Part 1 - South Asian Daily

2
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
DRIVERLESS CARS
COMING TO ONTARIO ON
JANUARY 1, 2016
ONTARIO - Ontario is launching a new pilot to allow for the testing of
automated vehicles on Ontario roads.
Automated vehicles are driverless or self-driving vehicles that are
capable of detecting the surrounding environment using ar tificial intelligence, sensors and global positioning system coordinates. Automated and connected vehicle technologies have the potential to help
improve fuel efficiency as well as reduce traffic congestion, greenhouse gas emissions and driver distraction.
Beginning on January 1, 2016, Ontario will lead Canada as the first
province to test automated vehicles and related technology on-road.
Currently there are nearly 100 companies and institutions involved in
the connected vehicle and automated vehicle industry in the province. The pilot will enable those companies to conduct research and
development in Ontario rather than in competing jurisdictions, as
well as suppor t oppor tunities to bring automated vehicles to market.
I CONTD. ON PAGE 7
YUDHVIR JASWAL, GROUP EDITOR AND CEO OF YMEDIA HOLDING A DISCUSSION WITH PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER.
WATCH DETAILED SHOW ON SOUTH ASIAN TODAY THAT COMES FIVE DAYS A WEEK, MONDAY TO FRIDAY AT 8PM AND 11:30PM
ON OMNI 2 AND ON ROGERS AT 6:30PM.
LIBERALS AND THE NDP CANNOT
FULFILL THEIR PROMISES: HARPER
MIDWEEK exclusive
BY YUDHVIR JASWAL
BRAMPTON - Yudhvir Jaswal,
Group Editor and CEO of
YMedia sat with Prime
Minister Stephen Harper
recently and discussed a
number of issues regarding
economy, taxes, and the
security of the country.
Harper said that the main
priority of his government has
been keeping taxes low and
balance the budget while
transferring benefits to
common Canadians. He
reiterated the same promise
saying a re-elected
Conservative government will
keep taxes low, invest in
people, offer new home
owners rebate on home
renovation, more money for
the seniors, and maintain
balanced budgets.
He came heavy on other
par ties saying they are
making tall promises but in
fact have no plan other than
raising taxes. For example
Justin Trudeau who is
promising a $125 billion
investment in infrastructure
over the next 10 years which is
not possible without raising
more taxes. Harper said his
re-elected government with
invest $80 billion in the next
decade on infrastructure and
already his government has
spent 15 times more on it
compared to last year.
On the issue of security he
said that the Canadians
“
IDENTITY POLITICS CAN BE VERY DIVISIVE,
AS THE PRIME MINISTER WHAT HAVE YOU
DONE AND IF YOU GET RE-ELECTED WHAT
WILL YOU DO TO UNITE CANADIANS?
understand the threat of
terrorism is very real and his
government actually has their
suppor t on this issue. Canada
is already par t of the
international coalition in fight
against terrorism and will
play its role in keeping this
menace at bay as ISIS is not
only against India or Pakistan
but has Canada on its list as
well.
On revoking Canadian
citizenship, Harper said there
is a lot of misconception
related to Bill C24. Only those
-YUDHVIR JASWAL
who are convicted in
terrorism or launch attack
against Canada and have a
dual citizenship will have
their citizenship revoked. In
fact, he said his government
welcomed a record number of
immigrants to Canada so how
could his government
discourage immigration.
Harper said his par ty has
given the broadest suppor t to
Canadians from all
backgrounds so that they
par ticipate in the election
process.
CAN NDP WIN SEATS IN BRAMPTON?
ADVANCE POLLS SHOW THAT
BRAMPTON CENTRE WANTS
REAL CHANGE NOW: SANGHA
BRAMPTON – “I am impressed by the
number of Liberals who came out to the
advance polls this holiday weekend”, said
Tom Lewis, Campaign Manager for the
Ramesh Sangha Campaign in Brampton
Centre. “As seen at polls across the country, Canada is anxious to elect Justin Trudeau
as its next Prime Minister.”
Volunteers for Ramesh Sangha, federal Liberal candidate for Brampton Centre, blanketed the riding, asking people to show their
commitment and cast their vote early. “What
an extraordinary team,” stated Sangha. “We
worked together from early morning to late in the night, knocking on doors
and calling out our supporters. I am grateful to every voter who took the time
to visit their poll and cast a vote. Happy Thanksgiving to all.” When asked
why so many voters went to the advance polls, Sangha said, “I have knocked
on tens of thousands of doors and I am constantly surprised at how intense is
the desire for change. Brampton is disappointed at the lack of respect Stephen
Harper and his government show to our city.
I CONTD. ON PAGE 5
WHO WILL FORM THE NEXT
GOVERNMENT?
BY SHAMEEL
MISSISSAUGA - At the outset of the campaign for October 19, nobody
was expecting the Liberals to come this far. Fortunes of the NDP were on
the rise and the Conservatives were able to hold on to their position
strong. The Liberal party had only 36 seats and they were polling third.
In an average of various polls conducted over last few days, the Liberals
have few points’ lead over the Conservatives. They have already started
fantasizing about forming the next government. With this lead, the Liberals have positioned themselves, as an alternative to Harper, and it can
further strengthen their position by attracting more and more progressive
voters as the country moves closer to the election date. Political observers
feel that this perception can play a significant role in moving opinion in a
section of progressive voters, or among people who do not have established
loyalties to one party. For undecided voters, the Liberals are the better strategic choice now than the NDP. Party leader Justin Trudeau is radiating confidence and that is the real advantage for the party in the current situation. ‘Who
is the best PM’ question is now moving steadily in Trudeau’s favour. The
current scenario, however, is not giving a clear answer about who will
form the next government.
I FULL ARTICLE ON PAGE 9
KASURI BOOK LAUNCH
Shiv Sena blackens organiser's
face, event unaffected
NDP LEADER TOM MULCAIR PUTTING HIS BEST FOOT FORWARD IN BRAMPTON EAST. SEEN IN THE IMAGE ARE TOM MULCAIR WITH BRAMPTON
EAST NDP CANDIDATE, HARBALJIT KAHLON AND MPP JAGMEET SINGH DURING HIS VISIT TO KAHLON'S OFFICE.
I DETAILS ON PAGE 6
MUMBAI, (IANS) Belligerent Shiv Sena activists abused and blackened the
face of veteran journalist and L.K. Advani's former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni
to protest his organising the launch of former Pakistani foreign minister
Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri's book here on Monday but the event passed of
without any further incident. The incident created a
nationwide outrage with condemnation from all
major political parties including the state's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which is in alliance
with the Sena in both the centre and in
Maharashtra. Taking the Sena's challenge headlong, Chief Minister
Devendra Fadnavis had assured that
the function would be held and full
security would be provided to the
event and the visiting dignitary.
I CONTD. ON PAGE 11
4
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER
AUGUST 28,
13,2012
2015
federal elections
MidWeek
5
Harper Outlines Low-Tax,
Balanced-Budget Plan To Protect
Benefits For Families And Seniors
Yudhvir Jaswal, CEO of YMedia and Editor-in-Chief of Midweek newspaper holding a discussion with Mississauga-Malton candidates - Dianne
Douglas (NDP); Jagdish Grewal & Navdeep Bains (Liberal Party) on the set of South Asian Today that will be broadcast on Omni and Rogers
TV. Watch South Asian Today five days a week, Mon. - Fri. at 8pm and 11:30pm on Omni2 and on Rogers TV at 6:30pm.
Trudeau, Mulcair confirm commitment to remove Harper
DESK REPORT
Toronto - To oust Stephan Harper,
in the event his Conservative
Par ty wins minority, Liberal
leader Justin Trudeau and NDP
leader Thomas Mulcair are very
categorical that they will not
suppor t Stephan Harper. Reconfirming their commitment to
remove Stephan Harper, both
leaders said that they will do
what it takes to remove Conserv a t i v e l e a d e r. S p e a k i n g a t a
campaign event in a Toronto
riding, Trudeau said he wouldn’t
abstain from a crucial vote of
confidence in Harper’s government. When asked if he would
consider working with the NDP,
the Liberal leader avoided direct answer. Recently, Thomas
Mulcair was quoted in media
saying that Trudeau refused to
speak with him about how the
two par ties might work together, in the event the Conservatives win a minority. "I made
a very different choice from Mr.
Mulcair, the choice of investing
now, in our communities, in our
countr y, in our future," said
Trudeau when asked to comment
on Mulcair’s statement. And
speaking at an NDP event in
Oshawa, Thomas Mulcair ac-
ADVANCE POLLS
SHOW THAT
BRAMPTON CENTRE
WANTS REAL CHANGE
NOW: SANGHA
CONTD. FROM PAGE 3
One of Canada’s fastest growing cities, Brampton has not received the
stable, predictable funding it would
expect from a federal partner. People
feel underserved by the current government and by Mr. Gosal. I cannot tell
you how many times people from all
parts of the ridings asked how Brampton
could miss the benefits of the recent
Pan Am games, especially with a
Sports Minister as its representative.”
“I think, however, that what made
many people come to the polls early
are the changes to citizenship implemented by the current government
in bill c-24. So many are incensed
that the Conservatives have created
a second-tier of citizenship. I repeat
what Mr. Trudeau said “A Canadian
is a Canadian is a Canadian”. The
Liberal Party has committed to the
repeal of Bill C-24 and to amending
Bill C-51 to respect the freedom of all
Canadians.”
“But today is a day to thank my many
supporters. Team Sangha represents
the great diversity found in Brampton
and Peel Region. With their help and
the support of all the communities of
the riding, I look forward to being a
strong voice for Brampton Centre on
the national stage. As a Liberal, I will
help Justin Trudeau work with all
Canadians to build a country where
everyone has a real and fair chance
to succeed.”
cused the Liberals, of having
walked away from past opportunities to dissolve Parliament.
Meanwhile, at a Conservative
rally in Etobicoke, PM Harper
said that there are real consequences for Canadian families if
a non-Conservative government
is elected next Monday.The Conservative leader declined to
comment on what may happen if
his par ty wins a minority.
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper spent Thanksgiving Sunday
with Canadian families and seniors, outlining his low-tax, balancedbudget plan to protect Canada's economy and protect the Conservative
government's benefits for families and seniors. The Prime Minister
said: "On October 19th, only a re-elected Conservative government will
keep our economy moving forward in the right direction, so that we can keep
taxes low and provide new benefits for families and seniors. Our number one
priority is protecting Canada's economy." The Conservative plan to protect
Canada's economy is focused on the following key priorities:
" Keeping the federal budget balanced.
" Lowering taxes on small businesses and workers.
" Aiming to create another 1.3 million new, well-paying jobs by 2020.
" Opening new markets for Canadian businesses and products through
new trade agreements.
" Aiming to add more than 700,000 new homeowners by 2020.
" Providing new tax relief and benefits to families and seniors, including
a new $2,000 Single Seniors Tax Credit.
EXTENDING EI PARENTAL LEAVE BENEFITS
Each year, 170,000 women receive EI maternity benefits and 190,000
parents receive EI parental benefits. The number of dads who receive
parental benefits has continued to increase, and is approximately 30%
today. Under the current rules, maximum EI parental benefits are 35
weeks. When combined with maternity benefits of 15 weeks, this allows parents to receive EI income for the first year of a baby's life.
A re-elected Conservative Government will allow those on parental
leave to receive their EI parental benefits at the full rate for a maximum
of 35 weeks or to extend their payments at a lower rate for up to 61
weeks. This additional 6 months of payments will allow parents to
receive EI benefits for up to 18 months after their baby is born. These
improvements to parental benefits will also apply to adoptive parents. If
parents share their EI parental benefits, the total combined benefit period of maternal and parental leave cannot exceed 78 weeks. Our 2017
EI premium rate is expected to be $1.49 per $100, a 21 per cent reduction, and will benefit more than 16 million Canadians.
6
MidWeek
federal elections
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
TRUDEAU-LED GOVERNMENT
WILL BRING IMMEDIATE
CHANGE FOR MIDDLE CLASS
LIBERAL PARTY LEADER JUSTIN TRUDEAU WITH CANDIDATES IN MISSISSAUGA. (LIBERAL.CA)
TORONTO - The top priorities of a new Liberal government will
be delivering a tax cut for middle class Canadians and putting
more money in the pockets of hard-working families, said the
Leader of the Liberal Par ty of Canada, Justin Trudeau.
"Stephen Harper is out of touch, and for ten years he has ignored those
at the heart of our economy, our middle class, who have had to work
longer and harder to make ends meet. A Liberal government will
introduce, as its very first Bill in Parliament, a tax cut for the middle
class," said Trudeau. "We are the only party that made a middle class
tax cut part of its platform, and we will stand behind that pledge by
making it the very first thing we do if we form government. Unlike with
Stephen Harper's tax credits, Canadians will see more money on
their pay cheques right away." A new Liberal government will raise
taxes on the wealthiest one percent, so we can cut taxes for the
middle class. We will lower taxes for Canadians with incomes between $44,700 and $89,401 per year from 22 per cent to 20.5 per cent.
This is the fair thing to do, and the smart thing to do for Canada's
economy. When middle class Canadians have more money in their
pockets to save, invest, and grow the economy, we all benefit. That
is why we will also introduce the Canada Child Benefit - one
bigger, fair, tax-free, automatic, monthly child benefit - in our
very first budget. Nine out of ten Canadian families will be
better off under our plan than under Stephen Harper's.
MASSIVE CROWD GREETS TOM MULCAIR AS HE JOINS STAR
CANDIDATE HARBALJIT SINGH KAHLON IN BRAMPTON EAST
NDP LEADER SHOWS CONFIDENCE IN AN NDP VICTORY FOR BRAMPTON EAST
the NDP was the only par ty with the courage to stand up against the Liberals and Conservatives on Bill
C51. He reminded the crowd that Bill C51 was passed when the Liberals teamed up with Conservatives to strip Canadians of their civil liber ties. Mulcair outlined the NDP's plan to help middleclass families get ahead with affordable childcare, suppor t for small businesses, the expansion
of Canada's health care system, and more oppor tunities for young people. “The Liberals have
failed to beat the Conservatives three consecutive times in Brampton East,” said Kahlon. “The
NDP will get the job done!”
Kahlon is a favourite within the community and a star candidate for the NDP. The residents of
Brampton East will benefit from an NDP win. Kahlon will be a strong voice that will place an
emphasis on issues that directly impact the people that live in the rising.
BRAMPTON- Today, NDP leader Tom Mulcair was greeted by an energetic crowd of over 500 NDP
suppor ters at Harbaljit Singh Kahlon's campaign office in the NDP stronghold of Brampton East.
"Today's crowd is an example of the energy people have for the NDP throughout this riding," said
Kahlon, the NDP candidate for Brampton East, "it's a testament to the hard work put in by our
volunteers and suppor ters and is a clear sign that this riding believes that only NDP represents
change." Tom Mulcair said the NDP only needs 35 seats to defeat Harper, adding that electing
Harbaljit in Brampton East will be one of them. When addressing the crowd, Mulcair highlighted
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER
AUGUST 28,
13,2012
2015
MidWeek
community
7
Vandana Vishwas Nominated
for Toronto Independent Music
Awards 2015
MISSISSAUGA - Mississauga
based celebrated south Asian
World Music ar tist Vandana
Vishwas has been nominated
for 'Best World' music award
at the 2015 Toronto Independent Music Awards (TIMA).
This is Vandana's third nomination at TIMA, having already been nominated in 2010
and 2014. Vandana has two
critically acclaimed self composed and produced original
music albums 'Meera The
Lover' and 'Monologues', and
a single 'Samarasiddha' to her credit. Currently Vandana is working on her two new albums, due to be released next year.
