only/articleshow/76856699.cms">Harvard, MIT, and Northeastern University are suing ICE to block its order forcing international students to leave the US if their course is online-only</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/russian-scammers-are-conning-senior-executives-into-giving-away-2-7-million-by-impersonating-real-ceos-and-lawyers/articleshow/76849870.cms">Russian scammers are conning senior executives into giving away $2.7 million by impersonating real CEOs and lawyers</a>

Navtez Bal to lead Microsoft's public sector business in India

Inside Le Bal des Débutantes, where daughters of royalty, Hollywood icons, and politicians have made high society debuts since 1994

Across Indian states, citizens are being picked up by the police for unguarded comments on social media, and the arbitrariness of these arrests has created a climate of anxiety. In most cases to hit the news, those charged have been ordinary people, without the clout to incite mass violence. On November 2 2017, Meerut-based journalist <keyword id="5998011" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="afghan-soni">Afghan Soni</keyword> was charged with defamation and "computer-related offences" (Section 66 of the IT Act) for posting a "derogatory" video of <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> asking a rally about " achhe din ", and getting his response not from a crowd of people, but a herd of goats. Social media arrests are not new, and nor are they a uniquely Indian form of repression. The UPA-era Section 66A of the IT Act, scrapped by the <keyword id="6354977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Supreme-Court">Supreme Court</keyword> in 2015, was broadly worded enough to book you if you caused annoyance, inconvenience, insult or injury online. In 2012 and 2013, a girl from Palghar, Maharashtra was arrested for criticising <keyword id="6371377" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bal-Thackeray">Bal Thackeray</keyword>'s state funeral on <keyword id="6354576" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Facebook">Facebook</keyword>, another girl for merely "liking" that comment; a professor from <keyword id="6354925" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kolkata">Kolkata</keyword> was arrested for forwarding a cartoon about Mamata Banerjee; as was a man who tweeted about <keyword id="497730" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Karthi-Chidambaram">Karthi Chidambaram</keyword>'s disproportionate wealth. But now, even though Section 66A is gone, the muzzling of speech continues unabated. India, like every other country in the world, places reasonable fetters on free expression. These include a threat to public order, dangerously stirring up religious sensitivities, caste slurs, defamation, child pornography, and so on. Other sections of the IT Act, including clauses on obscenity and morphing, are being used to arrest people like in the case of morphing of images, which may be a concern when women are misrepresented, but by itself, a morphed image in a political caricature or piece of satire is not an illegal or criminal act. Similarly, lying and cussing are human activities that also exist online; they do not inherently deserve criminal sanction. Even rumours are not illegal by themselves, the CrPC should kick in only in instances where they might incite violence or have other criminal implications. WhatsApp is where these tensions are strongest. Given that the technology can be used to make trouble on a wide scale, the police has good reason to keep an eye on the platform. But increasingly, WhatsApp administrators have been booked even for harmless remarks. There's a trend of using Section 144 of the CrPC, which applies to unlawful assemblies, to WhatsApp discussions. Curious are the cases of Indore collector who invoked it to deter any conversation about demonetisation, or the Varanasi DM who said that any false content on a WhatsApp group which were treated grounds for arrest. These arrests create a chilling effect on speech and the likelihood of someone, somewhere, taking legal action constrains you to watch your words more than necessary. Rather than a lively, democratic public sphere, we could end up with the hushed, wary conversations of a police state.

A WhatsApp message could get you arrested in India

Budget airlines <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=spicejet&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">SpiceJet </a>will soon be selling products designed by famed fashion designer <keyword id="628" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rohit-Bal">Rohit Bal</keyword>, including actress <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=sunny+leone&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Sunny Leone</a>’s branded perfumes. 
 In a bid to spice up its sales under <keyword id="4291901" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Spice-Style">Spice Style</keyword>, which is a part of <keyword id="4292335" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="spicejet-merchandise-pvt-ltd">SpiceJet Merchandise Pvt Ltd</keyword>, the airline will sell a whole <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=merchandise&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">range of products </a>ranging from tie, purse to shades. 
 
Spice Style already sells readymade apparels, through various channels, including in flight sale, online platform, airport shops and retail outlets. 
 "There are a lot of plans and are still in the process," a <keyword id="6358032" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="SpiceJet">SpiceJet</keyword> executive told ET. 
 
As per various reports, SpiceJet may also open up <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=brick+and+mortar&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">brick-and-mortar stores</a> in malls.

SpiceJet is entering into retail business; to sell designer Rohit Bal’s collection

State <keyword id="6398600" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="transport-commissioner">transport commissioner</keyword> <keyword id="70280" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Mahesh-Zagade">Mahesh Zagade</keyword> on Thursday issued a circular banning the use of the phrase "<keyword id="16014" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="horn-ok-please">Horn Ok Please</keyword>" on the rear side of commercial vehicles, such as trucks and tempos, across Maharashtra. 
 "But it gives licence to motorists to honk unnecessarily and there have been numerous complaints of excessive honking in silence zones such as near hospitals, schools and colleges. We have, therefore, decided to impose a ban on the use of this phrase," said a <keyword id="160569" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="senior-official">senior official</keyword> from the transport commissioner's office, adding that it will also help reduce noise pollution. 
 A few transporters associations have welcomed the ban. All India Motor Transport <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> former <keyword id="2540" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="President">president</keyword> <keyword id="244577" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Bal-Malkit-Singh">Bal Malkit Singh</keyword> said that the phrase was coined to allow vehicles to overtake on narrow roads. "Several years ago, roads were narrow and one really had to honk to alert the vehicle in front while overtaking. But this is not required of late. We have wider roads, four- to six-lane highways, and drivers can use lights and indicators while overtaking. There is no need to honk," he said. 
 
The circular, a copy of which is with TOI, states that displaying the phrase "Horn OK Please" is a gross violation of Section 134 (1) of the Maharashtra Motor Vehicle Rules, which deals with signages to be used on the rear and sides of vehicles. "It encourages people to honk every time you pass a truck or tempo. It sends a wrong message to citizens," the circular stated. 
 "We will conduct a drive to check all vehicles from next week. If we find any truck or tempo violating our orders, there will be stringent punishment—which could mean suspension of permits or fines as high as Rs 500," said a <keyword id="264846" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="RTO-official">RTO official</keyword>. 
Anti-noise pollution activists welcomed the decision, saying excessive honking was a nuisance for those residing in silence zones, especially hospital patients. According to WHO guidelines, the relative risk of hearing loss rises when being continually exposed to noise levels over 85dB and the danger gets higher at 90dB and above.

'Horn OK Please' is not 'OK' anymore! Maharashtra Govt's new ploy to get people to honk less

In today’s Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections, the average <keyword id="43677" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Voter-turnout">voter turnout</keyword> was slightly low. The voter turnout was 65% in Haryana and 55% in Maharashtra. 

	While longer queues were seen in rural areas, the voter turnout in urban areas was quite low, especially in Mumbai, where the turnout was merely 37%. The same trend has been observed in the past as well, where rural people demonstrated more enthusiasm and responsibility towards Indian democracy.<o:p></o:p>

	One must note that every major party was trying their level best to come out with flying colours in these elections. BJP banked on Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>’s personal charisma to seek political majority in two key states after abandoning its long-term ally, Shiv Sena. The Congress party broke off with NCP hoping that Sonia-Rahul Gandhi’s charm would help them win hearts as well as votes. And then there was Shiv Sena that asked people to bring <keyword id="53973" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Uddhav-Thackeray">Uddhav Thackeray</keyword> to power and fulfil their leader <keyword id="6371377" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Bal-Thackeray">Bal Thackeray</keyword>’s last wish. <o:p></o:p>
However, it seems none of the parties could convince people enough to come out in huge numbers and cast their votes.

Average Voter Turnout In Haryana, Maharashtra Elections

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: With <keyword id="6374198" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="BJP-President">BJP president</keyword> <keyword id="6355521" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Amit-Shah">Amit Shah</keyword> issuing categorical instructions to the party’s Maharashtra leaders not to accept anything less than 130 assembly seats from <keyword id="6358821" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shiv-Sena">Shiv Sena</keyword>, the 25-year-old saffron alliance is likely to disintegrate, say observers. 
 Both Sena and <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> are said to be preparing to go their separate ways. The two parties have asked their cadre to prepare to go solo in the October 15 polls. The state BJP has convened a meeting of senior party functionaries in Mumbai on Tuesday to review the political situation in the wake of the aborted seat-sharing talks. 
 
As it became clear that the alliance was set to walk into the sunset, the two parties began the blame game. BJP state unit chief Devendra Fadnavis accused the Sena of bringing seat-sharing talks to a halt. “You can’t hold negotiations with a person who has closed the doors of his mind,” he told a Marathi news channel. 
 
A key Sena functionary said the alliance is dying an untimely death because of BJP’s Big Brother attitude. “BJP should accept the fact that Sena is a senior ally in the state... We accepted BJP’s ‘Mission 272’ during the LS polls. Why should our ‘Mission 150’ ruffle it?” he asked. 
 
 
 
 The Sena did make a feeble attempt earlier in the day to revive the alliance. A close confidant of Sena president <keyword id="53973" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Uddhav-Thackeray">Uddhav Thackeray</keyword> rang up BJP’s poll observer for the state, Om Prakash Mathur, suggesting resumption of seat-distribution talks, sources said. 
 
 
 Sena BJP leaders at their first poll rally in 1984. (Left to right) AB Vajpayee, <keyword id="6371377" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bal-Thackeray">Bal Thackeray</keyword>, Ram Naik, <keyword id="38062" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ram-Jethmalani">Ram Jethmalani</keyword>, Manohar Joshi and Pramod Mahajan. (Picture courtesy — Bal Thackeray: A photobiography by <keyword id="6355257" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Raj-Thackeray">Raj Thackeray</keyword>) 
But Mathur insisted on the party’s formula that the BJP should get 130 seats and the Sena could contest 140. The Sena president’s emissary did not get back to Mathur. 
 
Speculation was rife that the Maharashtra BJP may go for new allies, including the MNS and the NCP. However, BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy scotched talk of any kind of partnership with the NCP. 
 
“Actually, we would want the saffron partnership to survive the present crisis and we are eager to contest the assembly polls as allies. This is the collective wish of the people of Maharashtra. However, should the alliance end, the BJP will contest the election [all 288 seats] on its own. There is no question of cosying up to new friends,” Rudy said. 
 
Thackeray’s Sunday formula, which earmarked 151 seats for the Sena and 119 for BJP, with the remaining 18 seats going to four smaller allies, has been rejected by BJP. “The party is over. But we have no regrets,” said a senior BJP functionary. 
 