DRIVERLESS CARS
COMING TO ONTARIO
ON JANUARY 1, 2016
PARTICIPANTS AT THE SEMINAR WITH ICCC LEADERSHIP.
Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce to
hold a briefing session for annual trade
mission to India in January 2016
Sanjay Makkar, President, Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce will hold a
briefing session at the Open House and Networking meeting on 15th October
2015 on the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce’s annual trade mission to
India in January 2016.
The ICCC is a 38-year-old bilateral Chamber of Commerce that fosters better
trade ties between Canada and India, and works across Canada to create
entrepreneurial and professional opportunities for Indo-Canadians. To fulfill
the latter objective, the ICCC organizes a business mission to India every
January to coincide with the annual convention of the Indian diaspora in
India’s capital New Delhi.
The India Mission is a multisector, multicity initiative where the ICCC creates
opportunities for Canadian small businesses to globalize their operations.
The mission provides a platform for trade opportunities, and builds relations
between Canada and India. Since 2012, the ICCC’s India Mission has created
multiple trade linkages not only for individual small business entrepreneurs,
but has also provided opportunities for Canadian cities such as Brampton
and Markham to attract business and investments from India.
The India Mission 2016 will also include travel and tourism sectors along
with other sectors enabling participants to explore India. The program will
include meetings and discussions with influential trade bodies, such as the
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), India-Canada Business Chamber (ICBC),
Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI), etc.
Led by the ICCC President, the delegates will meet business leaders and
decision makers in all the cities on the itinerary. Meetings with these organizations take different formats such as conferences, seminars, B2B meetings, networking receptions, luncheon roundtables and briefings. Meetings
will also be arranged with various levels of Indian leaders, the Canadian
diplomatic corps, including trade commissioners, etc. All of these offer valuable opportunities for business connections with Indian companies represented by these organizations.
The India Mission itinerary also includes participation in the Pravasi Bharatiya
Divas (PBD-India) that commences each year on January 9. It may be recalled that the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) was awarded
the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award at the PBD-India 2012.
Traditionally, impor tant decision makers from all levels of the government (federal, provincial and city) have par ticipated in the India
Mission, and it is expected that India Mission 2016 will have similar
high-level par ticipation. Come to the Open House & Networking session and par ticipate in the briefing session. It will be your oppor tunity
to suggest the focus sectors for the mission, the cities that may be
included into the itinerary and the possible meetings that may be
organized during the two-week trip to India.
INVESTING $6 MILLION TO BRING MORE LOCAL FOOD TO THE TABLE
ONATRIO - Ontario is providing $6 million over three years to increase sales of local food by making it more widely available and building
awareness of the variety of food grown and produced in Ontario. Premier Kathleen Wynne announced this investment today, during Ontario
Agriculture Week, while visiting Fresh City Farms in Toronto's Downsview Park. The government will provide the funding to the Greenbelt
Fund, a non-profit organization that helps encourage consumption of local food in the Greenbelt and across Ontario.
The investment announced today will support:
"
Projects for institutions in the broader public sector, including schools and hospitals, to buy and use more Ontario foods
"
Marketing activities, such as workshops and advertising in print and trade media, to celebrate local food champions for their
success, leadership and innovation
"
Projects to improve food literacy and access to local food.
CONTD. FROM PAGE 3
The province is also pledging an additional $500,000 in funding to the Ontario Centres of Excellence Connected Vehicle/
Automated Vehicle Program, in addition to the $2.45 million in
funding recently provided. The program brings academic institutions and business together to promote and encourage
innovative transpor tation technology.
Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transpor tation has said: "In the
world of transpor tation, Ontario has the oppor tunity to show
leadership on automated technology. Today, Ontario is making its claim in the global marketplace by taking the next steps
in automated vehicle innovation. The automated vehicle pilot
will ensure that the province's roads remain safe without creating burdens that stifle investment and innovation in Ontario's
dynamic business environment." Brad Duguid, Minister of
Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure
added: "Ontario is a global leader in developing and manufacturing the next generation of vehicles. This new pilot program
will build on our success, and help Ontario lead the development of automated and connected car technologies. In this
highly competitive global economy, investing in people's talents and skills to create the next generation of innovative
technologies is good for business, and can help lead to the
easier movement of goods and services across the province."
Walk the talk on health- Take
action to achieve optimal health
ONTARIO - A free health event is being organized by Dream Care
Home Health Services & Great Smiles Mobile Dental Hygiene
Care in association with Stop Diabetes Foundation for the South
Asian community sponsored by ICICI Bank Canada, where health
professionals will be talking about various health topics including diabetes, heart health, dementia, dental care, breast cancer, crime prevention,
home health safety, nutrition and benefits of home care. Free yoga sessions
for all. Talks will be in Punjabi, Hindi and English and an open opportunity to
ask questions.
This is a free event for the public to be held on October 25, from 9am - 2pm
at Chandni Banquet Hall, 5 Gateway Blvd, Brampton, L6T 4X2.This
interactive educational event allows the public to interact with
health exper ts. We have also invited various businesses from
our community to showcase their products and services.
SWARAJ ABHIYAN CANADA CELEBRATES
SHAHEED BHAGAT SINGH'S 108TH BIRTHDAY
S. Amrit Dhillon addressing audience during the event held by Swaraj Abhiyan Canada.
BRAMPTON - Swaraj Abhiyan Canada recently organized a seminar
at Brampton Library to celebrate Shaheed Bhagat Singh's 108th bir thday. The event was attended by many members of Indian community.
Shaheed Bhagat Singh's niece Smt. Inder Kaur Dhillon with her husband S. Amrit Dhillon along with eminent Punjabi writer and social
activist Prof. Waryam Sandhu were present at this event.
During his speech S. Dhillon shared his thoughts about Bhagat Singh
Eminent Punjabi writer Prof. Waryam Sandhu expressing his views on "Relevance of Shaheed
BhagatSingh's ideology in present day" at the event.
as a person. Prof Waryam Sandhu in his own style expressed his
thoughts on "Relevance of Bhagat Singh's ideology in present day."
Students from Guru Teg Bahadur School also presented a dance at
this event.
A brief introduction of various other mar tyrs was presented by
Amardeep Singh a volunteer of Swaraj Abhiyan Canada. S. Paramjeet
Singh, coordinator of seniors club GTA, Dr. Baljinder Singh Sekhon,
coordinator of Nor th American Taraksheel society and S. Baldev Singh
Rehpa were other speakers at the event. SurbhiGuleria Joshi conducted the whole event in a very professional manner. Dr. G. Guleria
and Pawan Sangwan from Swaraj Abhiyan Canada stressed that a
true salute to the mar tyr will only be possible if one associates oneself with Shaheed Bhagat Singh's ideology. Awards and cer tificates
were presented to students at the end of the event.
8
MidWeek
opinion
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
Dhoni will not let Indian cricket down
BY VETURI SRIVATSA
It is amusing to find former cricketers sitting in judgment on Mahendra
Singh Dhoni’s future in international cricket. Joining the discussion is
a divided media which in any case thrives on controversies.
Does someone who quit Test cricket abr uptly with 10 Tests shy of
hundred Tests in the middle of a series need to be told that his
playing days in all forms of cricket are over? Surely not, like
most iconic cricketers before him, the decision to call it a day
should be left to him. In the meanwhile, let him play the South
Africa series without stress or anxiety.
The former cricketers forget their playing days and how some of
them tried to cling on for reasons other than cricket. Some were
backed by officials, some overstayed to protect their endorsements and still some others prolonged not knowing how to kill the
post-retirement boredom.
When Dhoni quit Tests in December during the series Down Under, he took his detractors by surprise. He did not give them a
chance to pile on to him. He did not wait to get nudged or pushed
out like some of the greats he is alleged to have conspired to get
rid of them. Remember, on the previous tour to Australia he had
hinted that he might quit one of the formats to prolong the other. It
was thought that he would be only thinking of defending his 2011
World Cup.
At 34, he may not be looking at the next World Cup, but he will
cer tainly be looking to lead the side in the World Twenty20 at
home next year before taking a final call. Right now, he may be
more worried about his recurring back problems than his temporary loss of form.
As statisticians pointed out, his loss of ODI form is similar to that
of Sachin Tendulkar’s Test slump a decade ago when people star ted
writing his obits. Like Sachin’s average of 40 plus at a par ticular
stretch is seen as terrible loss of form because his career average was above 50.
Dhoni in 2015 is averaging around 39 as compared to his career
average of 52, a statistic in the case of any other middle-order
batsmen would be seen as reasonably good.
The other argument for pulling him down is that he does not ap-
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pear to be the finisher he once was as he could not get the 11 runs
needed in the last over in the first ODI against South Africa. Why
only Dhoni, there were four others who came and went before and
after him but none could hold his nerve.
The simple fact is that the South Africans batted marvelously well
in the death overs whereas Indian batsmen could not play big
shots. Surely, this was not the first time that India or Dhoni messed
up in finishing a game. Think of the 20-year-old South African,
Kagiso Rabada, carried out the team’s bowling plan to get rid of
two big hitters in the last over of the match.
Two defeats in a Twenty20 lottery and a narrow loss in the first
One-dayer against South Africa good enough reasons for a captain to put in his papers?
May not be, but the herd mentality is trying to force Dhoni to hand
over the reins to Virat Kohli, the man many see as the new saviour of Indian cricket after leading the team to a 2-1 Test series
win in Sri Lanka af ter losing the first Test.
Compare it with the record of the rising sun Kohli. His last hundred in an ODI came at Adelaide in the World Cup match against
Pakistan and after than he has not scored a fifty in the next 11
games. He scored 389 runs in 16 innings this year at an average
of 29.92. Does that mean Kohli should make way for another hardhitting young batsman? The argument is as specious as saying
Dhoni is a liability to the side.
Imagine, someone like V.V.S Laxman being on trial in ever y match
he played till his last Test! The vultures were in the wait for him to
fail and even his retirement from the game came in unfor tunate
circumstances, not being able to play the last Test at his home in
Hyderabad. Laxman would not speak why he quit without notice
and speculation has it that Dhoni had a hand in it.
Be it Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid or
Laxman they all knew when the time had come for them to go. A
couple of them may have thought they had a year or two more of
cricket left in them, but they had to take other issues into consideration,
the prime one being the future of Indian cricket.
Players, great or otherwise, will come and go and the debates over their
shelf life will continue. But nobody has a right to humiliate a great player.
Look at Dhoni’s record, he has won all the ICC limited-overs tournaments
and took India to the pinnacle of the Test pyramid. Leave him space and
time to decide, he will not let Indian cricket down.
Unless we learn to respect our spor ting heroes, we will continue
to be an awful spor ts nation.
CAN AFGHAN NATIONAL SECURITY
FORCE REALLY SAVE THEIR COUNTRY?
BY AMITAVA MUKHERJEE
Afghanistan is likely to witness recurrence of Kunduz-like scenarios
as the Afghan National Security Force (ANSF), comprising the Afghan National Army (ANA), Afghan National Police (ANP) and the
Afghan Local Police (ALP), is now in a shambles. The scenario becomes grimmer when the ANSF casualty figures are taken into account. In the first 15 weeks of 2015, these rose by 70 percent over
the corresponding figures in 2014. At present, it has been suffering
330 casualties a week on an average.
The situation is worrisome for India as New Delhi had extended its
helping hand, albeit indirectly, towards the ANSF's training and capacity building and had looked towards it as a bulwark against the
Taliban.
The western powers, which have invested $60 billion towards raising and capacity building of the ANSF, are also worried. Their anxiety
has been heightened by two repor ts of the Special Inspector General
of Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR) which have brought to light the
ANSF's declining numerical strength and firepower. In March, the
ANA's strength stood at 169,203 - a decline of more than 15,000 or
8.5 percent from what it had been in February 2014. This has been
the ANA's lowest numerical strength since 2011. The main reasons
are deser tion, absenteeism and going on leave without informing
the superiors.
This year has turned out to be the bloodiest in recent times as with
merely 10,000 NATO-led International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF) soldiers remaining, the Taliban has identified the ANSF as the
soft target. The problem has been compounded by the fact that most
of the ANSF personnel are illiterate and are finding it difficult to
imbibe the techniques of modern warfare. As a result, it is suffering
heavy casualties.
Since 2013, the ANSF has suffered more than 9,000 casualties while
the corresponding figure for the ISAF is only 2,346. Between October
2013 and September 2014, 1,300 ANA soldiers were killed and 6,200
seriously wounded. In fact, the ANSF bore the highest number of its
casualties in 2013-2014. Therefore, it should cause no surprise that
between September 2013 and September 2014, more than 40,000
personnel dropped out from the ANA.
These are no signs of a security force which can take on the Taliban
and the growing number of Islamic State fighters. The Taliban's recent takeover of Kunduz city and the response by the Ashraf Ghani
administration indicate fur ther chaos and loosening of central administration in the near future. The capture of Kunduz shows the
Taliban is gradually shifting its focus to urban war fare, a thing it
desisted from under taking as long as the strong arm of the ISAF was
there. The Taliban has also been emboldened by a near-absence of
air power by the ANA, which possesses only five Soviet built Hind
helicopters. The situation has been so desperate for the ANA that it
is now adding guns to Mi-17 transpor t helicopters. But these choppers are not fit for providing any air suppor t.
NATO now realizes that by giving bir th to a crippled child named
ANSF it has created a dangerous scenario and, therefore, it had to
deploy its aircraft to retrieve the situation in nor thern Afghanistan.
But dissipation of any central authority is likely as the Ashraf Ghani
administration enlisted the services of dozens of former mujahideen
warlords in freeing Kunduz from the Taliban. Prominent among them
are Amanullah Guzar and Jan Ahmed, two former Jamaat-e-Islami
commanders. Ironically, the US Army had last June destroyed an
illegal cache of arms belonging to Jan Ahmed.
The ANSF is now bedevilled by tribal cross currents. In Ashraf Ghani's
administration, Abdul Rashid Dostum is a vice president. Dostum is
a leader of the Uzbeks and Kunduz has a significant sprinkling of
Uzbek population. However, the Uzbeks in the area did not try to
raise any opposition to the Pashtun-dominated Taliban's surge and
then ultimate takeover of Kunduz. Perhaps it is because of the fact
that much of the top level commanders of ANA are Tajiks while the
bottomline is composed of Pashtuns. The Uzbeks do not find much
space in it. The involvement of the former mujahideen militias has
brought to fore the possibility of vertical splits in Afghan polity. Already Amrullah Saleh, a former intelligence chief and an outspoken opposition politician, has accused Ashraf Ghani of attempts to stymie war
efforts of the Junbish and the Hezb-e-Islami, respective militias of vice
president Abdul Rashid Dostum and Muhammed Khan, the first deputy
chief executive officer.
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DISCLAIMER: THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE THE PERSONAL OPINIONS OF THE AUTHORS.THE INFORMATION, FACTS OR OPINIONS APPEARING IN THE
ARTICLES DO NOT REFLECT VIEWS OF MIDWEEK AND ITS MANAGEMENT AND SO THE PAPER DOES NOT ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR THE SAME.
MIDWEEK NEWS
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER
AUGUST 28,
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canada
JUSTIN TRUDEAU MEETS WITH MOHAMED FAHMY
TORONTO - LIBERAL PARTY OF CANADA LEADER JUSTIN TRUDEAU MET WITH AWARD-WINNING CANADIAN JOURNALIST
MOHAMED FAHMY IN TORONTO, UPON FAHMY’S RETURN TO CANADA FOLLOWING HIS UNLAWFUL ARREST, TRIAL, AND
IMPRISONMENT IN EGYPT. (LIBERAL.CA)
Who will form the next government?
CONTD. FROM PAGE 3
It is very unlikely now that any party will have a clear majority in the next
parliament. Political analysts are trying to answer the question which
party will have better chances to govern if the country gets a hung parliament again. While comparing different scenarios’, they say the Conservative party will put their claim to form
the government only if they get clear
majority or they are the biggest party
with a graceful lead over the second
biggest. Majority mark in the current parliament is 170 seats and the
Conservatives will be justified to claim majority only if they have lead of
over 20 seats. Even this position is not going to be an easy one for the
Conservatives as far as the arithmetic of the parliament is concerned.
The Liberals, however, would be in a much better position even with a
lead of few seats; it can be even one or two seats, as the coalition option
is open for them. Going by the current poll trends, the Liberal-NDP part-
nership would be a clear majority in the parliament and the partnership
would be acceptable, in terms of political ethics, to most of the Canadians.
Political observers feel that Harper would not like to continue if his party
does
not get clear majority.
In the 2006 elections too, no party
had full majority. The Liberal Prime
Minister Paul Martin could still have
the right to test the house, but he decided to resign, as the Conservatives
won 21 more seats than the
Liberals. In any situation less than clear majority, Stephan Harper would
be in big ethical dilemma.
If the Liberals are able to maintain their lead for this week, they will have
much greater chances of forming the next government, possibly a coalition with the NDP.
M I D W E E K A N A LY S I S
New Legislation Passes to Keep Great Lakes Clean
ONTARIO - Ontario has passed the Great Lakes Protection Act which will strengthen the province's ability to keep the Great Lakes and St.
Lawrence River clean, as well as to protect and restore the waterways that flow into them. Passing the Act enables the province to address significant
environmental challenges to the Great Lakes, including climate change, harmful pollutants and algal blooms.
The Act will also:
" Establish a Great Lakes Guardians' Council to provide a collaborative forum for discussing and gaining input on issues and priorities relating to the Great Lakes.
" Allow the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change to set environmental targets and enable communities to address local problems.
" Require the establishment of monitoring programs on a number of water quality indices where needed, as well as regular public reporting.
" Require consideration of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in decisions made about the health of the Great Lakes if offered by First Nations or Métis
communities.
" Enshrine Ontario's Great Lakes Strategy, the province's action plan on the Great Lakes, as a living document to be reviewed every six years and
repor ted in the legislature every three years.
Liberals will take concrete action on domestic
violence, sexual assault: Melanie Joly
MONTREAL - Every day, far too many Canadians - overwhelmingly women - experience sexual violence, sexual harassment,
and intimate partner violence. Liberals believe that we must
do more to strengthen supports, create safer spaces, and challenge the deep-seeded attitudes that underlie this damaging
behaviour, said Liberal candidate for Ahuntsic-Cartierville,
Mélanie Joly. A Liberal government will:
"
Increase investments to grow and maintain
Canada's network of shelters and transition houses,
as part of our historic ten-year investment of nearly
$20 billion in social infrastructure;
"
Work together with victims, experts, and
advocates to develop and implement a comprehensive federal gender-violence strategy and action plan, aligned with existing provincial strategies;
"
Review current gender- and culturally-
sensitive training policies for federal front-line law enforcement officers to ensure that they are strong and effective;
"
In partnership with provinces and territories, work
to bolster public awareness campaigns, and take action to
ensure that Parliament and federal institutions - including
the public service, the RCMP, and the Canadian Armed
Forces - are workplaces free from harassment and
sexual violence;
"
Eliminate the two-year waiting period for
spouses immigrating to Canada, so they can receive immediate permanent residency; and
"
Amend the Criminal Code to reverse onus
on bail for those with previous convictions of
intimate partner violence, specify that intimate
partner violence be considered an aggravating factor at sentencing, and increase the
maximum sentence for repeat offenders.
9
Unemployment rate increases
to 7.1% in Canada
OTTAWA - According to a Statistics Canada repor t employment
was little changed for the fourth consecutive month in September
(+12,000 or +0.1%). Unemployment rate increased by 0.1 percentage points to 7.1% as more people participated in the labour
market. Part-time employment rose by 74,000 in September, which
was largely offset by a decline of 62,000 in full time.
Following gains of 63,000 (+0.4%) in the first quarter, and 33,000
(+0.2%) in the second quar ter, employment grew by 31,000
(+0.2%) in the third quarter of 2015. In the 12 months to September, employment increased by 161,000 (+0.9%), with all of the
gains in full-time work. Over the same period, the total number of
hours worked rose by 1.1%. In September, employment increased
among people aged 55 and older and was little changed for the
other demographic groups. Provincially, employment rose
in British Columbia, Alber ta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia,
Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island, while it fell in
Ontario as well as Newfoundland and Labrador. In September, there were more people employed in information, culture and recreation; 'other services'; health care and social
assistance; as well as business, building and other suppor t
services. At the same time, employment declined in educational services.
Employment up in BC and Alberta, down in Ontario
Employment rose by 12,000 in British Columbia in September. However, the unemployment rate increased by 0.3 percentage points to 6.3%. Compared with 12 months earlier,
employment in the province grew by 47,000 or 2.1%, the
highest growth rate among the provinces.
In Alber ta, employment also rose by 12,000. However, an
increase in the number of people searching for work pushed
the unemployment rate up 0.5 percentage points to 6.5%.
On a year-over-year basis, employment in the province was
up 31,000 (+1.4%), with most of the growth in part-time work. In
Manitoba it increased by 4,000 in September, bringing the unemployment rate down 0.5 percentage points to 5.2%. In the 12 months
to September, employment gains totalled 10,000 (+1.6%). Employment was little changed in Quebec and the unemployment
rate declined 0.3 percentage points to 7.7%. Compared with September 2014, employment in the province increased by 47,000
(+1.2%), with most of the growth in the first four months of 2015.
NEW SPACES PART OF
$120 MILLION CHILD CARE
INVESTMENT
ONTARIO - Over the coming year, Ontario will begin construction on
49 more licensed child care spaces in Mississauga-Brampton South
to increase access to safe, high quality child care. As announced
earlier this year, Ontario is investing $120 million over the next
three years to create approximately 4,000 new licensed child care
spaces across the province.
Funding for the first round of spaces has now been allocated to 13
schools to build a total of 42 new child care rooms housing 766 new
spaces. In Mississauga-Brampton South, EER Mississauga Nord
(part of CS Viamonde) will receive $794,578 from the province to
build 3 new child care rooms, adding 49 licensed spaces for infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers. Creating more licensed child care
spaces in local schools will give children the opportunity to transition from child care into full-day kindergarten at the same location,
making for an easier adjustment.
The new spaces are also being built in areas where there is significant demand, giving families in Mississauga more options when it
comes to quality licensed child care that is close to home. In addition to the province's investment, the past year has seen a more
than 10 per cent increase in the number of licensed child care
spaces in Ontario. Continuing to improve education - from early
years through to postsecondary education - is par t of the
government's four-part plan to build Ontario up.
The plan includes investing in people's talents and skills, building
new public infrastructure like roads and transit, creating a dynamic,
suppor tive environment where business thrives, and building a
secure savings plan.
"Our government has heard local families loud and clear that they
need more child care spaces in schools and better access to quality child care. This is an impor tant investment for MississaugaBrampton South families and for Ontario's youngest learners." Amrit Mangat, MPP for Mississauga-Brampton South
QUICK FACTS
" Since 2003, the number of licensed child care spaces in Ontario
has grown to nearly 351,000 - an increase of 87 per cent.
" New child care rooms built through this investment will accommodate children from birth until they are ready to enter full-day
kindergar ten.
" The spaces that have been approved for construction will be ready
for programs to open as early as September 2016 and will continue
to open up until September 2018.
" Over the next 10 years, the province plans to provide school boards
with more than $11 billion to help build new schools in areas of high
growth, improve the condition of existing schools, and invest in
projects to reduce surplus space through school consolidations.
" Offering more licensed child care spaces in schools aligns with
the government's commitment to support community hubs in offering client-focused, coordinated services such as child care, education, health care and social services.
416-907-4420
10
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MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER
AUGUST 28,
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11
KASURI BOOK LAUNCH
Shiv Sena blackens organiser's
face, event unaffected
WOMEN QUEUE UP TO CAST THEIR VOTES DURING PANCHAYAT POLLS IN ALLAHABAD TRANS-YAMUNA AREA (IANS).
India will support Palestine cause,
engage with Israel: Mukherjee
BY ARVIND PADMANABHAN
AMMAN, (IANS) India will continue to extend unwavering suppor t for
separate statehood for Palestine while also engaging with Israel to
forge an independent and long-standing bilateral relationship, President Pranab Mukherjee said here on Sunday.
The president also lauded Jordan's humanitarian suppor t in sheltering 1.4 million Syrians, called for a concer ted global action for a
peaceful resolution of conflict in the troubled country, while also pushing its own case in forging a UN treaty on countering terrorism.
These were the gist of the visiting president's messages during his
meetings with the Jordanian leadership on the second day of his visit
here, and at a speech he delivered at the University of Jordan, which
conferred a doctorate on him in political science.
"India suppor ts a negotiated solution resulting in a sovereign, independent, viable and united State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as
its capital, living within secure and recognized borders," the president said at the university.
"Our bilateral relations with Israel are independent of our relations
with Palestine," he said.
"India has played a proactive role in garnering suppor t for this cause
in all multilateral fora. We have called upon both sides to exercise
restraint and work towards a comprehensive resolution of the Palestinian issue." Jordan is the only country in the Arab world, besides
Egypt, which has a peace agreement with Israel.
The president also quoted Mahatma Gandhi, as drawn from a book
written by Queen Noor: "'Palestine belongs to the Arabs in the same
sense that England belongs to the English and France to the French'."
The Jordanian side was equally candid and said it saw Israel resor ting to "state terrorism" against the people of Palestine, as clashes
between the two sides continued unabated. This was also the text of a
resolution that was passed by the Jordanian Parliament on Saturday,
accusing Israelis of "sapping the rights" of Palestinians.
President Mukherjee, who earlier in the day opened a street, named
after Mahatma Gandhi here, continued his engagements with the Jordanian leadership, during which he also took up the issue of ending
conflict in Syria, while suppor ting Amman's endeavours.
Jordan has a population of 6.5 million and another 1.5 million -- or 25
percent -- have taken shelter in the country.
The Indian side said it strongly endorsed the June 2012 resolution of
the Action Group for Syria that met at the UN office in Switzerland -called the Geneva-I Communique -- that not only wanted an end to
fur ther military conflict, but also rapid steps for a credible political
agreement, involving the people.
AMARINDER RIDICULES MODI'S MANDELA REMARK FOR BADAL
CHANDIGARH, (IANS) Just hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday compared Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal
to Nelson Mandela, Congress leader Amarinder Singh ridiculed the remark and termed it an "insult" to the legendary South African antiapar theid icon.
"Either it is a tongue in cheek comment by the prime minister and he really did not mean what he said, or he actually does not know what
he is saying. If Mr Modi really meant so, it is an insult to the great stature of Nelson Mandela, who single-handed fought against and
defeated the apar theid in South Africa," Amarinder, the par ty's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, said in a statement here.
The former Punjab chief minister said: "Mandela spent 27 years in jail in isolation and solitary confinement fighting against apar theid,
while Badal may not have spent a total of even 27 months in jail and most of the time in luxury and hospitality of the government.
"And most of the jail terms of Mr Badal were voluntary as he would always hide behind the safety and the hospitality of the government
guest houses after sparking trouble in Punjab and getting people killed."
Ridiculing the prime minister's remarks that Badal is the "Nelson Mandela of India", Amarinder said: "Who says our prime minister does
not have a sense of humour?"
Accusing Badal of "destroying the entire social and economic fabric of Punjab", he said: "There can be no greater insult to Mandela than
comparing someone like Badal with him."
"If Modi seriously means Badal to be the Nelson Mandela of India, then, I am sure, he might be thinking that like Mandela, he (Badal)
deserves a Bharat Ratna and Nobel Peace Prize also and he should really lobby for him," said the Congress leader.
CONTD. FROM PAGE 3
The state government ensured tight security at the venue, Nehru Centre
in Worli, where "Neither a Hawk Nor a Dove: An Insider Account of
Pakistan's Foreign Policy" was released peacefully without any untoward incident in the presence of a large number of dignitaries from
different walks of life.
The attack happened earlier in the day as Kulkarni was leaving his
home in Sion in south-central Mumbai. A group of around a dozen Sena
slogan-shouting activists accosted him, asked him to cancel the event
and then smeared him with black ink. A shaken but determined Kulkarni,
chairman of think-tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF), told media persons that the Shiv Sena had repeatedly warned it would not
permit the event and if the ORF failed to comply, the party would disrupt
it in "Shiv Sena style". "The Shiv Sena has no authority to impose such
a ban... We have taken a principled stand and shall not cancel the
event," asserted Kulkarni, who did not wash off the ink for several
hours, Kasuri said he was "saddened and unhappy by this attack on
Kulkarni whom I have known for many years" and condemned it. "...the
right to protest must be peaceful and these people must change their
tactics of protest," he said at a hurriedly convened press conference
here following the incident. "I have come with a message of peace... An
overwhelming majority of people in both countries want peace between
the two countries... But, there are some who don't want India-Pakistan peace,"
he said. Senior BJP leader Advani in New Delhi and party spokesman
minced no words in protesting against the Sena actions, while social networking sites condemned what many termed "Shiv Sena hooliganism".
Four Punjab writers return
awards over intolerance
CHANDIGARH, (IANS) Raising their voice against rising "intolerance" and "suppressing freedom of expression", four eminent
Punjabi writers on Sunday announced that they were returning the
Sahitya Akademi Awards conferred on them.
The writers who announced giving up their literary awards included
Ajmer Singh Aulakh, Atamjit Singh, Gurbachan Bhullar and Canadabased writer Waryam Sandhu.
The litterateurs said that they were giving up their awards to protest
against the killings of writers M.M. Kalburgi in Karnataka (in August) and Narendra Dabholkar (in 2013), stressing that they were
shocked at the level of intolerance on freedom of speech and expression. They pointed out that free speech and writing was being
suppressed. They also said that the recent lynching of a Muslim
man on suspicion of eating beef showed that a communal atmosphere was being built up.
OROP implementation after
Bihar poll: Parrikar
PANAJI, (IANS) The One Rank, One Pension scheme will be
implemented after the for thcoming Bihar elections, Defence
Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Sunday. "A notification will
be issued after the Bihar elections," he said during a public interaction near here. Parrikar also said that a decision had already been
made on the OROP issue, but said that the Election Commission
may have an issue with such an announcement.
12
MidWeek
india
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
FIRST PHASE OF
BATTLE BIHAR ENDS, 57
PER CENT VOTING
Farmers disrupt railway services in Muchhal village near Amrisar to protest against low prices of Basmati rice (IANS).
DECISION ON PUNJAB CONGRESS
LEADERSHIP BY OCTOBER 15
DESK REPORT
CHANDIGARH- Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi started today
an exercise to strengthen the par ty in Punjab. According to par ty
sources, a decision is expected over leadership by October 15. To
end the factionalism in the state unit, Rahul has finally decided to
work with Punjab unit and meeting different factions of the par ty. He
met some senior par ty leaders including Congress Legislature Par ty
Leader Sunil Jakhar, senior leader and former finance minister Lal
Singh, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Ramanjit
Singh Sikki and several others. Rahul will continue interacting with
par ty MLA's on October 12 and former CM Capt. Amrinder Singh is
also expected to be back from his England tour by then.