Sena and BJP offered completely contradictory versions on reports that Shah had spoken with Thackeray over the phone earlier in the day and urged for reconciliation. While Sena rubbished these reports, Rudy said, “Shah has spoken to the Sena chief, and that itself indicates that we are very, very eager to have the alliance. We won’t pull the plug. We are hopeful a solution will be found.” 
 
 
 
 
Sources said neither party wanted to create the impression that it was the one pulling the plug. 
 
Sources in New Delhi said Shah had reiterated to Sena president BJP’s demand for 130 seats, saying the party was prepared to accept the seats which Sena had never won in the last 25 years. Sena is then learned to have improved its offer to 126 seats instead of 119, sources said. 
 
The state BJP, however, said there was no new offer from Sena for more seats. “There is practically no room for fresh talks with Sena as Thackeray has said in no uncertain terms that he would not offer a single seat more to us,” a BJP functionary pointed out. 
 Reports also said Uddhav had spoken to two top BJP leaders—foreign minister <keyword id="6355111" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sushma-Swaraj">Sushma Swaraj</keyword> and home minister Rajnath Singh—on Sunday to try and find a way out of the impasse. 
 
The saffron alliance’s fate was sealed at the BJP’s Parliamentary board meeting in New Delhi on Sunday, sources said. The state BJP leaders briefed the party president on the Sena’s “haughty” stance on seat-sharing and re-allocation of 59 Sena seats which it has been losing in five consecutive polls. 
 
Shah is believed to have told the Maharashtra leaders to take the final decision on whether or not to continue the alliance. He, however, made it clear that the party should not accept anything less than 130 seats. 
 
Shah is upset with the Sena for several reasons, it is said. First, for ignoring his “come two steps forward” appeal last week. Second, for rejecting the BJP’s 140:130:18 formula. Third, Thackeray announcing the 151:119:18 formula at a Sena conclave on Sunday in full media glare. “Seat-sharing proposals are not announced on TV channels,” remarked state BJP leader Eknath Khadse. 
 
 
 Fourth, for referring to <keyword id="71" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Prime-Minister">Prime Minister</keyword> Narendra Modi’s ‘chaiwalla’ antecedents at the Sena’s Sunday conclave. Fifthly, for snubbing Om Prakash Mathur, the BJP’s poll observer in Maharashtra, by sending Aditya Thackeray as the Sena’s emissary to a crucial meeting with Mathur last week. 
 
BJP is keen on retaining the Rashtriya Samaj Party, RPI and Shiv Sangram Sanghatana as allies in the post-Sena era as part of a rainbow coalition of caste-based parties. 
 
Sena tried to put up a brave face in the middle of this crisis in the alliance. “Sena has survived many crises in the past. We will emerge stronger from the present one as well,” said Sena leader Vinod Ghosalkar, an MLA. 
 
Pooh-poohing talks of the MNS joining hands with the BJP, MNS leader Nitin Sardesai, also an MLA, said, “As of now, we would like to concentrate on the polls entirely on our own.”

As Alliance Crumbles, BJP & Sena Begin Blame Game

A year has passed since the tiger stopped roaring. But does Mumbai miss him? Of course, the Marathi Manoos part of Mumbai does miss him every day, with every event and every political development. When <keyword id="6371377" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bal-Thackeray">Bal Thackeray</keyword> breathed his last on November 17, 2012, at the age of 86, Mumbai spilled out on the streets to mourn for the man who ruled the very spirit of the city. It is difficult to imagine Mumbai without Balasaheb. 
 
This cartoonist-turned-activist was Mumbai personified and sometimes transmogrified into aggression that an average Mumbaikar wanted to express. After he passed away, Mumbai had not only lost its voice, but also the spirit. Balasaheb had a finger on the pulse of Mumbai. He could never be wrong with the city or the people of Maharashtra. 
 
When alive, Balasaheb was a total mystery wrapped in contradictions. And those contradictions lie in his very personality. He was a chuffy man with a serious look, a tiger who sat on the throne, and a man who commanded thousands but was most humble when dealing with friends. 
 
In other words, he was human. He carried no pretentions. Just as the cartoonist he was when he worked with the Free Press Journal, Balasaheb evoked humour with every situation that touched him. And he had the capacity to laugh at himself. For this, he could contradict himself. Yet, his Shiv Sainiks did not grumble, ever. They followed their leader with as much loyalty as before, which was a puzzle even to his close relatives. 
 There are many real-life instances and legends involving Bal Thackeray’s reactions and responses to situations and people. His jibes were never short on satire. They were timely, sharp and always hit the bull’s eye. Even in his editorial in <keyword id="6358821" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Shiv-Sena">Shiv Sena</keyword> mouthpiece Saamna, Balasaheb was as powerful as he was with his spoken words. A true artist who had perfected his art of curvy lines and never let the guard dictate terms over his persona. 
 
Although he was referred to as the ‘tiger’ of Maharashtra, Balasaheb was more than that. The thespian of Hindi cinema, Dilip Saab, chose to call him a ‘lion’ who had the whole forest at his command, without having to strike his claws at anyone. 
 
But in the true sense, tiger was what he was. By temperament and by design. Just as the tiger never moves out of its habitat and protects its territory from other big cats, Balasaheb worked in the same way. 
 He rarely moved out of Mumbai. And when he saw Mumbai (then <keyword id="6356654" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bombay">Bombay</keyword>) being overtaken by outsiders, he launched the Shiv Sena in 1966. The idea was to protect his people’s turf, the Marathi Manoos (Maratha people), from the ‘outsiders.’ For that, he could reprimand anyone including the so-called stars with millions of fans. His political legacy was unquestioned and remained unquestionable, too. Even after his death, Shiv Sainiks have made sure that nobody would ever dare to question his authority. Remember the incident where two girls were arrested (they were later released) for their FB status – questioning the Mumbai shutdown on the day when his last rites were held? That was Mumbai grieving over its true son. It was an emotional moment that couldn’t be countered with logic or rationality. Balasaheb’s equation with his Sainiks was built on human bridges, over decades. It couldn’t come down with his physical demise. They still believe he is there with them for without him, they remain ideologically orphaned. He gave them their thinking and actions, and told them when to employ either of these. 
 Those who knew him had clearly understood he had no long-term goals to achieve. He did not aspire to be the <keyword id="5269" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Chief-Minister">chief minister</keyword> or occupy any position that would take him to corridors of power. He had clearly understood where his powers lay. He was powerful in his very being. Not even the <keyword id="6362177" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="union-government">Union Government</keyword>, no matter which party occupied the seats at the Parliament. Balasaheb was in power, always. In fact, HE was THE power. 
 
That he had no encumbrances had never been a problem for this leader who had shown his ‘human’ side to his men. But it was a problem for others who tried to fit him into a definition or tried to psychoanalyse him and understand him in a straitjacketed manner. Like a true cartoonist, his lines never came straight. They always curved to say something. That something was always between the lines. 
 That is why <keyword id="4952" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Michael-Jackson">Michael Jackson</keyword> visited him at his abode Maatoshree on the former’s India visit. And so did a host of politicians and Hollywood stars. Even though he declared that he wouldn’t allow India-Pakistan matches to be held in Mumbai, he also had the gumption to invite Javed Miandad to his house for dinner. When asked, he said he wanted the Indian team to have similar ‘killer instinct’ as Pakistani cricketers had while playing on the ground. 
 
His Hindutva was not as skewed as that of the Hindutva-vadis. In fact, he chafed at the RSS men calling them ‘knickerwallahs.’ He remained the uncrowned king of Maharashtra for 45 years. And unless psychologists dig deep into his persona, this legend called Balasaheb can never be understood through mere words.

Who was Bal Thackeray?
A mystery shrouded in enigma, simplicity

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A reboot of "Fantastic Four" is in the works at Marvel Studios. </li><li>The film will star Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. </li></ul>The Marvel Cinematic Universe's long-awaited reboot of "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fantastic-four-cast-then-now-photos-2023-7">Fantastic Four</a>" is on the horizon, and details are finally coming into focus.The latest iteration of "Fantastic Four," which is set for release in 2025, has been in the works for years, going as far back as July 2019, when Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige first <a target="_blank" href="https://screenrant.com/fantastic-four-mcu-movie-confirmed-sdcc/">confirmed</a> plans to reboot the franchise while onstage at San Diego Comic-Con.Here's everything we know about "The Fantastic Four," so far.<h2>Matt Shakman will direct the film</h2><div type="image" title="Matt Shakman at the 2021 Emmys." height="4000" width="6000" msid="107700633" hostid="261"></div>"Spider-Man" director <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/MarvelStudios/status/1551009516602269696">Jon Watts</a> was initially attached to direct the movie, but he reportedly <a target="_blank" href="https://deadline.com/2022/04/spider-man-jon-watts-exits-marvel-fantastic-four-film-1235013110/">exited</a> in 2022 because he needed a break after working on Tom Holland's three Spidey films back-to-back.The movie will now be spearheaded by <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/MarvelStudios/status/1337200479063994368">Matt Shakman</a>, who previously directed all nine episodes of Marvel's limited series "WandaVision."<h2>Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach will star as the titular superheroes</h2><div type="image" title="fantastic four" height="780" width="985" msid="107700635" hostid="261"></div>Casting rumors have run rampant on the internet for years, with everyone from Adam Driver and Penn Badgley to Jodie Comer and Margot Robbie reportedly being considered for the main roles.Back in November, <a target="_blank" href="https://deadline.com/2023/11/pedro-pascal-reed-richards-marvel-studios-fantastic-four-1235599560/">Deadline</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://variety.com/2023/film/news/fantastic-four-pedro-pascal-mr-fantastic-1235355985/">Variety</a> reported that "The Last of Us" star <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pedro-pascal-the-last-of-us-ethan-hawke-interview-2023-4">Pedro Pascal</a> was in talks to play Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, the team's leader.Marvel finally put the speculation to rest on Valentine's Day, sharing the <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/MarvelStudios/status/1757796892455694452">official casting</a> and new artwork depicting the actors as the Fantastic Four.In addition to Pascal, "Mission: Impossible" actor <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vanessa-kirby-mission-impossible-kaleidoscope-weird-scene-2023-7">Vanessa Kirby</a> will play Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, "Stranger Things" breakout <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stranger-things-joseph-quinn-eddie-munson-weird-wig-accent-2022-9">Joseph Quinn</a> will portray Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and "The Bear" star <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/matty-matheson-bio-chef-the-bear-actor-2024-1">Ebon Moss-Bachrach</a> will bring Ben Grimm/The Thing to the big screen. The aforementioned actors were all rumored to be in the mix and <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/ElsaKeslassy/status/1724578887500247538">played coy</a> when asked about their speculated involvement in interviews.<h2>'Ozark' star Julia Garner will reportedly portray the film's version of the Silver Surfer</h2><div type="image" title="Julia Garner at the 81st Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, January 7, 2024, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California." height="2295" width="3060" msid="109044026" hostid="261" sizebytes="344028"></div>According to <a target="_blank" href="https://deadline.com/2024/04/fantastic-four-julia-garner-silver-surfer-1235873034/">Deadline</a>, who was the first to report Garner's casting, the Emmy winner will play Shalla-Bal.In the comics, Shalla-Bal is the love interest of Norrin Radd/Silver Surfer. In one run of the source material, Shalla-Bal becomes a Silver Surfer alongside Norrin after acquiring the Power Cosmic.<h2>Shakman teased that the movie will be different from past Marvel projects</h2>"It's different in so many ways," Shakman told <a target="_blank" href="https://collider.com/fantastic-four-movie-filming-casting-update-director-comments/">Collider</a> in October. I wish I could be specific. I wish I could say more. But we are doing things very differently from a story standpoint, from an approach to the filmmaking standpoint, that really fits the material.""I think it's going to be unlike anything you've seen before, and certainly unlike anything at Marvel that you've seen before," he added.<h2>'The Fantastic Four' premieres July 25, 2025</h2>Shakman told Collider that the movie will begin filming in the UK at Pinewood Studios in the spring."Fantastic Four" will be released in summer 2025, as part of phase six of the MCU.