According to Punjab media repor ts, majority of the par ty MLA's in
Punjab are with Capt.Amrinder Singh. He is considered the only Congress leader in the state, who can give strong fight to Badals. Par ty
sources say that they have notice a change in Rahul's attitude towards Capt Amarinder Singh. He is the only senior leader in the country who has close personal relations with the Gandhi family. He maintained that relation even when he was out of the party, when he resigned from
Congress after operation Blue star. Political observer of the state also maintain that
it would be a challenge for Rahul Gandhi to persuade some senior party leaders in
the state to accept Capt.Amrinder Singh's leadership. It is not easy now for leaders
like Partap Singh Bajwa to work with Capt.Amrinder Singh, given the
bitterness both leaders have toward each other.
Kashmir business chambers condemn
Udhampur truck attack, demand action
SRINAGAR, (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir's top business chambers on
Monday condemned the Udhampur truck attack and vowed to thwar t
"conspiracies against communal harmony" to safeguard the state's
unique identity.
The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and Jammu
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) at a joint press conference here condemned the petrol bomb attack on a valley-bound truck
at Udhampur in Jammu province and asked government to punish the
culprits of the incident.
The two apex business organizations termed the attack as "politically
motivated" and said it can have serious ramifications unless curbed
with "heavy hand". "Such incidents won't happen again in future. We
aren't God. We have limitations but we will do our level best to not let
this happen again. Our actions to such incidents won't be limited,"
said JCCI president Rakesh Gupta.
Noting people of entire state hold high the values of peace, amity
and brotherhood, he said: "The increasing polarization in the state
today is politically motivated and attack on a Kashmir bound truck
by disruptive elements and politically motivated goons is worrisome."
He said such incidents can lead to trifurcation of the state, which, he
said, will be against the collective interests of every region of Jammu
and Kashmir.
Asked why it took JCCI four days to condemn the truck attack, Gupta
said: "Mere statements don't matter. I was in constant touch with
state police chief and made him aware of incidents repercussions."
"I am happy that most of the culprits are behind bars and they have
been booked under the Public Safety Act," he said.
AKHILESH SEEKS CHANGE OF GUARD
IN BIHAR, CAMPAIGNS FOR SP
LUCKNOW/PATNA, (IANS) Seeking a change in the Bihar government, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday sought
votes for candidates of the Samajwadi PAr ty (SP) in the assembly
elections, the first round of which was conducted on Monday.
Campaigning extensively in Aurangabad and Rohtas for his par ty's
candidates, Akhilesh Yadav said the present state government had
fallen shor t of the aspirations of the people and hence needed to be
booted out of power. Addressing well-attended public rallies in
Karhagar and Goh assembly constituencies, Yadav told the people of
how neighbouring Uttar Pradesh was moving ahead on the path of
development and prosperity under the SP government.
"When we can do it in UP why can't it be repeated in Bihar" he ques-
tioned while listing schemes under taken by his government for the
welfare of the people. He listed schemes like the Samajwadi Pension
Scheme, Agra-Lucknow Expressway, 1090 Women's Powerline, the
Lucknow Metro Rail and Madhenu Dairy schemes which were benefiting people from all walks of life.
Bihar, he said, was facing problems for which solutions had long
been provided by Ram Manohar Lohia, Jai Prakash Narayan and
Karpuri Thakur. The same work ethos, he added, was taken forward
by Mulayam Singh Yadav. He also charged the Narendra Modi government at the center and the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar of
fooling the people.
BY IMRAN KHAN
PATNA, (IANS) Around 57 per cent of 13.5 million electorate voted
on Monday in 49 of the 243 constituencies in the first round of battle
for political power in Bihar. The two main fronts soon claimed
victory.
It marked the start of an intense five-phase contest that will end on
November 5 and whose outcome -- to be known three days later - will prove whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi still retains his
charisma or not. The Bharatiya Janata Par ty (BJP)-led NDA is
determined to oust the ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and its allies, the RJD and Congress who had formed a Grand Alliance.
Additional Chief Electoral Officer R. Lakshaman said the election
passed off peacefully, with 57 per cent voting. It was nearly 51 per
cent in 2010.
Defying Maoist calls to boycott the elections, millions of men and
women in both urban and rural areas trooped to polling booths in
the 49 constituencies spread over 10 districts, officials said.
Barring stray incidents, the balloting was largely peaceful.
The Bihar battle is the biggest popularity test in the country after the
Delhi election in February in which the AAP routed the BJP.
Unidentified men fired at Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) candidate Vijay
Kumar Singh in Jamui but he was unhurt. Police arrested one of the
attackers.
Lakshaman told IANS that women voters outnumbered males in some
placs. As the voting progressed, Home Minister Rajnath Singh told
IANS that Modi's popularity had not waned, at least in Bihar.
"I am campaigning in the whole of Bihar. I see no dent in the prime
minister's image. The people of Bihar still have confidence in him," the
former BJP president said, adding he was confident of a BJP victory.
BJP leader Sanjay Mayunkh told IANS that the NDA will emerge a big
winner in the first round of polls. "There was a clear wave in our
favour." But JD-U spokesperson Nawal Sharma said the people had
voted for the Grand Alliance. "It was on expected lines.
FOREIGN COMPANIES KEEN
ON SMART CITIES PROJECT:
VENKAIAH NAIDU
BY RANVIR NAYAR
PARIS, (IANS) Companies from across the world have bid for
the project to build Smar t Cities in India, said Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu who added that the
French want to take up three of the cities. In an interview to
Media India Group, Naidu, who was in France for a three-day
visit, called for greater par ticipation of the people in the
government's ambitious project of building 100 Smar t Cities.
He expressed confidence that the project of building the Smar t
Cities would go ahead full steam as a lot of companies from
across the globe have come forward to bid for the project. "The
French also want to take up three cities - Pondicherry, Nagpur
and Chandigarh. You have similar interest from Germany, US,
Singapore, Japan. So, I do not see any hurdle. We have provided the seed capital in terms of Rs.5 billion for each city and
then it is upto the municipal administration and the private sector companies to raise the finances for the rest," he said.
Naidu said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tried to get the
common people of India involved in all the initiatives of the new
government, be it Digital India, Swachch Bharat or even the
Smar t Cities. "The prime minister has clearly stated that these
are not the initiatives that have been carved out in some government offices and which can be implemented only by the
government officials. In all of these, we need the par ticipation
of the people and we are seeing a lot of proactive involvement.
"For instance, in the Clean India campaign, we have sports personalities, cinema stars and other leaders joining in. Similarly, for
Smart Cities, we need to involve people as Smart Cities must have
Smart people, not just buildings and other infrastructure," he said.
On his visit to Bordeaux, where he attended a Global Intelligent
Transportation Summit, along with ministers from 30 other countries, Naidu said that the conference and the accompanying exhibition have been a very good learning experience and that he would
like to see the possibility of implementing some of the intelligent transpor t solutions in India. "It is impor tant for us to keep
abreast with what the rest of the world is doing so we can
implement the latest solutions which are best adapted for our
country," Naidu told the Media India Group.
BJP urges EC not to ban live
telecast of PM's rallies
NEW DELHI, (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Par ty on Monday urged
the Election Commission not to ban live telecast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rallies during polling in Bihar, as demanded
by the Janata Dal (United)-Rashtriya Janata Dal-Congress alliance. "The EC assured us that the live telecast will not be
banned," senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told IANS after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi.
A BJP delegation told the Election Commission that by banning
live telecast, voters of constituencies in Bihar that are yet to go
to polls will not be able to listen to a senior par ty leader leading
the BJP's election campaign, he said.
In a memorandum submitted to the commission, the BJP alleged that by seeking a ban on the live telecast of the prime
minister's rallies on voting days, the rival alliance was trying to
"attack democratic values".
The delegation also demanded a CBI probe into the sting operation that showed Bihar minister Awadhesh Prasad Kushwaha
allegedly accepting a bribe.
The Commission has already asked Income Tax authorities to
investigate the case. Kushwaha resigned on Sunday after he
was caught on camera while allegedly accepting Rs.4 lakh from
individuals posing as "businessmen from Mumbai".
UNION HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT MINISTER SMRITI IRANI, UINION MOS URBAN DEVELOPMENT, HOUSING AND
URBAN POVERTY ALLEVIATION BABUL SUPRIYO AND WEST BENGAL BJP CHIEF RAHUL SINHA PARTICIPATE IN A
DEMONSTRATION AGAINST RISING INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCE IN THE STATE IN KOLKATA (IANS).
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13
KEJRIWAL PUBLICLY
SACKS FOOD MINISTER
FOR CORRUPTION
UNION FOOD PROCESSING MINISTER HARSIMRAT KAUR AND PUNJAB REVENUE MINISTER BIKRAM SINGH MAJITHIA AT THE OPENING
OF 32 MM SOLAR POWER PROJECT IN BATHINDA (IANS).
Ambanis lead 17 Indian groups in
Forbes Asian richest family list
SINGAPORE, (IANS) As many as 17 Indian families, led by the Ambanis,
figure in the maiden Forbes list of 50 richest Asian families, which is
the highest for any country in this par t of the world. Ranked 3rd, the
Ambanis' net wor th, which combines the wealth of both the brothers,
Mukesh and Anil, has been estimated at $21.5 billion followed by
Premjis, ranked 7th on the list with $17 billion.
Not far behind are the Hindujas, Mistry and the Godrej families, ranked
9th, 10th and 15th, with net wor th of $15 billion, $14.9 billion and
$11.4 billion respectively. Among the 17 Indian families, some are no
longer Indian citizens. "While most on our list have kept their flock
together over generations, the 50 also includes those who've gone
separate ways in business or are entirely estranged," the repor t said.
It added: "For example, India's Ambani family combines the wealth of
brothers Mukesh and Anil, who inherited most of their father's for tune
on his death in 2002 but opted to do business separately." Mukesh's
twins, son Akash and daughter Isha, work at and occupy board seats
at telecom arm Reliance Jio Infocomm and Reliance Retail. Anil's
son Jai Anmol works at Reliance Capital, it said.
The Burman family from India, who is featured on the cover of the
magazine, has brought in professional managers to ensure the continuity of the business. Anand Burman, the 63-year-old, fifth-generation
scion and non-executive chairman of family-owned Dabur has seen
net profits grow 24-fold, and market cap soar 40-fold since 1998,
Forbes noted.
Dabur boasts a por tfolio of 400 products-ranging from skin-care
bleaches and ayurvedic shampoos to natural fruit juices-selling
through nearly six million outlets across India. The family's 68 per
cent holding is valued at $5 billion.The minimum combined net wealth
to qualify for the list was $2.9 billion.
To compile the list Forbes team sifted through information on 500plus families and valued dozens. "In the end a $2.9 billion net wor th
was needed to qualify. The valuations are based on stock prices and
exchange rates on Sep 25," the repor t added. The Lee families, one
from South Korea associated with Samsung, and the other that oversees Henderson topped the list, with a net wor th of $26.6 billion and
$24.1 billion respectively.
Following are the Indian business families that figured out in the list:
1. Ambanis ranked 3rd ($21.5 billion)
2. Premjis ranked 7th ($17 billion)
3. Hindujas ranked 9th ($15 billion)
4. Mistry ranked 10th ($14.9 billion)
5. Godrej ranked 15th ($11.4 billion)
6. Mittal ranked 19th ($10.1 billion)
7. Birla ranked 22nd ($7.8 billion)
8. Bajaj ranked 29th ($5.6 billion)
9. Burman ranked 30th ($5.5 billion)
10. Lohia ranked 31st ($5.4 billion)
11. Patel ranked 33rd ($4.8 billion)
12. Lal ranked 40th ($4 billion)
13. Bangur ranked 42nd ($3.9 billion)
14. Jindal ranked 43rd ($3.8 billion)
15. Munjal ranked 46th ($3.2 billion)
16. Hiranandani ranked 47th ($3.1 billion)
17. Hamied ranked 50th ($2.9 billion)
Modi calls Bihar foes 'Grand Selfish Alliance'
AURANGABAD, (IANS) Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on
Friday termed the Grand
Alliance of the Congress, JDU and RJD in Bihar as
'Mahaswar th Bandhan'
(Grand Selfish Alliance).
"The Grand Alliance in Bihar
is a 'Mahaswar th Bandhan'.
They ruled Bihar for 60 years
but they did not create jobs,"
Modi told an election rally
here. He said RJD leader
Lalu Prasad, Chief Minister
Nitish Kumar and Congress
president Sonia Gandhi did
not give accounts of what
they had done for Bihar in the
past 60 years.
"They are accountable to the
people of Bihar. They only
know how to abuse me. They
sit with the dictionary in the
morning to look for abusive
words. Even the dictionaries
have exhausted. Now they
have opened a 'factory of
abuses' for me," he added.
Taking a dig at Nitish Kumar, he
said: "Earlier Nitishji had termed
Lalu Raj as Jungle Raj. Why is
he not doing it now?"
Referring to the Bihar
assembly elections star ting
on Monday, Modi said: "This
is not about who comes to
power and who doesn't. This
is an election to decide the
future of Bihar, who will take
Bihar to greater heights, and
who will bring about a
change in the future of the
youth. "This is an election to
establish Bihar's position on
the world map. This time the
youth has taken upon the
responsibility of changing the
fate of Bihar," he added.
NEW DELHI, (IANS) In the first of its kind action, Delhi Chief
Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday publicly sacked Food Minister Asim Ahmed Khan for allegedly demanding bribes from a
builder, sending a strong signal that AAP government won't tolerate corruption.
Announcing this at a hurriedly-called press conference where
he played an audio tape of a conversation purpor tedly involving
the builder, Khan and a middleman, Kejriwal said he won't tolerate corruption. "We won't tolerate any corruption, even if it is by
our ministers or legislators," said Kejriwal, flanked by Deputy
Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and official spokesman Nagendar
Sharma. "I'll not spare any minister, any legislator, even my son
or even Manish. Strict action will be taken against anyone involved in corruption," he said, also asking Sisodia not to spare
him if he himself indulged in corruption.
"Even if we have to give the biggest sacrifice, we will not compromise on corruption. We are keeping a vigil on everyone," he
said. The Aam Aadmi Par ty (AAP) leader said the case was
being referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Later,
Kejriwal tweeted that the matter was sent to the agency. Hours
after being removed, Khan said he was shocked.
"I am shocked and surprised. I was asked to resign and I have.
There is a conspiracy behind it. I will reveal it," he told repor ters. Kejriwal also announced that par ty legislator Imran Hussain
will replace Khan, who was also the environment minister, in
the cabinet.
"I don't think that such action has ever been taken. We have done
it. Now BJP should remove Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Vasundhra
Raje," he said, daring the Bharatiya Janata Par ty (BJP) to remove Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh chief ministers accused
of alleged impropriety in the Lalit Modi case and the Vyapam
scam respectively. Kejriwal, who began the press conference
by saying that the AAP was born from an anti-corruption movement and was "forced to contest elections. We had dreamt of a
corruption-free India. And we had said we will not compromise
on corruption at any cost," he said.
Still keeping the media guessing, Kejriwal said the step "we are
going to take is a solid step" -- and then announced Khan's sacking. He said an audio tape given to him on Thursday established
the claim of the complainant that the minister demanded Rs.6
lakh from the builder for allowing illegal construction in his Matia
Mahal constituency in old Delhi. "Prima facie it seems the matter is serious...We cannot tolerate this."