Everything we know about the new 'Fantastic Four' reboot

The glam squad was panicking. I was in Paris and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.insider.com/inside-le-bal-des-debutantes-attended-by-stars-and-royals-2022-12">Le Bal des Débutantes</a>, the world's most exclusive debutante ball, was just 48 hours away.At the end of a long hallway at the Shangri-La Hotel, once the palatial residence of a descendant of Napoleon Bonaparte, 18 young women were preparing for their society debuts.Pushed against cream-colored walls, Hollywood mirrors lined with light bulbs illuminated the participants' faces. The soon-to-be debutantes — with some wearing plush, monogrammed robes with matching slippers — sat back in gold chairs as makeup artists, armed with a vast collection of Nars cosmetics, got to work.<div type="image" title="Teale Burrell sits in a gold chair as a makeup artists applies makeup to her face." height="2113" width="2510" msid="105236588" hostid="261"></div>It was a trial run before the main event, but there was a hum of excited chatter among the girls. Most were meeting for the first time. Some descended from ancient royal dynasties; others were children of entertainment titans or business moguls.The rehearsal seemed to be going smoothly, but there was a problem — one of the girl's diamond-encrusted tiara refused to stay put.Teale Burrell had a solution in mind. The day before, she'd been playing with some fishing wire — which is malleable, transparent, and strong — and thought it would be perfect for securing the diadem in place.Then 17, Teale was one of the youngest debutantes in Le Bal's 2022 class.She was also my ticket to the glitzy event, where I spent an evening as a fly on the wall — witnessing displays of staggering wealth and privilege, unlike anything I'd seen before.A year later, it's still a night I'll never forget.<h2>A 21st-century debutante</h2>Before following Teale to Le Bal, the closest I'd been to a debutante ball was seeing them on TV shows like "The Summer I Turned Pretty" and movies like "She's the Man."What I saw onscreen gave me pause. The pageantry struck me as outdated and slightly demeaning. Who, I wondered, would take part in something like that today?I found my answer in Teale, dubbed "the English Rose" by Le Bal's organizers.Along with her younger brother, Bertie, she grew up in the UK, bouncing between her family's homes in Sussex, in southeast England; West London; and Scotland. Her mother, Lady Louise Burrell, is the daughter of the late 12th Duke of Argyll, Ian Campbell. Campbell, who died in 2001, was thought to be among the wealthiest men in the UK in the 1970s, having amassed a wealth of £87 million, as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/apr/23/guardianobituaries2">The Guardian</a> reported in his obituary. It also made reference to the family's ancestral home, a palatial Scottish residence near Loch Fyne known as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.inveraray-castle.com/#">Inveraray Castle</a> with roots dating back to the 1700s.Teale spent some of her childhood visiting Scotland but attended a private girls boarding school in England where uniforms were mandatory, cliques ran rampant, and most of the students came from money. Once, Teale told me, a school friend casually discovered a Cartier ring — which cost upward of $790 — in the pocket of her pajamas.Teale wasn't out of place at a high-society event (her mom holds the title of "lady," after all), but she also wasn't quite what I'd pictured.<div type="image" title="Teale Burrell wearing jeans and a sweater sitting on a couch at her home in West London." height="2325" width="3332" msid="105236589" hostid="261"></div>The first time we met was at her family's multi-storied house that the British real-estate site Zoopla estimates costs over £3 million (around $3.6 million) on a quiet street in West London. It was the day of her dress fitting for Le Bal, over a month away.Teale excitedly greeted me at the front door, wearing jeans and a navy sweater over a white, collared shirt. Her red hair was tied in a lopsided bun.<div type="image" title="debutante le bal Teale" height="859" width="620" msid="105236591" hostid="261"></div>As we waited for the dress to arrive in her living room, Teale — who spent a lot of her childhood at her family's farm in the British countryside — told me she'd always felt at home "outdoors doing mostly practical things, from working with machinery to riding horses to just messing around in mud."But we wouldn't be doing any of that. Minutes after I arrived, the doorbell rang. The dress was here — an item so prized it was delivered by a member of the Fovari team in person.We all rushed down to the family kitchen where Teale, surrounded by marble countertops, heirloom paintings, and an empty dog bed, tried on her gown for the first time.The Fovari dress was handcrafted from blush silk organza and took between 80 and 100 hours to make. It also carried a hefty price tag: €25,000, or about $26,500. Teale would wear it only once.Just like Cinderella's, the gown was massive, engulfing Teale in layers of tulle and chiffon. But once the fabric settled, it was clear the bodice fit her like a glove."I can't get over this," Teale said, taking in her appearance in a floor-length mirror.The unassuming teenager I had spoken to moments before was no longer in the room. In her place, was someone who seemed prime to walk up the Met Gala steps.<div type="image" title="debutante le bal Teale" height="1280" width="1032" msid="105236592" hostid="261"></div><h2>Le Bal is no ordinary debutante ball</h2>Teale's debutante journey started out like any good fairy tale: with a call from a fairy godmother.In this story, that's Ophélie Renouard, who founded Le Bal in 1994 with a mission to resurrect a 200-year-old tradition that started in the UK. In their heyday, debutante balls had one purpose: to parade women in front of the denizens of high society with the aim of finding a suitable marriage partner.The organizers of Le Bal don't shy away from the historical origin of the event. But when I first spoke to Renouard over the phone ahead of last year's event, she wanted to make clear that her event had evolved.<div type="image" title="Le Bal founder Ophélie Renouard at the premiere of &quot;Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston,&quot; in London." height="960" width="1280" msid="105236595" hostid="261"></div>The event is now focused on giving back, she told me. In recent years, Le Bal has partnered with humanitarian groups like the Seleni Institute, which works to provide resources to improve perinatal mental health, Enfants d'Asie, which promotes women's education in Southeast Asia, and the World Central Kitchen, which provides meals to communities in crisis.Debutantes are also no longer required to wear white dresses to symbolize their virginity. And, Renouard said, no one can buy their way into the event."I get requests every week. People say, 'I want my daughter to go to the ball. How much does it cost? Blah, blah, blah.' It doesn't cost anything," Renouard told me in 2022. "I invite people because I find them interesting and because we can tell a story about them."More often than not, that "story" is about the debutante's family. From what I gathered, that also means they tend to be rich, royal, or famous.Previous generations of Le Bal debutantes include Lily Collins, the daughter of the musician Phil Collins; former President George H.W. Bush's granddaughter Lauren Bush; and Ava Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon's daughter.<div type="image" title="Les Bal des Débutantes in Paris, France in 1900." height="4699" width="6606" msid="105236839" hostid="261"></div>Teale's class of debutantes, pulled together in the summer of 2022, was no different. They included Leah Behn, the daughter of Princess Martha Louise of Norway, who made her debut in a powder-pink, one-shouldered Giambattista Valli gown, and Annabel Zimmer, who wore an edgy gray Jean Paul Gaultier dress featuring a glittery red heart.Ahead of this year's ball on November 25, Renouard is gradually announcing a new class of debutantes. Unsurprisingly, they also come from wealthy families. So far the list includes Liza Webster, the daughter of former US President Bill Clinton's chief of staff, and Advaitesha Birla, the daughter of an Indian billionaire industrialist.<h2>No one's there to find a husband</h2>The motivations among those taking part are also very different from the debutantes in the 18th century. None of the debutantes I spoke to last year at Le Bal were there to find a husband.On the day of the trial run, I spent a few minutes chatting to Princess Martha Louise while we watched her daughter Leah — a debutante like Teale — pose for photos that would land in glossy lifestyle magazines. The princess told me how debutante balls of the past were "basically used to marry off the young women to be dependent on men their entire lives." Today's debutantes are independent, she said.<div type="image" title="debutante le bal Teale" height="1280" width="960" msid="105236841" hostid="261"></div>Teale had her own reasons for saying yes to Le Bal."What really drew me to it is just the whole adventure behind it," Teale said. "It's something you don't get to do every day."Perhaps more importantly, going to Le Bal was an opportunity for Teale to let loose — if only for a night — six months after losing her dad to pancreatic cancer."It's like going away on holidays," she said. "When you're out on holiday, you leave all your problems at home."His death forced her to grow up fast and in ways she didn't expect, Teale told me. It also put a lot into perspective. "You suddenly realize what is important and what isn't," she said.<h2>Cinderella arrives</h2>As my Uber pulled into the Shangri-La the night of Le Bal, two concerns ran through my mind: Would I stick out like a sore thumb in the black floral gown I'd borrowed from a friend at the last minute, and could I walk in my new £40 heels?One wobbly step in front of the other, I made it to the entrance, where a doorman ushered me inside to a whole new world of luxury.Hundreds of guests in floor-length dresses and classic tuxedos ascended a curved, white marble staircase, adorned with large pink roses and candles.<div type="image" title="The hotel was decorated with florals on the evening of Le Bal." height="3529" width="2603" msid="105236842" hostid="261"></div>At the top of the stairs, an orchestra made up of three violinists and one cellist welcomed us into the ballroom. Chandeliers glittered from above, illuminating the decorative gold-and-marble cornice around the 20-foot-tall ceiling.As guests sipped on sparkling wine served in glass flutes, the chatter in the ballroom grew louder. At about 10 p.m. the sound of a bell signaled the start of dinner.I recognized at least one of the guests — Hans Zimmer, the famed Hollywood composer.Later in the evening, I'd laugh to myself as he and his daughter Annabel cracked up while trying to remember the steps of the waltz during the father-daughter dance.Zimmer disappeared into the main dining room along with other parents of debutantes and VIPs. Everyone else, myself included, was sent off to separate, smaller side rooms separated by large archways.<div type="image" title="A handwritten place card designated the seating arrangements." height="960" width="1280" msid="105236844" hostid="261"></div>I found my seat at a table in the corner along with other reporters and editors, most of whom had been to Le Bal at least once or twice before. As we dug into our unmemorable three-course meal, some of them gushed about past events, regaling the table with stories of celebrities' debuts and predicting what each debutante would wear.Whispers spread that one of the debutantes was wearing a piece of jewelry from Marie Antoinette's collection — the same Antoinette who was beheaded for her royal life of excess while the French population starved.If anyone picked up on the irony, no one said it aloud.