In the audio tape released to the media, Khan could be heard
telling the person on the other line that he became late because
of a meeting which lasted for four hours. The conversation was
in Hindi. "I was really worried where to keep this," the unidentified person is heard on the phone. "Meet in 10-15 minutes in
front of Moti Mahal," Khan is heard telling the person. "This is 6,
should I give the date six," the man asks. "Meet Iqbal there and
give," the minister answers.
In another conversation, Khan is heard haggling over the money.
Khan is the second minister to bow out of the AAP government in
disgrace. Then law minister Jitender Singh Tomar resigned under pressure in June after being arrested for allegedly faking his
educational degree. "If we can remove our minister, then we can
take action against anyone," Kejriwal said on Friday.
Hindus, Muslims should fight
poverty, not each other: Modi
DESK REPORT
NEW DELHI - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday
broke his silence on the Dadri lynching over alleged beef eating.
Addressing a par ty rally in Bihar, he said that it was time to put
an end to communal politics. "Every community needs to live
together. Hindus and Muslims should decide whether they want
to fight against each other or against pover ty," Modi said at a
rally in Nawada, Bihar.
The PM said President Pranab Mukherjee's message has shown
us the way. Speaking on Wednesday in the backdrop of the Dadri
lynching incident, the President had said that the core values of
diversity, tolerance and plurality of Indian civilisation must be
kept in mind and cannot be allowed to be wasted. "I firmly believe that we cannot allow the core values of our civilisation to
be wasted and the core values are what over the years the
civilisation celebrated diversity, promoted and advocated tolerance, endurance and plurality," Mukherjee said.
Stressing that "we should put an end to communal politics",
Modi appealed to everyone "not to listen to hate speeches". He
fur ther said that the nation must stay united.The PM and
President's remarks came in the wake of lynching of a 50-yearold Muslim man in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh by an enraged mob over
rumours that he had stored and consumed beef, which has
sparked an outrage across the country.
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MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
TERROR ATTACK THWARTED
IN MOSCOW
MOSCOW, (IANS) Russia's National Anti-terrorist Committee
said it foiled a terror attack in Moscow and detained a group of
suspects, a spokesperson for the committee said on Sunday.
A self-made explosive device was found and now rendered harmless
in a residential house, the TASS news agency reported citing a spokesperson of the committee.
The suspects were detained in an apartment in Strelbishchenky
Pereulok in Moscow's central administrative district.
According to preliminary estimates, the bomb's explosive yield might
exceed four kgs of TNT, TASS said, quoting an unnamed source.
The source added that more than 120 residents in the area have been
evacuated, and gas supplies have been cut off to prevent a possible explosion. Police were patrolling the area.
Putin rules out possibility of
ground operations in Syria
FLOODED ROAD AFTER HEAVY RAINS IN DHAKA, CAPITAL OF BANGLADESH (IANS).
Turkey twin blasts toll rises to 95
ANKARA, (IANS) The toll in the deadly twin explosions that
rocked the Turkish capital Ankara ahead of a peace rally has
risen to 95 with more among the over 200 injured dying, the
prime minister's office announced on Sunday.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has declared a threeday national mourning and accused four outlawed organisations
as possible suspects of the country's largest terror tragedy
ever, Hurriyet Daily News repor ted.
"The organisations that possess such a capacity are obvious,"
he said during a press meeting in Ankara.
The four organisations he hinted at were the Islamic State (IS),
the Kurdistan Workers' Par ty (PKK), along with two "Leftist"
organisations, namely, the Revolutionar y People's Liberation
Par ty-Front (DHKP-C) and the Mar xist-Leninist Communist
Par ty (MLKP).
The explosions occurred on Saturday near the main train station
of the city where People's Democratic Par ty (HDP) suppor ters
were gathering to hold a rally to protest the conflict between the
state and outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Par ty (PKK) fighters in
southeast Turkey. According to Health Minister Mehmet
Muezzionglu, a total of 246 people were under treatment, 48 of
them in intensive care.
Nine policemen were also injured.
However, no organisation has claimed responsibility for the
attack so far.
The rally was organised by several unions, civic society
organisations and pro-Kurdish People's Democracy Par ty
(HDP) to demand an end to the violence between the Kurdish
separatist PKK militants and the Turkish government.
Violence has escalated sharply in Turkey, with the PKK stepping
up attacks on security forces.
An HDP rally in the city of Diyarbakir was bombed in June,
ahead of general elections in which the par ty entered parliament for the first time. In July, a suicide bombing by suspected
IS militants on a gathering of socialist youth activists in the
town of Suruc on the Syrian border killed at least 30 people.
MOSCOW, (IANS) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday ruled
out the possibility of sending Russian troops for ground operations in
war-torn Syria.
"This is out of the question," Putin was quoted by the RIA Novosti news
agency as saying in an interview with the Rossiya-24 TV channel.
He said Russia is not going to do this no matter what happens, and
"our Syrian friends know about it".
In response to allegations from Western countries and media that the
Russian air campaign in Syria has not targeted the Islamic State (IS)
and has led to civilian casualties, the Russian leader retorted that
Russia conducted enough reconnaissance before launching the
counter-terror attacks, Xinhua news agency reported.
"We have continuously carried out aerial and space reconnaissance,
comparing the data we obtained from different sources," he said.
He added that Moscow notified the US and other partners of its intentions and plans in Syira beforehand.
IRAN SUCCESSFULLY TESTS
LONG-RANGE MISSILE
TEHRAN, (IANS) Iran on Sunday successfully test-fired a longrange missile, state Defence Minister Hossein Dehqan said.
Designed and manufactured by Iranian exper ts, the missile
named "Emad" is "Iran's first long-range missile that can be
guided and controlled until hitting the target," Dehghan said.
It is able to destroy the targets with high precision, the Iranian
minister said without fur ther details on the technical specifications and range of the missile, Xinhua news agency repor ted.
"Iran will never seek anybody's permission for enhancement of
its deterrent power and missile capabilities," he added. Iran
has the largest ballistic missile arsenal in the Middle East and
has developed a 2,000-km missile.
80 PERTOSA DRIVE, UNIT 12,
BRAMPTON ONT., L6X 5E9
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Bombed Afghan hospital
rejects US funds for damages
NEPAL'S NEWLY ELECTED PRIME MINISTER KHADGA PRASHAD OLI (C, FRONT) WAVES HANDS AFTER ELECTION IN KATHMANDU (IANS).
INDIA RENEWS CALLS FOR URGENT
REFORMS IN IMF, WORLD BANK
LIMA, (IANS) India has reiterated its call for quota reforms in the World Bank
and International Monetary Fund, a top official said on Sunday. "India called
for governance reforms in both institutions to reflect growing share of developing countries in global GDP," tweeted economic affairs secretary Shaktikanta
Das, who attended the IMF-World Bank annual meetings here. "Both institutions highly appreciative of policy steps of India," he said. Addressing the
plenary session of the IMF-World Bank meeting, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
had voiced strong reservation to unprecedented delay in implementing the
quota reform of the IMF, saying the organisation will be constrained in meeting its obligations in absence of governance reforms.
Underlining India's is commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
2030, Das said: "India stressed that developed countries' contribution to
climate finance should be from new and additional sources."
Addressing the meeting of G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors in the Peruvian capital on Thursday, Jaitley called for unconventional
ways to raise funds in the current context achieve the UN Sustainable Devel-
opment Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The secretary also said the developed nations' think tank, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), in a presentation, appreciated India's contribution to new initiatives in international taxation like on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS).
"In a presentation, OECD appreciated India's contribution to new initiatives in
international taxation like BEPS project," Das said. Earlier at the Commonwealth finance ministers meeting here, Jaitley had welcomed the final guidelines on BEPS issued by OECD, which has also developed the common
reporting standards.
The Indian finance minister also reiterated the need for global implementation of reciprocal information exchange under common reporting standards
to tackle the menace of tax evasion and black money.
Earlier this week, the Paris-based OECD unveiled measures, including country-by-country reporting, a framework to end treaty shopping and curbing
harmful tax practices through automatic exchange of information, in an effort
to bring transparency in international taxation norms for companies.
Sharif to raise Indian ceasefire violations issue with US
ISLAMABAD, (IANS) Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will take up the matter of Indian alleged ceasefire violations alongside the Line of
Control (LoC) and working boundary with US leadership in his upcoming trip to US on October 17, said a statement.
It was decided during a a high profile meeting at prime ministers house here. Sharif, while chairing the meeting held to discuss his
upcoming trip to US, said "the visit would help in fur ther promoting the bilateral relationship between the two countries." The meeting
focused on deliberations regarding the issues of mutual interest between Pakistan and US, said a statement.
The prime minister expressed hope that the visit will also provide Pakistan with an oppor tunity to highlight the matchless sacrifices and
huge losses during the war on terror. "Both sides will discuss bilateral cooperation on a wide range of issues, including the ceasefire
violations alongside the LoC and working boundary by India, Pakistan's effor ts for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan, the regional
security situation and the steps to counter IS presence in the region," the statement stated. The government maintained that "US is an
impor tant par tner of Pakistan in all areas especially economy, defence and counter-terrorism." Sharif believes that Pakistan sees its
relations with the US as a par tnership which was in the interest of the two countries, the region and the world, the statement added.
KABUL, (IANS) Doctors Without Borders (MSF) announced on Monday
the organisation will not accept any funds or aid from the American
government to rebuild its hospital that was bombed by the US in the
Afghanistan's Kunduz city.
"MSF's longstanding policy is to not accept funding from any governments for its work in Afghanistan and other conflicts around the world.
This policy allows us to work independently and without taking sides,"
the organisation said in a statement.
The Pentagon announced on October 10 that it has the authority to make
payments for the reparation of the hospital, bombed by US military on
October 3, under its emergency response programme. It resulted in the
death of 22 people, including 12 MSF staff.
The US Department of Defense also expressed its intention of making
"condolence payments" to "civilian non-combatants injured and the
families of civilian non-combatants killed as a result of US military
operations". As for condolence money, MSF claimed it has "not received
any details of the compensation announced by the Pentagon," but warned the
compensation will not "pre-empt the result of present and future investigations." MSF reiterated its call for an independent investigation, as it has
questioned the impartiality of the probe launched by the Pentagon, which will
publish its preliminary conclusions in a month. The Pentagon admitted the
hospital bombing was an error. The hospital, the only one offering traumatology and surgery services in the entire region, was partially destroyed and is now non-operational.
Infectious diseases killed
1,433 in China in September
BEIJING, (IANS) A total of 1,433 people died from infectious diseases in China in September, with HIV/AIDS the top cause of death,
according to figures released by the health authority on Saturday.
Last month, 1,172 people living with HIV/AIDS died, according to a
statement on the National Health and Family Planning Commission's
website. The second highest cause of death was tuberculosis, which
killed 148 people, reported Xinhua.
In total, 585,322 tested positive for infectious disease last month, according to the statement. Among them, two cases of cholera were
reported but neither resulted in casualties. Plague and cholera are categorized as Class A infectious diseases, the most serious. In addition,
there were 299,542 Class B cases. Hepatitis, tuberculosis, syphilis,
dysentery and gonorrhea accounted for 92 percent of cases in this category, the statement said. It added that category C infectious diseases claimed
nine lives last month. Foot-and-mouth disease, infectious diarrhoea and
mumps were the most frequently reported illnesses.
China, US to expand military ties
BEIJING, (IANS) The Chief of General Staff of the Chinese People's
Liberation Army, General Fang Fenghui met US Deputy Secretary
of State Tony Blinken on Thursday in Beijing, pledging to jointly
advance the new type of military relationship between both countries. Fang said Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President
Barack Obama made clear the right direction of the development
of bilateral ties in their meeting in late September, Xinhua repor ted. Fang said the two sides need to make joint effor ts to
implement well the consensus reached by the two leaders on the
new model of major-country relations, which is based on mutual
respect and win-win cooperation, and fur ther advance the new
type of military relationship between China and the US.
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MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
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Priyanka 'most
sensational celebrity'
in Indian cyberspace
ALIA BHATT, MALAIKA ARORA KHAN AND CHOREOGRAPHER GANESH HEGDE AT THE SUPER FINALE OF DIKHHLA JAA RELOADED
IN MUMBAI (IANS).
Mahira and I will look good in 'Raees': SRK
MUMBAI, (IANS) Pakistani actress Mahira Khan
will sail into the world of Bollywood with "Raees"
opposite Shah Rukh Khan. The superstar believes
that they will make a good on-screen couple in
their for thcoming crime-thriller. The 49-year-old
reassured Mahira, known for playing the role of
Khirad in popular Pakistani show "Humsafar",
after she exclaimed "@iamsrk Uffff!You both, Uff"
after seeing the latest still of Shah Rukh's next
"Dilwale" with Kajol.
"@TheMahiraKhan just saw your tweet. 'Uff' we
will look good in 'Raees' too. Hope all is well with
you and family," Shah Rukh tweeted. Mahira also
evinced her hopes in the movie. She said:
"@iamsrk Uff, taking your word for it
Gaangstakhan! All is well, hope you and family
are well too".
The Rahul Dholakia directorial, which also stars
Nawazuddin Siddiqui, is set in the 1980s Gujarat,
and tells the story of a bootlegger whose business
is thwar ted by a tough policeman. SRK will be
seen as a liquor baron. The film will release on
Eid next year, along with Salman Khan's "Sultan".
BRAZILIAN FOOTBALL LEGEND PELE WITH INDIAN CRICKETER AND CO-OWNER OF ATLETICO DE KOLKATA (ATK) SOURAV GANGULY
AND INDUSTRIALIST AND ATLETICO DE KOLKATA (ATK) CO-OWNER DURING A PRESS CONFERENCE IN KOLKATA (IANS).
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actress Priyanka Chopra, who made her international TV
debut with American thriller series "Quantico", has replaced Alia Bhatt to top
the list of "most sensational celebrity" as cyber crooks are using her name to
lure netizens to malicious websites, security software company Intel Security has announced. In its ninth edition this year, Intel Security Most Sensational Celebrity survey has found Priyanka topping the charts in Indian
cyberspace, followed by Shraddha Kapoor, Kapil Sharma, Jacqueline
Fernandez and Kangana Ranaut. The software company researched popular
culture's most famous people to reveal the riskiest celebrity across the web and
this year, Priyanka came at the top, read a statement. "Cyber criminals keep a
lookout for ways to take advantage of consumer interest around popular culture
events including award shows, TV show premieres, film music launches, celebrity breakups, and more. The research
found this year that almost
11.47 per cent of all links generated while evaluating the top ten celebrity
names led to
malware ridden or suspicious sites," the
statement said. "At Intel Security, our endeavor is to educate and empower consumers
to stay safe online. For the ninth
consecutive year,
our initiative highlights the
problem of
risky websites," he added.
Among
other celebrities whose names
were
added to the list of top 10 includes Hrithik Roshan at
sixth position, Deepika
Padukone,
Emraan
Hashmi and Sunny Leone
having a tie at seventh
position, Alia at eighth
position and Aamir
Khan and Kareena
Kapoor Khan
at ninth
a n d
10th
position
respectively.
INDIAN HOCKEY JUNIORS
TROUNCE PAKISTAN 5-1
JOHOR BAHRU (MALAYSIA), (IANS) India trounced traditional
rivals Pakistan 5-1 to make an emphatic star t to their title defence of the 5th Sultan of Johor Cup junior hockey tournament
here on Sunday. Ajay Yadav (fifth minute), Sumit Kumar (23rd),
Armaan Qureshi (27th), Parvinder Singh (34th) and Santa Singh
(45th) scored for the defending champions, who put up a completely dominating show.
The onset of the game saw the Indians going immediately on the
attack, not wanting to waste any time and in the fifth minute,
India scored their first goal Ajay made the most of a clean pass
inside the circle, giving no chance to the Pakistani goalkeeper
to react.
With the initial goal, India intensified their attack fur ther, keeping the Pakistan defence busy all through. Mid way into the first
half, India were awarded their first penalty corner but the opportunity was missed as the Pakistan goalkeeper cleared the danger.
Pakistan counter attacked and were given a penalty corner, but
they were unable to capitalise as the Indian goalkeeper was
aler t and in control.
In the counter-attack, vice-captain Dipsan Tirkey passed the
ball from the left flank to Sumit who was right in front of the goal
box and made no mistake in finding the nets in the 23rd minute.
Four minutes later, Harmanpreet Singh hit the ball into the opponents D and Parvinder Singh received it before passing it to
Qureshi, who completed the job cleanly, giving India a 3-0 lead.
While Pakistan were trying to get some rhythm back, India had
another game plan as they ventured to add another goal right
before going into the break. It was in the 34th minute when
Parvinder through a brilliant field goal took the scorecard to 4-0.
18
MidWeek
bollywood
Movie Review
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
hollywood
TOM CRUISE NOT INVITED
TO DAUGHTER'S WEDDING
LOS ANGELES, (IANS) Hollywood actor Tom Cruise didn't attend his adopted daughter Isabella Cruise's secret wedding
last month because he didn't get any invitation, sources have
said. According to sources, Tom covered the bill for the
couple's nuptials and par ty which took place at the fancy
schmancy Dorchester hotel, repor ts tmz.com.
Multiple sources told the website that Isabella and her nowhusband Max Parker wanted a low-key wedding with a small
circle of friends only. Hence, both of them didn't invite their
parents. It explained why her mother Nicole Kidman, who
was in London at the time the wedding took place, didn't attend the wedding either.
Though Nicole wasn't invited, she was "overjoyed" at her
daughter's new union. Regarding the couple's decision to
limit their guest list, the "Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation"
actor was repor tedly cool with it.
RFAN
RAI BACHCHAN, IR
CAST: AISHWARYA
MI, CHANDAN ROY
KHAN, SHABANA AZ
ROFF
LKARNI, JACKIE SH
SANYAL, ATUL KU
AND SARA ARJUN
GUPTA
DIRECTOR: SANJAY
***1/2
JAZBAA' - STYLISHLY THRILLING
BY TROY RIBEIRO
Anuradha Varma (Aishwar ya Rai Bachchan) is a successful
criminal lawyer whose life turns topsy-turvy when her young
daughter Sanaya (Sara Arjun) is kidnapped suddenly. As
ransom, she is compelled to handle the case of a murderer
and rapist Niyaaz (Chandan Roy Sanyal) and has to ensure he
walks out free.
Loaded with grey characters, "Jazbaa" is the transformation of
a confident criminal lawyer into a helpless and frustrated
mother, tr ying to rescue her daughter from her kidnappers.
Aishwarya, seen on screen after a long hiatus, has a pivotal
role, which she fits to per fection. Confident, erudite as a
lawyer, she por trays the anguish of a single mother searching
for her daughter with equal ease and aplomb.
Irr fan as Inspector Yohan, who is Anuradha's childhood friend,
delivers one of his best per formances. His character is multifaceted: quirky, emotional, caring, efficient and corrupt.
Cumulatively, these make his character interesting and
endearing.
Convicted for the rape and murder of Siya, daughter of professor Garima Chowdhary (Shabana Azmi), Chandan Roy Sanyal
as Niyaaz manages to look the par t of a dodgy and brazen
criminal, but tends to overdo his character in cer tain scenes.
Veteran actor Shabana Azmi with her commanding presence
on screen, essays her character of an anguished mother, who
has lost her daughter, brilliantly. Her balanced por trayal,
juxtaposed with emotional but controlled outbursts, is a treat to
watch. Jackie Shroff as Mahesh Maklai, an ambitious and
ruthless politician, is competent, but adds nothing new to this
oft-seen character. Siddhanth Kapoor as Sam Maklai, son of
Mahesh Maklai, fails to impress even though he tries to bring
histrionics to the screen in the bit role he has. Atul Kulkarni, as
the public prosecutor, merely mouths dialogues and delivers
those well, as expected of an actor of his calibre. But it's just
another lawyer in a Hindi film. There is no nuance to his flat
character.
The taut and well written screenplay, although inspired by a
Korean film, "Sebeun Deijeu", meaning "Seven Days", is
cleverly layered, giving the film an intrigue factor throughout.
Never once is there a dull moment and the film keeps you
riveted to the screen. "Mohabbat hai, isliye to jaane diya. Zidd
hoti, to meri bahon mein hoti" and "Race or case dono peecha
nahin chodte." Many such dialogues in the film are dramatically
poetic, sharp and hard-hitting. Others with their sardonic tinge,
elicit a chuckle or two in some scenes.
The music is subtly and cleverly used and there are no unwarranted song sequences to break the uninterrupted viewing
experience. "Jane tere sheher ka kya irada hai", sung by Vipin
Aneja, is soulful and touches your hear t. Cinematographer
Sameer Arya's camera work is flawless and he adroitly captures the mood of the scene in a stylised manner. Bunty Nagi's
editing is praisewor thy as he has seamlessly layered the film.
"Jazbaa" is a well made, stylish action-drama, with good performances, strong screenplay and distinctive cinematography. However,
the picture-perfect designing of the film is over-egged, giving the film a
glossy, albeit, synthetic and unreal look. With ample thrill and
enter tainment, this one is a good weekend watch.
SHAHID KAPOOR'S INSOMNIA TALES
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actor Shahid Kapoor, who launched "Neend na mujhko aaye" -- a remixed version of the 1950s song -- which has
been used in his new film "Shaandaar", says he used to find solace in the company of his friends when he suffered sleepless
nights. The iconic song "Neend na mujhko aaye" originally featured in the 1958 film "Post Box 999". Its recreated version for
"Shaandaar" has a quirky tinge.
The track about "lack of sleep" was launched on Thursday night with Shahid, Alia Bhatt and director Vikas Bahl at a coffee shop here.
"Insomnia is something people are yet to identify in common people. It's a big problem today, especially in big cities. Being an
insomniac, I used to hang out at late night with my other friends who also face the same problem," Shahid shared with repor ters.
Director Vikas Bahl said the idea about "Shaandaar" had an interesting origin. "We thought let's make a fun movie about weddings, song
and dance. And then we thought the movie should have a story. So one night I was thinking and going through my phone. And that's where
I realised that most of the people are awake in night and keep posting (on social media) about being awake.
Demi Lovato previews actionpacked video for new single
LOS ANGELES, (IANS) Singer Demi Lovato is getting ready to
unveil an official music video for her new single "Confident".
Ahead of its release on Friday, Lovato let fans take a peek into
the upcoming visuals via some teaser clips shared on her
Twitter page over the weekend, repor ts aceshowbiz.com.
In one preview unveiled on her Twitter page, she looks fierce
in a black tank top while spor ting messy hair. #Confident is
coming. Video premiere Oct. 9th!" Lovato wrote on the microblogging website. Another snippet arriving through star
Marriott Rewards' Twitter account offers glimpses at the 23year-old singer as she takes down some bad guys.
For her new music video, Lovato has hired famed director
Rober t Rodriguez and Michelle Rodriguez. "So honored to be
working w these 2 badasses: the legendary director
@Rodriguez & the legendary actress @MRodOfficial!" she
said of the filmmaker and
the actor in a Twitter
post when announcing their
involvement
last week.
MIDWEEK BOX
OFFICE REPORT
SINGH IS BLING
KIS KISKO PYAAR KAROUN
KATTI BATTI
TALVAR
JAZBAA
100 CR
50 CR
35 CR
15 CR
10 CR
top
10
songs
SONG
FILM: SINGH IS
BLIING
1
TUNG TUNG
BAJE
FILM
MAIN HOON HERO TERA
HERO
AFGHAN JALEBI
PHANTOM
NACHAN FARRATE
ALL IS WELL
AAJ KI PARTY
BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN
SELFIE LE LE RE
BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN
MEET ME DAILY BABY
WELCOME BACK
NACHDA
PHANTOM
SARFIRA
KATTI BATTI
YADAAN TERIYAAN
HERO
HIT OR FLOP MIDWEEK
JIMMY SHERGILL AND MAHIE GILL DURING PROMOTION OF A FILM AT BANGLA SAHIB GURDWARA IN NEW DELHI (IANS).
SINGH IS BLIING
BLOCKBUSTER
TALVAR
AVERAGE
KIS KISKO PYAAR KAROUN AVERAGE
KATTI BATTI
AVERAGE
JAZBAA
AVERAGE
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER
AUGUST 28,
13,2012
2015
bollywood
MidWeek
19
Indian, Pakistani actors to come
together for Mahesh Bhatt play
NEW DELHI, (IANS) After Ghulam Ali's concer t was cancelled
in Mumbai, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt is coming up with a play
titled "Milne Do", a collaborative effor t of theatre actors from
India and Pakistan.
Bhatt's play will be on an intense love story between two culturally crossed individuals during times of hatred.
'Milne do' will be staged on April 24 at Shri Ram Centre here
before it travels to other cities of India and Pakistan.
"Laal Band" from Pakistan has composed the music and will
perform live during the play.
The story has been written by the writer of "Hamari Adhuri
Kahani", Suhrita.
"For me, hope of peace is not just a few pictures and ar ticles in
newspapers but respecting, communicating with each other the
way we are," actor Imran Zahid, who is par t of the play, said in
a statement.
"I think that represents how educated we are, how liberal we
are, how we want to work together and create peace and harmony," Zahid said.
"We firmly believe that when everything fails to conver t bitter
hostile diplomatic relations between the two arch rivals, ar t
and culture perhaps is the only genre that can do wonders," he
added.
"Milne Do" will be directed by Happy Ranajit, who also directed
the play, "A Straight Proposal".
ALIA BHATT AND SHAHID KAPOOR AT THE PROMOTION OF THEIR UPCOMING MOVIE SHANDAAR IN MUMBAI (IANS).
B-TOWN WISHES BIG B
ON HIS 73RD BIRTHDAY
MUMBAI, (IANS) As megastar Amitabh Bachchan turned 73 on
Sunday, tinsel town celebrities like Rishi Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit,
Karan Johar and Anupam Kher took to Twitter to wish "the indisputable superstar of the country".
Honoured with Padma Vibhushan, the country's highest civilian
honour, and Knight of the Legion of Honour by France for his
exceptional career in the world of cinema, Big B has starred in
films like "Deewar", "Zanjeer", "Sholay", "Don", "Black", "Sarkar",
"Agneepath", "Paa" and "Shamitabh" in his illustrious career.
He was last seen on the silver screen in Shoojit Sircar's "Piku", and
will next be seen in Bejoy Nambiar's "Wazir", which is slated to
release on December 4.
Here is what the B-Town tweeted:
Rishi kapoor: Bir thday wishes to Amitji on this day. I erred by
wishing him day before. A true role model for all!
Madhuri Dixit-Nene: Here's wishing @SrBachchan a very Happy
Bir thday. Thank you for always being an inspiration.
#HBDAmitabhBachchan
Karan Johar: Happy bir thday to the father of the fraternity...the
indisputable superstar of the country...a legend...@SrBachchan
Farah Khan: Happy Birthday to the true Rock Star!@SrBachchan ..
Keep rocking Amitji
Anupam Kher: Happy birthday @SrBachchan Ji. May you have a
long, happy and peaceful life. Love and regards always.
Shahid Kapoor: Happy bir thday to the legend @SrBachchan. Thank
you sir for being such an inspiration.
Prakash Jha: @SrBachchan Sir many happy returns of the day!
Wish you a long, happy and fulfilling life! God bless!
Kapil Sharma: Happy bir thday legend @SrBachchan keep
trying...One day you will learn how to pout... Hahahahaha...Love
and regards
Shilpa Shetty Kundra: On the sets with @srbachchan, he has an
aura about him that makes every hear t skip a beat, mine too.
Bipasha Basu: Happy Bir thday to the coolest, the most charming,
actor extraordinaire - the
legend, @SrBachchan Love you
Sir!
Sidhar th Malhotra: My inspiration, an institution, a legend!
Happy 73rd Bir thday
@SrBachchan sir love and
respect.
Parineeti Chopra: Happy
bir thday to the most humble
legend @SrBachchan! So much
to learn from you sir. All the
health, happiness and success
to you!
Alia Bhatt: Happy bir thday to
our biggest inspiration, the
coolest and probably the
definition of "Epic"
@SrBachchan!
Divya Dutta: @SrBachchan to
sir with love... Many many
happy returns of the day.
Ehsaan Noorani: A Very Happy
Bir thday to you sir
@SrBachchan.
Sajid Khan: Happy bir thday to a
living legend
@SrBachchan...have a great
one sir!
Rohit Roy: Happy bir thday Amit
ji...Have a happy and healthy
year ahead.. Love and warmth..
@SrBachchan
Ken Ghosh: Wishing the one!
The only! @SrBachchan a very
very happy bir thday!
Sujoy Ghosh: happy bir thday
@SrBachchan... you remain the
undisputed Guru.
Manish Paul: Happy bir thday
@SrBachchan sir...I am also
cutting a cake to celebrate your
bir thday! Love you sir
Shirish Kunder: Wish you a very
Happy Bir thday, @SrBachchan
sir! Regards
Salman's chalet at 'Bigg Boss
Nau' gets superhero twist
MUMBAI, (IANS) Superstar Salman Khan will have a 'superhero' themed-chalet for "Bigg Boss Nau", which has been
customised according to the "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" actor's choices
and requirements.
Strategically located next to the Â"Bigg Boss NauÂ" house, the
chalet, which is designed by Subhajyoti Datta, will boast of
many fascinating features like a sprawling living room, wellequipped kitchen and personalized bedroom.
Â"Home is where the hear t is and I wanted to ensure that
Salman Sir feels at home on 'Bigg Boss Nau' set. I wanted to
fill the house with elements which encapsulate SalmanÂ's
endearing yet strong personality and that is how we came
up with the superhero theme,Â" Datta said in a statement.
As soon as you step inside the chalet, there will be a large
poster of SalmanÂ's Â'DevilÂ' avatar from his movie "Kick"
creating a strong visual of the actorÂ's many roles.
The living room will be seen with impressions of various
superhero characters like Superman, Spiderman, Ironman,
Batman, and Hulk add to the allure of the room.
Salman's bedroom will showcase a collage of pictures of
cherished times spent with his family members, including
his parents and siblings, over the years. The ninth edition of
the controversial reality TV show Â"Bigg BossÂ" will air
from Sunday.
Happy Bir thday: B-Town wishes 'ageless', 'inspiring' Rekha
Mumbai, Oct 10 (IANS) Rekha turned 61 on Saturday and
Bollywood took to Twitter to wish the evergreen actress.
While some called her "ageless", others find inspiration in
her.
Known for her roles in films like "Muqaddar Ka Sikandar",
"Khubsoorat", "Silsila","Utsav", "Khoon Bhari Maang", she
has also received the Padma Shri, India four th highest civilian honour. She was last seen in Amitabh Bachchan starrer
"Shamitabh".
Here is what they tweeted:
Aishwaryaa.R.Dhanush: Wow!so many bir thday babies!happy
bday@ssrajamouli
sir,ageless
gorgeous
aunty#Rekha,@latasrinivasan,#vadivelu sir n my baby
#yaathra.
Rishi Kapoor: Rekha Rani badi siyani! Wish you a very Happy
Bir thday. God Bless you with loads of happiness! Much much
love- US
Shabana Azmi: Happy bir thday dear dear Rekha. May you shine
on..lots of love
Sonali Kulkarni: Happy Bir thday to the evergreen & inspiring
Rekha ji. Wishing you best of the best.
Yami Gautam: A very Happy Bir thday to the stunning Bollywood
Legend, Rekha! We hope you have a great one!
Rakhi Sawant: Happy B'day Rekha Ji #Rekha
'PYAAR KA PUNCHNAMA 2'
DEBUTANTE WANTS
SALMAN'S BLESSINGS
NEW DELHI, (IANS) Actor Omkar Kapoor, who is making his
debut as a lead actor in for thcoming film "Pyaar Ka Punchnama
2", says he wants to show the Luv Ranjan directorial to veteran
actors Anil Kapoor, Sridevi and Bollywood superstar Salman
Khan, with whom he has worked as a child ar tiste earlier.
Omkar has done films like "Mela", "Hero No 1", "Masoom",
"Judaai" and "Judwaa" as a child actor. He was seen in "Judaai"
as Anil and Sridevi's son and in "Judwaa", he played younger
version of Salman. He was also a par t of popular song "Chotta
bacha jaan ke humko". With "Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2", he's
making his debut as a grown up.
"'Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2' is my first film as a lead actor and I'm
extremely excited about it. I have always been passionate about
acting and star ted my career at a very young age," Omkar said
in a statement. "I had taken a pause in the middle to complete
my studies and here I'm with 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2', which is
a very special film for me. I wish to show it to Anil sir, Sridevi
ma'am, and Salman bhai.
"I am a huge admirer of them and would love to know their
views and seek their blessings," he added. "Pyaar Ka
Punchnama 2", which also stars Kar tik Aar yan, Nushrat
Bharucha, Ishita Sharma, Sonalli Sehgal and Sunny Singh Nijjar,
is a sequel of 2011 film "Pyaar Ka Punchnama". The film is
slated to release on October 16.
20
MidWeek
bollywood
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
WANT TO DO BIOPIC ON
NAZIA HASAN: ALIA BHATT
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actress Alia Bhatt says she would love to do
a biopic film where she can explore herself more as an actor
and the person that comes to her mind is Pakistani singer Nazia
Hasan. "I did not think much about it but I think I should do it
now," Alia told reporters here at a media interaction.
"I would love to do biopic on Pakistani pop sensation Nazia
Hasan who died very early in her age. She was a singer and I
am a singer too, so it will be interesting," she added. There are
many filmmakers who are making biopic on several personalities from different walks of life. From "Dhoni" starring Sushant
Singh Rajput, "Azhar" starring Emraan Hashmi, "Dangal" starring Aamir Khan, "Rani Laxmibai" starring Kangana Ranaut, the
list is endless.
Consider Shahrukh, Salman my
co-actors, not stars; excited to
work with Big B: Nawazuddin
FDCI PRESIDENT SUNIL SETHI, ACTRESSES DEEPTI NAVAL AND SOHA ALI KHAN AND FASHION DESIGNER SANJAY GARG
DURING A PRESS MEET AT THE AMAZON INDIA FASHION WEEK 2015 IN NEW DELHI (IANS).
HRITHIK ROSHAN TO TEACH
'WORLD'S LARGEST LESSON'
NEW DELHI, (IANS) "Bang Bang!" star Hrithik Roshan has been announced as India ambassador for Unicef and the Global Goals
campaign's World's Largest Lesson.
The actor has joined other celebrities to invite young students to use
their superpower to help protect our planet and achieve the global
goals' mission to end pover ty and inequality. The World's Largest
Lesson aims to teach children in over 100 countries about the new
Sustainable Development Goals that will be adopted by the UN General Assembly later this month.
The "Krrish" star has joined other international public figures such as
PLAN global ambassador Freida Pinto, Dani Alves, Kolo Touré, Neymar
Jr., and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai. "The World's
Largest Lesson will do more than teach children about the global
goals. It will engage them in the effor t to achieve those goals - educating them about the challenges that are shaping their futures and
encouraging them to drive change in their own communities," Unicef
executive director Anthony Lake said in a statement.
"Young people can help achieve the global goals by holding their
leaders accountable for the promises they are making - and by holding themselves accountable for building a better future for everyone,"
Lake added. The campaign is also suppor ted by Indian NGOs the
Akshaya Patra Foundation and Magic Bus.
FAWAD KHAN 'THRILLED' TO WORK WITH RISHI KAPOOR
MUMBAI, (IANS) Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, who made his Bollywood debut with the 2014 film
"Khoobsurat", says he is "more than thrilled" to work with actor Rishi Kapoor in upcoming romantic drama
film "Kapoor and Sons". While appearing on the TV show "Look Who's Talking with Niranjan - Season 2",
Fawad said he was not a popular student in school or college, instead he was bullied as a child. Hence
this sudden attention from the film industry and his fans is new to him as he never thought of
himself as a good looking man.
He also shared that his favourite co-star from "Kapoor and Sons" -- which also stars
Sidhar th Malhotra and Alia Bhatt - is Rishi. "As a kid back home in Pakistan, I did not
have access to films so I used to rent VHS tapes and watch movies of Rishi Kapoor.
Hence today I am more than thrilled to work with him," Fawad said in a statement.
The episode of "Look Who's Talking with Niranjan - Season 2" featuring Fawad
Khan will be aired on Sunday on Zee Cafe.
WHO KING KHAN FINDS 'STUNNING'?
MUMBAI, (IANS) Superstar Shah Rukh Khan says his "Dilwale" co-star Kajol looked "stunning" despite a late night shoot, which was
tiring. The 49-year-old star, who has turned all his focus to Rohit Shetty's directorial, took to Twitter to talk about his hectic life and
"Dilwale" team -- actors Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon. "Late night shoot. All tired but was fun. Laughs with happy co-actors. Kajol
looked stunning. Varun dashing. Kriti so pretty. I looked like me," SRK shared. Bollywood's blockbuster director Rohit has managed
a casting coup of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol after the 2010 film "My Name Is Khan". The film is slated to release on December 18.
WHO IS FARHAN AKHTAR'S 'ROCKSTAR'?
MUMBAI, (IANS) Bollywood's multi-faceted talent Farhan Akhtar is gearing up to hit the right notes with "Rock On 2!!", but for him,
tennis star Sania Mirza is the real 'rockstar'. When the tennis star wished him good luck for his shooting schedule for the sequel of
2008 Indian rock music drama in Shillong, Meghalaya with a tweet "@FarOutAkhtar Gooodd luck Farhan", the actor responded:
"@MirzaSania thank you rockstar." Written and directed by debutant filmmaker Shujaat Saudagar, "Rock On 2!!" will see Farhan,
Arjun Rampal, Purab Kohli and Prachi Desai reprising their roles from the original film. Actress Shraddha Kapoor is joining the star
cast to play the lead role along with Farhan for the first time.
'BAJIRAO MASTANI' MILESTONE IN MY LIFE: PRIYANKA CHOPRA
Mumbai, Oct 12 (IANS) Actress Priyanka Chopra, who is starring in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus "Bajirao Mastani", says
the film is a "milestone" in her life. "And it's a film wrap! Being a par t of #BajiraoMastani is a milestone in my life! Thank you Sanjay
Sir for being a dream. Thank you team. Left a par t of me behind," Priyanka wrote on her Instagram page along with an image of the
film's set. The 33-year-old, who is receiving rave reviews for essaying the role of an FBI recruit in the international TV show
"Quantico", will portray the role of Kashibai, the first wife of Peshwa Bajirao, in "Bajirao Mastani". The movie features Ranveer Singh
as Maratha warrior Peshwa Bajirao I, while his love interest Mastani's role is played by Deepika Padukone. "Bajirao Mastani" is
slated to hit the theatres on December 18, 2015.
KARAN JOHAR 'LOVING' THE COLD IN VIENNA
MUMBAI, (IANS) Filmmaker Karan Johar, who is shooting his forthcoming film "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" in Vienna, says he is "loving the
cold" in the picturesque location. "Loving the cold....shoot in beautiful Vienna! #AeDilHaiMushkil," Karan wrote on his Twitter
account. The film is directed by Karan. Produced by Fox Star India and Dharma Productions, "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" will feature
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma in key roles. To be shot across the globe, including locations like
Delhi, New York, London and Paris, the love story dealing with relationships and hear t breaks, will hit the screens on June 3, 2016.
MUMBAI, (IANS) Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who has A-listers of
Bollywood wishing to work with him, says he does not want to
think about the prominence of big stars like Shahrukh Khan
and Salman Khan as he considers them as colleagues when
he is per forming. Nawazuddin, who worked with Salman in
"Bajrangi Bhaijaan" has just completed his first schedule with
Shahrukh Khan for "Raees", in which he plays a policeman.
"When I am on set, Shahrukh and Salman are co actors for me.
If I star t thinking I am working with Salman then as an actor, I
would not be able to improvise the character I am playing.
During shooting, I do not want to think about with whom I am
working as it will corrupt my performance," he told media as
ge shared his experience of working with both the Khans. "I
think as an actor my work is to give the best performance. If I
continue to think about Shahrukh and Salman as stars then I
am not showing the proper respect to their characters as well
as mine. You should be honest at your work," he added.
Siddique, confirming his next project with megastar Amitabh
Bachchan but not disclosing any fur ther details, said he had
never ever dreamed he would get this chance. "I am very much
for tunate to work with Mr. Bachchan. I have never even thought
in my dream that he would wish to work with me. It's a good
luck that I am getting to work with such a big actor in my next
film," he said at an event where he was announced as a brand
ambassador of a premium suiting brand Mayur Suiting.
As per the repor ts it was a request from Big B himself to director Sujoy Ghosh asking the filmmaker to cast him with
Nawazuddin. Ghosh has finally scripted a tale that has both
Amitabh and Nawazuddin in interesting roles. If repor ts are to
be believed the film is titled "Kerala" and is a thriller set in the
south Indian state.
BIG B FEELS NEED TO WORK
'HARDER', REALLY?
MUMBAI, (IANS) He is at the peak of stardom with critical
acclaim and box office numbers on his side, but megastar
Amitabh Bachchan, who has also earned respect in his over
four decade-long career, says he still has a long way to go, for
which he feels the need to put in more hard work.
The 72-year-old, who has delivered acclaimed performances
in movies like "Deewaar", "Agneepath", "Sholay", "Black" and
"Paa", blogged about his thoughts. "Need to sleep...need to get
more energy...need to work harder...need to be there with all
for all by all," shared Big B, who was accorded with Padma
Vibhushan, one of the highest civilian awards of the country,
earlier this year. The actor is balancing his work slate between the big and the small screen. He will be seen in a "neverseen-before" avatar in upcoming TV show "Aaj Ki Raat Hai
Zindagi", and will regale movie-goers with "Wazir" later this
year. Meanwhile, Amitabh will inaugurate two new safari buses
at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park here as par t of his first
engagement as Maharashtra's tiger ambassador.
'Jai Gangaajal' not a sequel,
it's a fresh story: Prakash Jha
NEW DELHI, (IANS) Filmmaker Prakash Jha says his for thcoming film "Jai Gangaajal" can't be called a sequel of his 2003 film
"Gangaajal" as it unfolds a new chapter on the big screen about
society-police relationship, with actress Priyanka Chopra facing new
challenges. Priyanka has donned the khaki uniform for the film, which
will hit the screens on March 4 next year. The movie, which was
earlier named "Gangaajal 2", will narrate the nexus between police,
society and politicians. Jha's "Gangaajal", which featured actor Ajay
Devgn, also revolved around the same topic. The filmmaker asserted that he's revisiting the territory, albeit with a whiff of freshness.
"It can't be a sequel. That was a film, which had a protagonist with a
situation and was complete in itself. 'Jai Gangaajal' is a story of
police-society relationship revisited. I'm telling the story of a policeman, who happens to be from today's time," Jha told IANS over phone
from Mumbai. "What happened with Ajay's character years ago was
completely different and what is happening with Priyanka's character will be different," he added.
New 'Shaandaar' song to be
unveiled at coffee shop
MUMBAI, (IANS) The makers of "Shaandaar" will release the film's
third song "Neend na mujhko aye" -- a remixed version of the Hemant
Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar track from the 1950s -- at a coffee shop here
on Tuesday midnight, in the presence of actors Shahid Kapoor and Alia
Bhatt. Considering the song is based on Shahid and Alia's insomniac
characters, the song captures the mood right and this is why the makers
took a decision launch the song at midnight, said a source. For "Neend na
mujhko aye", "Shaandaar" makers have bought the rights of the popular
song, which was filmed in black and white for the 1958 film "Post Box 999".
The trailer and songs of "Shaandaar", directed by Vikas Bahl, have so far
created the right buzz. The film is releasing on October 22.
HARBHAJAN NAMED AS
STANDBY FOR ASHWIN
KANPUR, (IANS) Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was on
Sunday included in the Indian squad as a standby for regular tweaker
Ravichandran Ashwin who is carrying a side strain. Ashwin strained
himself while bowling his fifth over during the first One day International against South Africa at the Green Park stadium. Virat Kohli finished the over by bowling the last two deliveries. "R. Ashwin has
sustained a left side strain type injury during the first One-day International against South Africa at Green Park, Kanpur. After making a detailed assessment of the injury, the BCCI medical team will confirm the
time frame required for Ashwin to fully recovery from the injury," said a
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) release on Sunday. "Harbhajan
Singh has been included in the Indian squad, and will join the team before the
second match of the series in Indore," the release added.
IT WAS A GAME WE SHOULD
HAVE WON: DHONI
INDIAN CRICKETER HARBHAJAN SINGH CALLS ON THE PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI IN NEW DELHI (IANS).
ROHIT'S 150 GOES IN VAIN AS
INDIA LOSE BY FIVE RUNS
KANPUR, (IANS) Rohit Sharma's swashbuckling knock of 150 runs
off 133 deliveries went in vain as India suffered a five-run defeat
against South Africa in the first of their five-match One-Day International (ODI) series at the Green Park stadium here on Sunday.
After South Africa scored 303/5 -- thanks to a blistering unbeaten 104
by skipper AB de Villiers, Rohit's eighth ODI ton put India in a strong
position. But after the Mumbai right-hander's depar ture, the visiting
bowlers clawed their way back into the game to contain the home
side's middle-order batsmen.
Earlier, de Villiers scored his 21st century in just 73 balls as he blasted
five fours and six sixes to pulverise the Indian bowlers and help his
side register the highest total at the venue. Ravichandran's side strain
injury fur ther helped the visitors as the Tamil Nadu off-spinner could
only bowl 4.4 overs in which he picked up a wicket and gave away
just 14 runs.
The visiting captain got a strong base to kick on as openers Quinton
de Kock (29) and Hashim Amla (37) gave him a decent star t.
After Ashwin dismissed de Kock, caught by Suresh Raina at slip,
South Africa were 45 for one in 8.4 overs. Faf du Plessis (62) joined
hands with Amla to forge a 59-run par tnership as the former recorded
his 17th ODI fifty.
Leg-spinner Amit Mishra broke the par tnership by bowling out Amla
with a faster one and it brought de Villiers to the centre, with his team
at 104/2 in 23.2 overs.
The 31-year-old got into business from the word go and alongwith du
Plessis, the South Africans negotiated the Indian bowling with ease.
After a 48-run stand, du Plessis perished, adjudged leg before wicket
(LBW) against right-arm pacer Umesh Yadav.
With the score at 152/3 in 33.1 overs, left-hander David Miller came
in to suppor t his captain but the former was stumped by Mahendra
Singh Dhoni off Mishra.
De villiers was then joined by Jean-Paul Duminy (15) and the duo got
into the act of collecting quick runs with the captain already on the job
having completed his half-century off 54 balls.
In the first ball of the 46th over, Yadav forced an edge off left-hander
Duminy to bring Ferhan Bahardien (35 in 19 balls) to the middle and
he star ted hitting all around the park.
De Villiers, playing his his 191st match, hit a six to reach his
three-figure mark and help his side cross 300.
Chasing the 304-run target, Rohit and Ajinkya Rahane (60) kept
India in the hunt with a 149-run stand for the second wicket. They
joined hands after Shikhar Dhawan (23) fell to a leg before wicket
(LBW) decision against tall pacer Morne Morkel.
Both the Mumbaikars -- Rohit and Rahane -- used their feet to
good effects -- at times slightly moving ahead, tucking it away
and hanging back to attempt a square cut or a square drive.
Rohit played all around the park against both pacers and spinners. As the par tnership ended with Rahane's fall, India were
191/2 in 33.4 overs.
Rohit, later, also made good use of hook and pull shots -- one six
each off Morkel and Dale Steyn -- as he collected 13 fours and six
fours during his innings even though Virat Kohli (11) was not able
to suppor t him.
Skipper Dhoni (31 in 30 balls) forged a 55-run stand with Rohit as
the latter was lucky to survive after wicketkeeper de Kock made
a mess of a run out chance.
With India at 269/3 in 46 overs, Rohit was dismissed with a return
catch to leg-spinner Imran Tahir. That over changed the complexion of the match as reliable Raina (3) soon walked back to the
pavilion. With 31 required off the final three overs, Dhoni and
Stuar t Binny (2) collected 20 runs in the next two, leaving 11 r uns
for the final over.
However, young seamer Kagiso Rabada conceded only four runs in
his first three deliveries and in the next two dismissed both the batsmen,
paving the way for a five-run victory over the hosts. The second match of
the ODI series shall be played at Indore on October 14.
FORCE INDIA'S PEREZ CLINCHES
THIRD PLACE IN RUSSIAN F1 GP
SOCHI, (IANS) Mexican Sergio Perez helped Force India clinch their first third place finish of the season in Formula One at the Russian
Grand Prix here on Sunday.
His teammate Nico Hulkenberg, however, had a dismal day at the track as he crashed out of the race.
This was Force India's third time on the podium. Giancarlo Fisichella and Perez had earlier finished in the first three places in 2009 and
2014, respectively.
At the race on Sunday it was a very close affair. The Mexican looked like getting to the podium and at one stage was cruising to it.
However, what made it interesting was Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas over took him before the last lap. Perez tried hard coming
back but just as it looked to slip out of his hands, Raikkonen slammed his Ferrari at the tail end of Bottas car.
Both drivers lost control and it paved the way once again for Perez to move ahead and finish behind Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian
Vettel.
"It feels great to be back on the podium and to be able to celebrate with my team. I have been enjoying my time with the team so much
and this is a great reward for all the work we have put in together. The call to pit under the safety car turned out to be very good because
it gave us track position ahead of all the battles."
"With one lap to go, when Valtteri (Bottas) and Kimi (Raikkonen) passed me, it felt like this result had been taken from us: I was
obviously disappointed but I also knew I had given all I could during the race. There was no more I could do because I had been on the
same tyres for more than 40 laps. When I finally managed to get back into third it was just an amazing feeling. I am happy I was able
to share this second podium with my team. It's a very special result and one that fills me with expectation ahead of the races in Austin
and especially Mexico City," Perez said.
Force India, with 15 points now from the race, have consolidated their fifth spot on the constructors championship. Mercedes' Lewis
Hamilton won the race, while Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel took the second spot.
KANPUR, (IANS) After losing the first of their five-match OneDay International (ODI) series by a slender margin of five runs
against South Africa here on Sunday, India captain Mahendra Singh
Dhoni said it was a game they should have won.
Chasing a target of 304, the hosts managed 298/7 in their quota of 50
overs. Rohit Sharma's splendid 150-run innings went in vain here at the
Green Park ground. "The outcome was not great for us, there were quite
a few things that went wrong, but I think we showed great character to
fight on this wicket. We should have won the game," Dhoni said at the
post-match presentation ceremony. The skipper rued having lost one of
his best spinners Ravichandran Ashwin, who injured his fingers while
bowling his fifth over and added that the fast bowlers should have
bowled better at the death. "It was unfortunate that we lost Ashwin. We
missed Ash's (Ashwin's) six overs that was crucial because he was
our best spinner... until that point the plan was working beautifully but I
had to get more overs from Binny and Raina. In the end, I thought our
bowlers should have done a bit better in the slog overs as there was
plenty of reverse swing," Dhoni said. The 34-year-old, however, praised
the knocks of Rohit and Rahane (60) who helped India inch closer to the
target but regretted that the willowers failed to pick the gaps when they
needed to. "I thought that partnership between Rohit and Rahane was
very good, they made it look easy. It was a bit difficult to bat out there as
it did not come on nicely if the ball was banged short. We lost a bit of
momentum from the 34th or the 35th over to the 40th or the 41st over.
There were runs on offer, but we didn't hit the gaps," he said. "It was a
fantastic innings from Rohit. As I said, it was not easy and the fast bowlers
were getting reverse swing and he made it look easy."
Tahir over turned the game on
its head: De Villiers
KANPUR, (IANS) Even though he was adjudged Man of the Match
for his superb unbeaten knock of 104 runs against India in the
first One-Day International (ODI), South Africa skipper AB de Villiers
believes it was leg-spinner Imran Tahir's 47th over that turned the game
on its head at the Green Park here on Sunday.
India were cruising at 269/3 at the end of the 46th over and looked well
on course to chase down the Proteas' score of 303/5 -- but then legspinner Tahir came in to bowl his last over.
First he got rid of a well-settled Rohit Sharma (150) caught and bowled
and then in the fifth delivery of the over had Suresh Raina miscuing one
to long on. The Indians failed to recover after the twin-jolt and lost by five
runs. "I thought it was an amazing game of cricket. Close games like
these bring the fans to the game. Credit to India as well for playing well.
I am very happy that we came out on top," an elated de Villiers said at
the post-match presentation ceremony.
"The momentum changed quite a few times today. I thought Imran
Tahir's over first of all turned the game on its head and gave us a chance
when we were out of it."
India needed 11 runs off the last over but Proteas pacer Kagiso Rabada
gave away only five runs and bagged two wickets of M.S. Dhoni and
Stuart Binny to seal the deal for his side. Praising his efforts, de Villiers
said: "The youngster (Rabada) is proving to be a handful and he has a
bright future." The 31--year-old also felt that it was a good win to start
the 50-over five-match series. "It's a good start to the ODI series, but the
momentum can change in a matter of seconds. We just want to go an
rest and then move on to the next game," concluded de Villiers.
SHUTTLER JAYARAM RETAINS
DUTCH OPEN TITLE
ALMERE (NETHERLANDS), (IANS) Indian shuttler Ajay Jayaram
retained the $50,000 Dutch Open Grand Prix men's singles title
by beating Estonia's Raul Must 21-12, 21-18 in the final here on
Sunday. From the very first game, Jayaram was at his very best
and did not fall behind. He clinched it quite easily as Raul failed
to come up with the answers.
In the second game, Raul slowly crawled back into the contest,
forcing Jayaram to play some false strokes. Both shuttlers were
locked at 7-7 at one point of time. World No.26 Jayaram, however, did not lose his nerve and showed great determination to
surge ahead and was finally able to bag the game 21-18. The 28year-old sealed the match in only 34 minutes.
Sania-Martina claim China Open title
DANEL NESTOR (L) OF CANADA AND EDOUARD ROGER-VASSELIN OF FRANCE POSE WITH THE TROPHY DURING THE AWARD
CEREMONY FOR MEN'S DOUBLES AT 2015 CHINA OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT IN BEIJING, CHINA (IANS).
India hold New Zealand 1-1,
win hockey series 2-1
CHRISTCHURCH, (IANS) India held hosts New Zealand to a 1-1
stalemate in the concluding game, thus winning the four-match
hockey series 2-1 here on Sunday.
Nick Ross helped the hosts surge into the lead in the 41st
minute but two minutes later it was experienced striker S.V.
Sunil who equalised for India.
The first quar ter of the game witnessed a series of attacks
coming in from the tourists who dominated the entire session.
After a brilliant effor t from centre-half Sardar Singh, in the 11th
minute India were awarded with a penalty corner but Rupinder
Pal Singh's effor t went off the target.
New Zealand then star ted putting some pressure on the Indian
defence with a long pass from Blair Tarrant which found Nic
Woods in a goal scoring position but an aler t Indian defence
blocked his attack.
Dying moments of the first quar ter saw forward Akashdeep
Singh get a chance to open the account but his attempt went
wide of the post. The score line remained 0-0 as first quar ter
saw no goals from either side. In the second quar ter of the
match, the Black Sticks dominated the early par t with attack
from left side of the pitch which earned them a penalty corner,
but goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh brilliantly thwar ted it.
This was followed by the India's counter-attack as they broke
through the Kiwi defence by an unmarked Dharamvir Singh,
whose strong shot on goal was blocked by the New Zealand
keeper. At the half-time it was 0-0.
After the breather, both the teams tried to find the opening goal
but could not find a way through. Finally in the 41st minute, the
game witnessed the first strike coming from the stick of Ross,
who collected the pass from Steve Edwards and finished calmly
past Sreejesh to give New Zealand a 1-0 lead.
The visitors were quick to respond and in the 43rd minute, Sunil
restored parity for India with a field goal.
The last quar ter star ted with equal zeal as the hosts got a great
chance to take the lead in the early minutes with seasoned
attacker Simon Child running into the Indian rearguard but a
vigilant defence refused to bulge an inch and negated the threat.
Riding on series of attacks, New Zealand earned a penalty
corner in the 54th minute but Sreejesh, diving to his left,
brilliantly made a superb save.
As the scores remained locked at 1-1, India kept the possession in the dying moments of the game to earn a draw and
clinch the series 2-2. India also had defeated New Zealand A
twice before playing the host's national side.
PELE IN KOLKATA AFTER 38 YEARS,
RECEIVES THUNDEROUS WELCOME
KOLKATA, (IANS) Brazilian football legend Pele set foot again
in the city on Sunday morning after an interval of 38 years
amidst cheering from vociferous fans.
Such was the craze surrounding the football great at the Netaji
Subhas Chandra Bose International Airpor t that organisers and
security personnel had a trying time in escor ting him to his
car. Besides a large media contingent, a couple of hundred
football lovers had star ted pouring in right from the morning
for a glimpse of the 'Black Pearl' and there was a mad
scramble to go near him and click photos on mobile cameras.
Others who were at the airpor t waiting to check in or receive
guests and family members also were pleasantly surprised.
The 74-year-old's Emirates flight from Dubai landed here at
8.07 a.m. West Bengal Municipal Affairs Minster Firhad Hakim
received Pele, who was driven out of the airpor t terminal
through Gate 4B in a battery operated car.
As Pele, looking tired from a 24-hour journey, emerged from the
terminal, he was greeted with loud cheers. Responding to the
warm welcome, Pele could only mutter: "Thank you, Kolkata."
Clad in a black blazer and a grey T-shir t, Pele, before boarding
the car, stood near the car door and waved to his fans, who
chanted "Pele, Pele" and waved Brazilian flags.
Later, Pele, the only player to win three World Cups, arrived at a
five-star south Kolkata hotel, where he would rest for the day.
Indian football icon Chuni Goswami was at the hotel to greet him
with flowers. Goswami and the legend had a brief chat after
which Pele went inside the hotel.
Asked what he asked Pele, Goswami said:" I asked him what do
you have to say about (Lionel)
Messi, and he said 'He is very
close to Pele and Maradona'."
"I also asked him, can you play
football? To which he replied, 'No,
I am not that fit'," Goswami said
light-hear tedly.
Pele's tour will kick-star t on
Monday with him revisiting the
historic Eden Gardens ground,
where the city's football fans had
seen their favourite Samba
magician 38 years back in a
friendly match. The former Santos
FC striker, playing for American
side New York Cosmos, featured
in the exhibition match against
local powerhouse Mohun Bagan in
1977. In a double bonanza for
spor ts buffs, Pele and the city's
very own, former India cricket
captain Sourav Ganguly will come
together during a chat show at the
Netaji Indoor Stadium on Monday.
Among others to be present at the
event will be Academy Awardwinning music composer A.R.
Rahman and West Bengal Chief
Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal
will also join the show through a
video conference.
BEIJING, (IANS) Top women's doubles pair of Sania Mirza and
Mar tina Hingis won their eighth title of the season as a team,
with a 6-7 (9), 6-1, 10-8 victory over Chinese Taipean pair of
Hao-Ching Chan and Yung-Jan Chan in the China Open final here
on Saturday.
The Indo-Swiss pair, the topmost team in the doubles circuit this
year, needed 1 hour 41 minutes to claim the summit clash in the
$4.7 million prize money tournament.
They broke the first service game of their opponent's to take an
early 2-0 lead at the Beijing Olympic Green Tennis Center.
But their opponents immediately broke back to be on level terms
2-2. From there on the two team's keenly contested and held on
to their serves.
The evenness extended to a tie-breaker where Sania-Mar tina
blinked first at 9-11 to surrender the first set.
Sania-Mar tina upped their intensity to race to a 4-1 lead in the
second set and claimed it 6-1 to force the match into the third set
tie-breaker.
The tie-breaker was also closely fought with both teams matching each other stroke for stroke.
But ultimately the Indo-Swiss duo held their nerve to claim the
title at 10-8. They won 82 of the total 145 points played, a 56
percent winning rate.
The leading women's tennis doubles pair entered the final, thumping the Chinese duo of Chen Liang and Yafan Wang 6-2, 6-3 in a
one-sided clash on Friday.
Sania and Mar tina are the reigning Wimbledon and US Open
champions. They tagged together as a team in March and won
Women's Tennis Association (WTA) titles in Indian Wells, Miami, Charlestion, Guangzhou and more recently Wuhan.
Sania reached the final of this event for the four th time in a row.
It was her second title here, after winning in 2013 with Zimbabwean Cara Black.
Vijender begins his proboxing career on a high
MANCHESTER, (IANS) India's Vijender Singh made his professional boxing debut with a bang, defeating Briton Sony Whiting through
a technical knock out in the third round at the Manchester Arena here on
Saturday.
The Olympic and world championship medallist began well, attacked
through the middleweight bout, and finished off the fight in the penultimate
round when the referee stopped the contest.
The 29 year old Indian started off confidently, pushing Whiting into a
corner. Vijender sent down an array of punches, and the Briton returned
them aggressively, as the first round seemed even.
Whiting, who had a 2-1 win-loss record in professional boxing prior to
this match, tried to seize the initiative in the second round, but Vijender
soon took control and even dropped his guard on a couple of occasions,
virtually challenging his opponent to have a go at him.
As the clock ticked, Whiting found it difficult to match Vijender's aggression, and even lost balance and fell on the ropes.
Whiting tried to come back into the game in the third round by unleashing a flurry of punches, but Vijender kept his cool and hit some upper
cuts and a few jabs which unsettled the Briton, forcing the referee to
stop the contest.
An elated Vijender later said it was just a beginning and he would have
to go a long way.
"I am very happya Aits just a beginning i have to go a long way. I will
work harder and have to be professional champion one day."
Vijender said he never got nervous during the fight."Its new for me but
I have been working hard. Its going well, i want to win, win and win."
Vijender thanked his fans, friends, family and coaches for standing by
him as he began his journey into professional boxing.
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