<h2>Finally, the long-awaited debut</h2>After dinner, the moment we'd all been waiting for finally arrived, as the master of ceremonies called everyone's attention to each debutante's entrance.Every time a name was announced, along with the debutante's cavaliers (their male counterparts), the room erupted into applause as the young women made their way around each table to electronic-pop music more suited for a runway show.Meanwhile, the emcee listed their achievements and the names of their parents.There were no surprises in the lineup — royals, aristocrats, children of Hollywood icons. Some of the debs appeared perfectly comfortable being the center of attention, while others looked like deer caught in headlights.Then, it was Teale's turn.With her hair swept into a chic updo, she walked into the room, tightly gripping the hand of Archie Campbell, her cousin and cavalier, who sported a traditional Scottish kilt.<div type="image" title="debutante le bal Teale" height="1280" width="960" msid="105236846" hostid="261"></div>Later in the evening, standing on a balcony with sweeping views of the Eiffel Tower, Teale took a drag from a cigarette, taking care not to get ash on her couture gown. She told me she had zero memories of her entrance, having blacked out from the nerves.When the clock struck midnight, guests cavorting around the dining room, bars, and terrace gathered in the ballroom for the traditional father-daughter waltz.Teale stood by as a French princess kicked off the dance at the center of the ballroom with her dad.I noticed Teale's eyes glistening, perhaps thinking about her own father, as she watched the pair glide around the room, swaying in unison to Strauss' "The Blue Danube."Minutes later, all the debutantes stepped onto the dance floor with their cavaliers as classical string music reverberated in the ballroom.For a brief moment, I felt lost in time watching modern-day princesses dance with princes. Natasha Connery and Harper Peck, the grandchildren of Sean Connery and Gregory Peck, respectively, swayed to the music together.<div type="image" title="HRH Princess Hélène of Orleans dancing with her father, Prince Charles Louis of Orléans, at Le Bal." height="3008" width="3008" msid="105236847" hostid="261"></div>Mid-dance, I spotted Teale wearing a pair of scuffed-up sneakers, almost concealed by her floor-length gown."They were some gross trainers that have been worn to death," Teale told me, revealing she'd snuck off to change her shoes because her feet were in so much pain from wearing heels she'd cried.As the night waned, it became crystal clear that I was still in the 21st century.Every so often, I spotted a camera flash — debutantes taking selfies and documenting the evening in photos, BeReals, and TikToks. Among them was a video <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@dollypartonfan89/video/7174196589798477098">uploaded by</a> Annabel Zimmer that showed the debutantes' day looks. The video, which later racked up over 2.8 million views on TikTok, then cut to them modeling their couture gowns.Le Bal came to a close in the early hours of the morning with a handful of parents dancing to "September" by Earth, Wind, and Fire. Their kids, however, had ditched their couture for regular clothes and were now gathered in the lobby to call Ubers and party in Paris.For them, the night was only starting. "We didn't go to bed," Teale told me on a call days after Le Bal, her voice still hoarse from partying until 6 a.m.<h2>The end of a fairy tale</h2>Nearly a year after Le Bal, Teale warns me: "It's not gonna be the story you're probably wanting to hear."Now 18, Teale is calling me from Les Roches, a prestigious hospitality school in the mountains of Switzerland where she's started her first year of university, hoping to carve out a career in the industry and help make it more sustainable. I wanted to know how she felt looking back on her time at the event and if she would do it again."I loved all of it. Every single moment," she said.But when she got home, reality hit.<div type="image" title="debutante le bal Teale" height="1024" width="768" msid="105236849" hostid="261"></div>Following the publication of magazine spreads and viral TikToks, Teale received unwanted attention, including a few marriage proposals from strangers, along with comments from people criticizing the event as "old-fashioned" and classist."I would be saying the same thing if I wasn't there, seeing a bunch of girls in fantastic jewelry, fantastic dresses, walking around a room, being silly," she said. "I would be so jealous. I'd be like, 'Why can't I be doing that?'"A wave of grief also hit her in the weeks after Le Bal as she struggled to deal with her father's death. Combined with the stress of finals, it resulted in what she describes as a "breakdown" over the holidays.It wasn't the ending I expected to hear from Teale, though Teale added that most of the comments directed toward her online were positive, which gave her a much-needed "mental confidence boost."Le Bal also opened a new chapter for Teale and her mother, a former debutante herself."After Paris, she realized how actually grown up I was," Teale said. "She suddenly related to my head space for the first time in a long time."Teale's Cinderella story is over, but for others, it's just beginning.In a few days, Le Bal 2023 will welcome a whole new class of teenage debutantes. Just as Teale did, they'll feel like they've stepped into a fairy tale.But, as Teale aptly pointed out, fairy tales don't last forever. They end.

My night with Cinderella: Inside the ball where rich and famous kids enter high society

Terming the state budget as "revolutionary," Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath <keyword id="20040955" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shinde" source="keywords">Shinde</keyword> said that this budget in a true sense empowers women, youth, and farmers through various schemes worth Rs 1 lakh crore. He said that this budget is revolutionary and would make the future of weaker sections, farmers, and youth bright. Stating that the budget was a resolve to give a new direction to Maharashtra, <keyword id="20062947" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CM-Shinde" source="keywords">CM Shinde</keyword> said that this budget has an "unending chant of the <keyword id="22227448" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="development-of-Maharashtra" source="keywords">development of Maharashtra</keyword>". Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister <keyword id="19941791" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ajit-Pawar" source="keywords">Ajit Pawar</keyword> on Saturday presented the additional budget for the year 2024-25 in the state assembly. The Finance Minister had presented the interim budget in February. Stating that the budget has important provisions to help women and unemployed youth to stand on their own feet, the Chief Minister said that "Chief Minister Majhi Laadki Baheen scheme, free vocational education to girl students, Chief Minister Annapoorna scheme which gives 3 cylinders per year to eligible families, project worth Rs 15 thousand crores for providing free electricity to farmers during day time, Chief Minister Baliraja electricity concession scheme which provides free power to farmers using agricultural pumps, training to 50 thousand youth every year to convey government schemes to masses and resolve to remove poverty of the weaker sections of the society have made this budget special." He said that provisions like free education to girl students for engineering, pharmacy, and medical education along with degree and diploma courses along with Rs. 1500 per month to every woman prove that the government has expressed its responsibility towards women of the state. Stating that the budget proves that it stands behind the farmers, Chief Minister Shinde said that the issue of food-grain storage would be resolved through schemes like Godown per village. He said that the lives of farmers would be transformed through various provisions in the budget which include financial assistance to cotton and soybean growers, special campaigns to complete irrigation projects, and solar pumps on demand. Pointing out that the decision to celebrate the coronation of <keyword id="19966480" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chhatrapati-Shivaji-Maharaj" source="keywords">Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj</keyword> through a ceremony every year at Fort Raigad is important, the Chief Minister said that other decisions include recommending the annual Pandharpur pilgrimage for the UNESCO World Heritage along with the rock sculptures in Konkan, Dahi Handi celebration are efforts towards the preservation of history and culture of the state. He said that the budget provides Rs 20,000 to every Dindi (the troops participating in the annual Pandharpur pilgrimage) and it has made the announcement of making arrangements for medical treatment of pilgrims through the Chief minister's medical relief cell and provision for Nirmal Waari show commitment towards the annual pilgrim and Warkari sect. He said that a separate Warkari Mahamandal or separate Corporation for the annual pilgrims would be set up. Stating that massive investment would be made in priority sectors and the <keyword id="21313056" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="green-hydrogen-sector" source="keywords">green hydrogen sector</keyword>, he said that it would generate employment in a big way. He said that the chief minister's youth training scheme would impart training to ten lakh youngsters every year and a centre of excellence would be established in ITI's which would benefit the youngsters. Stating that the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar scheme and Shrawan Bal seva state pension scheme assistance would be raised are strong steps CM Shinde said that providing for housing of various sections of society, Anand Dighe housing scheme for differently abled amply proves that the state government is taking strong steps towards removing the poverty in the state. The chief minister said that Metro routes worth 449 Kms in Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur along with 23 thousand kilometer road stretch works under Chief Minister Gram Sadak scheme, construction of buildings of village Panchayats under Balasaheb Thackeray memorial Matoshree Gram Panchayat scheme, PM e-bus scheme in municipal corporation areas and other infrastructure works would be undertaken in a big way which would result in speedy development of the state. The monsoon session of the Maharashtra Assembly began on Thursday (June 28) and will go on till July 12. This is the last legislative session before the state assembly polls, in the next four months.

You Searched For "bal" and got 14 results

List of famous things to buy in Nainital

BI India Bureau

I went to Le Bal des Débutantes, where kids of Hollywood legends, royals, and business moguls make their high-society debut. It was a night full of glamour I'll never forget.

Maria Noyen

Cipla, Bal Pharma, Laxmi Organic and other stocks to watch out for on May 25

Rounak Jain

Navtez Bal to lead Microsoft's public sector business in India

IANS

Inside Le Bal des Débutantes, where daughters of royalty, Hollywood icons, and politicians have made high society debuts since 1994

Maria Noyen

A WhatsApp message could get you arrested in India

BI India Bureau

SpiceJet is entering into retail business; to sell designer Rohit Bal’s collection

BI India Bureau

'Horn OK Please' is not 'OK' anymore! Maharashtra Govt's new ploy to get people to honk less

BI India Bureau

Average Voter Turnout In Haryana, Maharashtra Elections

BI India Bureau

As Alliance Crumbles, BJP & Sena Begin Blame Game

TOI

Who was Bal Thackeray? A mystery shrouded in enigma, simplicity

Preetam Kaushik

Everything we know about the new 'Fantastic Four' reboot

Olivia Singh

My night with Cinderella: Inside the ball where rich and famous kids enter high society

Maria Noyen

Budget resolves to give new direction to Maharashtra: CM Shinde

ANI

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides