Six-year-old girl held in Pakistan for three years

Transcription

WILL THE BRAVE DELHI GIRL STAY 'ALIVE'?
SPECIAL REPORT ON PAGE 4
PHYSICAL DEATH IS INEVITABLE BUT THE LEGACY THAT YOU LEAVE BEHIND IS IMPORTANT.
PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER HIGHLIGHTS
GOVERNMENT'S 2012 ACHIEVEMENTS
OTTAWA: Prime Minister
Stephen Harper today issued the
following statement highlighting
some of the government's significant
accomplishments in 2012:
"Throughout
2012,
our
Government continued to
generate results for Canadians
both at home and abroad.
"First and foremost, we
continued to successfully
navigate the turbulent global
economy in 2012, emerging with
some of the strongest job growth
numbers among G-7 countries.
This was accomplished while
reducing the country's deficit
and creating a leaner, more
efficient public service.
"The international community
has taken note of our success
this year: Forbes magazine has
ranked Canada as number one in
its annual review of the best
countries for business; for the
fifth year in a row, the World
Economic Forum has rated
Canada's banking system as the
world's soundest; and both the
IMF and OECD expect Canada
to be among the strongest
growing economies in the G-7
next year.
"In 2012 we continued to
aggressively pursue trade and
investment agreements that will
benefit Canadian businesses and
families. Canada significantly
increased its engagement in Asia,
joining
the
Trans-Pacific
Partnership trade negotiations;
becoming an observer to the
Pacific Alliance; concluding
foreign investment promotion and
protection agreements (FIPA) with
China, Senegal and Tanzania;
concluding negotiations for the
Administrative Arrangement
between Canada and India that will
allow the implementation of the
Nuclear Cooperation Agreement
(NCA); launching free trade
negotiations
with
Japan;
announcing exploratory free trade
talks with Thailand; and expanding
the Canada-China Air Transport
Agreement.
Contd. on Page 10
ABDUCTED FROM BRITAIN BY HER FATHER - RAZWAN ALI ANJUM
TOOK HER TO LAHORE IN PAKISTAN THREE YEARS AGO
A
missing six-year-old is on her way home more than three
years after she was abducted by her father and taken to
Pakistan. Atiya Anjum-Wilkinson vanished in November
2009 after going to stay with her father, Razwan Ali Anjum, who
said he was taking her to Southport. The youngster is expected to
fly in to Manchester Airport from Islamabad for an emotional
reunion with her mother.She was discovered after police issued a
photofit image of her showing what she could look like today.
Gemma Wilkinson, 32, said she been through an 'absolute
nightmare' and 'three years of trauma' as the search for her daughter
continued. But earlier this week Atiya was taken into protective
custody after apparently being found living with relatives of her
father in Pakistan.
Contd. on Page 5
White House,
Republicans seal deal
on fiscal cliff crisis
WASHINGTON: The White
House and top Republicans
struck a deal late Monday to
avert huge New Year tax hikes
and spending cuts known as the
" fiscal cliff" that had threatened
to send the US economy into
recession. The pact, if agreed by
Congress, would hand President
Barack Obama a victory by hiking
tax rates on the wealthy -- those
earning over $450,000 a year -- but
exempt everyone else who had
been due to see their taxes go up
on January 1. It would also put
off $109 billion in budget cuts
across the government for two
months, but would in the process
line up another showdown
between Obama's Democrats and
Republicans in dysfunctional
Washington at the end of
February. Vice President Joe
Biden, who negotiated the deal
with the top Republican in the
Senate Mitch McConnell, was on
Capitol Hill to sell it to Democratic
senators, some of whom wanted
tax hikes to kick in at a lower
threshold. Contd. on Page 13
'Muslim-hating' woman confesses
to killing Indian immigrant
Menendez told investigators, 'I've hated Hindus and Muslims
since 2001 since they put down the Twin Towers. I have been
beating them up since.' Victim identified as Sunando Sen, 46,
an Indian immigrant from Calcutta, who co-owned a copy shop
on Manhattan's Upper West Side
Sen stood on a Queens
elevated subway platform , when officials say Menendez pushed
him in the back and into an oncoming train's path
A Muslim-hating madwoman confessed today to pushing a hardworking Indian immigrant into a subway train's path - and her relatives
tipped off police after seeing her on a Friday
newscast. Erica Menendez, a 31-year-old
homeless woman who reportedly suffers from
bi-polar disorder, admitted shoving Sunando
Sen, 46, in front of a Queens 7 Train Thursday,
telling police, 'I've hated Hindus and Muslims
since 2001 since they put down the Twin
Towers. I have been beating them up since.'
'She is accused of committing a subway
commuter's worst nightmare,' Queens District Attorney Richard
Brown reportedly said on Saturday. '(He
was) suddenly and senselessly pushed into
the path of an oncoming train, shoved from
behind with no chance to defend himself.'
Authorities nabbed Menendez after her
family tipped advised them Friday the
homeless woman might be the one for
whom they were searching in connection
with the ghastly attack on Sen. Relatives
reportedly recognized Menendez's mug on
a TV newscast. It didn't take police long to
catch up with her, as they spotted
Menendez in Brooklyn's Crown Heights area about 5 a.m. Saturday.
At the time, she wore the same jacket as she did in surveillance video
retrieved from the 40th Street-Lowery subway station in Queen from
which she fled after the 8pm attack. Menendez later confessed at the
112th Precinct House in Forest Hills, Queens that she did, indeed,
push Sen, 46, a Calcutta native, into the 7 train's path.
2
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2013
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
page 3
I AM OPEN TO DOING
BOLD SCENES, BUT
HAVE MY LIMITS:
CHITRANGADA
'MAHIYA' GIRL ANNIE KHALID HAD STOLEN
PRECIOUS ITEMS FROM HOUSE: HUSBAND
Every actor is an
attention seeker:
Anushka Sharma
H
LONDON/BUREU NEWS: The husband of famous Pakistani pop
singer Annie Khalid, Malik Noureed Awan, on Tuesday announced to
reveal astonishing facts about the singer in the upcoming days.
On Monday, giving interviews to different news channels with tears
in her eyes, Annie accused her husband of extreme torture during
four months of the marital life. Talking to media, Noureed blamed
3
that Annie had stolen gold and other precious items from his
house and he would disclose all the facts in a press conference in
the upcoming days.
The singer, who became popular from her superhit song
'Mahiya', got married to a Dubai based Pakistani businessman,
Malik Noureed Awan on July 16, 2012.
Sania-Shoaib to rock the
stage on 'Nach Baliye 5'
S
ania Mirza and Shoaib Malik will soon be seen shaking
a leg for the first time on Indian television in 'Nach
Baliye 5'. This special jodi that has been in the news for
a while will be finally be seen this Saturday performing
together in the celebrity dance reality show 'Nach Baliye-5'.
The couple who was a little nervous before their performance
was unstoppable when they started waltzing on the stage.
Their chemistry and expression spoke volumes about their
relationship and love. Also don't miss Rahul Mahajan teaching
Shoaib some smashing dance moves to help him shake off his
nervousness!
I am open to doing
bold scenes, but
have my limits:
Chitrangada
A
ctress Chitrangada
Singh, who features in
"Inkaar", a movie
which deals with sexual
harassment at the workplace,
says she knows where to draw
the line when it comes to doing
bold scenes. "As long as I am
comfortable with my director and
the co-stars, I am open to doing
the bold scenes. But I do have
my own limits and I know where
to say no," Chitrangada told. "If
you are not involved in a scene,
your discomfort shows on screen
and it makes you look stupid,"
she added. As an actor,
Chitrangada has opened up to
new things - commercial
Bollywood movies as well as
item numbers. Chitrangada, who
has earlier featured in off-beat
films like "Hazaaron Khwaishein
Aisi" and "Yeh Saali Zindagi",
entered the commercial movie
zone with "Desi Boyz". She
recently also did an item number
in the movie "Joker".
"I am more comfortable
dancing now than before.
Dancing is a lot of fun. I am open
to doing item numbers. Let's see
if any interesting thing comes up,
then I might do it (again)," she
said. Chitrangada started her
acting career with Sudhir
Mishra's "Hazaaron Khwaishein
Aisi" and later featured in "Kal:
Yesterday and Tomorrow",
"Sorry Bhai!", "Basra" and "Yeh
Saali Zindagi".
ailing from an army
background, Anushka
Sharma has led a very
quiet and disciplined life, but
confesses her profession has
now made her an attentionseeker - an "occupational
hazard" for all actors. "I am not
spoilt as I was brought up in an
army background. But every
actor is an attention-seeker. It is
an occupational hazard for us. If
I don't seek attention, I will not
be doing my work well,"
Anushka told in an interview.
The actress made her
Bollywood debut in 2008 with
"Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" and later
went on to do films like
"Badmaash Company", "Band
Baaja Baaraat", "Ladies v/s
Ricky Bahl" and most recently
"Jab Tak Hai Jaan". In a short
span of four years, Anushka has
carved a niche for herself in
Bollywood and the 24-year-old
says she wants to use her
success to do things on her own
terms. "You should use success
as a way of doing your work in
a better way. I want to be
successful to be able to do
things on my own terms. You
should use your stardom and
success to be able to pull
people into the theatre.
That's what I would
want to do with my
s u c c e s s , "
Anushka said.
Asked what
her mantra to
survive in the
industry is,
she said: "Do your
work and mind your
own business; that is the only
way."
Anushka admits she wasn't
sure about the film industry
before she joined it, but her
views changed once she became
a part of it. "I used to think it is a
dirty field because of these news
channels playing dumb stories.
But now I feel that when you get
a lot here, you need to give back
equally too. So whoever is the
biggest star right now is working
that much harder," she said.
After garnering critical acclaim
for her performance in "Jab Tak
Hai Jaan", Anushka will now be
seen in Vishal Bhardwaj's "Matru
Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola" opposite
Imran Khan and Pankaj Kapoor.
It releases Jan 11. The actress
found the role of Bijlee
challenging as it was difficult for
her to relate to it.
US Senate to vote on
'fiscal cliff' deal as
deadline approaches
WASHINGTON/BUREAU
NEWS : The White House and
Senate leaders struck a bipartisan
deal on Monday to try to avoid a
"fiscal cliff" budget crisis,
although the agreement was likely
to face stiff challenges in the
House of Representatives.
Senators were due to vote on the
accord before midnight (05.00
GMT on
Tuesday) and
President Barack Obama has
shown little interest in cutting
government spending to try to
reduce the US budget deficit.
House Republicans are also likely
to balk at planned tax hikes on
household incomes over $450,000
a year that was part of the
agreement struck between vice
president Joe Biden and Senate
Republican minority leader Mitch
independent
Senator
Joe
Lieberman said it had strong
support from the Democrats who
control the chamber. The
agreement still came too late for
Congress to meet its own deadline
of New Year's Eve to pass laws
halting $600 billion in tax hikes and
spending cuts due to come into
force on January 1. But with
Tuesday a holiday, Congress still
had time to draw up legislation,
approve it and backdate it to avoid
the harsh fiscal measures coming
into force. That will need the
backing of the House where many
of the Republicans who control
the chamber complain that
McConnell. The House has
convened a session for Tuesday
at noon (1700 GMT). The deal
would make permanent the
alternative minimum tax "patch"
that was set to expire, protecting
middle-income Americans from
being taxed as if they were rich.
Indiscriminate spending cuts for
defense
and
non-defense
spending were simply postponed
for two months. As New Year's
Day approached, members were
thankful that financial markets
were closed, giving them a second
chance to return on Tuesday to
try to blunt the worst effects of
the fiscal mess.
4
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
page 4
WILL THE
BRAVE DELHI
GIRL STAY
'ALIVE'?
Will the BRAVE DELHI GIRL STAY 'ALIVE'?
“On Saturday afternoon, I asked this question on my face book”
I am just thinking ..Can we do something ? Will the BRAVE
DELHI GIRL STAY 'ALIVE' ?
Physical Death is inevitable but the legacy that you leave
behind is important.
She fought until her last breath will we fight to make this
world a better place to live.
I have said this many times on my radio and I strongly
believe "All is takes is ONE individual to change the World" …I
see many coming on the streets protesting in India but how far
are we willing to take this fight is the Question.
We have to do something coz when Lawlessness is
prevailing it becomes the moral obligation of every citizen to do
something. Who knows we could be next in line ..a target of
these wolfs.
Why we just blame the politicians or law enforcement
agencies ..time to introspect what we ask from them …Mere
Beta ke liye Naukri , Mere Business ke liye Licence…..Illegal
detention in jail for our opponents …Police de hathon chaka
daoonga …as if Police was our servant …who makes these
policemen weak …why WE choose these incompetent leaders
?? And more importantly why even accept them as our leaders
??
Where were WE when the Lalu's and Mayavati's became
the Chief Ministers and even today there and many incompetent
leaders dreaming of becoming the Prime Minister of India.
Imagine Mulayam Singh, Mayavati or Lalu as the Prime Minister
of India ..
THE WORST IS YET TO COME or shall WE change the
change the direction ..everyday we are stooping to a new low …
1. When leaders visit us here in Canada - WE all should
discuss the lawlessness in Punjab and other parts of India.
2. When Bureaucrats or Police officers visit us here in
Canada ask them why they are so much under pressure from
these politicians …the max they can do is transfer a police officer
so why they become part of this corrupt cycle.
3. Bureaucrats or Police officers need to stand up and
say NO to the wrong demands of these politicians.
4. Public SERVANTS cannot serve Public ENIEMIES.
5. Political interference has to be divorced from Law
enforcement.
6. Support the Honest in Public Life we need Competent
leaders to serve the Nation.
We all have blood on our hands …as we discuss this issue
on FB .. there are many fellow humans being tortured or abused
at this very moment. Sometimes I do wonder can we change all
this? Did GOD create this Universe and is witnessing all that is
happening now OR this was just a Bio-Chemical process through
which evolution happened and we are left in this consistently
changing world finding answers …..
What do we do with the 6 Rapists? Kill them in Public
…Fansi de do ..that's what I heard from many angry protestors.
Will Death Penalty deter these individuals who care least about
themselves or others?
I think the more important Question is WE as a society
have failed those 6 rapists and many other Morons.
I was busy doing MY schooling …MY Engineering …MY
Job …MY Family life ..MY Immigration to Canada for a better
life and Now here I am busy with MY Media Business … Do I
HAVE THE TIME to think of all the underprivileged in the world
who were not fortunate to have the kind of resources I or many
other privileged enjoy. If I had to Live the life of any of these 6
Rapists from Bihar or I was born in the slums of any city in India
or the poverty plagued areas in Africa … I may have been even
worse..Crucifying others is easy the difficult part is to
acknowledge WE as a society fail many who are underprivileged
…they have nothing to lose and we might see more horrific
crimes in future. Disparity is on the rise throughout the world.
What Women should wear? Who are we to decide …, Corrupt
Politicians, Bureaucrats Policemen …who created them
….Declining Morals and a society turning a blind eye to the
Evils … WE are not even willing to discuss ..forget about doing
something … I think the impunity that these attackers enjoy
has a lot to do with rise in Violent cases …even in this Delhi
case the Driver and others involved were back to routine work
as they thought ..We won't be caught and even if we are we will
get bail soon ….
The Law is there the implementation is missing and we need
to just amend the law to stronger penalties …. I don't support
Death Penalty ….Life Imprisonment TILL DEATH for a Rape
…Let them ROT in Jail for the rest
of their Life …
Here are a few cases of
IMPUNITY…. out of thousands
….
1.
When Ranjit Rana
abuses a girl in Broad Daylight,
He Kills her Policeman Farther in
the middle of a busy street - He
enjoys IMPUNITY coz of his
Political Masters …everyone
knows the name of Political
Leader so I wont name oops
shame him
2.
Nishan
Singh
abducts a girl from her home
..mercilessly beating her parents
in the process …. IMPUNITY coz
of his Political Masters
3.
Haryana's top police
officer DGP Rathore molests a
minor girl repeatedly who
eventually committed suicide
..IMPUNITY is an understatement here coz DGP Rathore was
honoured with Medals at
National Level ..thanks to
…Haryana CM.
4. Why are we forgetting
Jessica Lal murder case in
Delhi …IMPUNITY for Manu
Sharma ….until Barkha Dutt
from NDTV did a sting
operation
and
proved
otherwise.
5. Grandson of a Chief
Minister abducts and molests
a girl who was a foreign
National and NOTHING
happened to him actually he is
in Public Office today.. Who
else would have IMPUNITY
from Law if the Grandson of a
Chief Minister cannot have it.
I can tell you many cases
but the fact remains that you
want change then change
“
IMPUNITY to ACCOUNTABILITY
This has got nothing to do with culture …about 2 Million
from the same Southasian culture are here in Canada and they
dare not do these activities as for Culprits there is NO IMPUNITY
here …You abuse a girl here in Canada and tell me which MP or
MPP will call the police for favours …
Rome was not built in a day and Building Nations would
take even longer . Merely getting independence was never a
solution for any country. Even Canada or US had tough time to
establish the kind of Civil liberties we enjoy today. Till 1918
Women were not even allowed to vote in Canada, Britain,
Germany, Holland and many other countries (champions of civil
rights today) till 1964 blacks and many other US Citizens could
not vote in US until the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.And
today we have a Black President in US.
As I said earlier where were WE when the country was
'going to the dogs' ..Never mind .. ….WE will have to fight
peacefully and take the Nation in the right direction ..this may
take 10, 20…50 or even 500 years …we don't know but one
thing we can be sure we did something and were part of the
PEACEFUL process to make this world a better place to live .
Acknowledging that something needs to be done is the
first step and exchanging ideas the second. WE can differ on
our ideas but our goal remains the same …How WE can make
India and this world a better place to live …CAN WE KEEP THE
BRAVE DELHI ALIVE?
YES .....together ..WE will keep THE BRAVE DELHI GIRL
ALIVE ...She is our Sister ....Daughter ..a fellow human who
said "I want to Live" .....Lets keep her ALIVE
COMMENTS
BOBBY SIDHU I am against death penalties. We cannot enforce
Talibani rule in India, but it is about time to have a serious discussion about mental illness amongst Indian male. We have to find
ways that horrendous crimes against women are eliminated. I am
ashamed that when some very senior public figures, who are supposed to be educated come up with derogatory statements against
women. My question is that how many amongst us are willing to
let women of our household travel alone in India like we do in
Canada.? Answer to this question is an indicator that we might talk
about gender equality but deep in our hearts, we know that there is
a very big problem with the metal status of Indian male. We have
to change as a society. Getting sentimental for few days won't
solve the problem, neither would deploying more cops. This
will oly change, once we eradicate mental illness amongst
Indian male.
SATISH GUPTA But the problem is,the people who do all this
,do not and can not read what is said on the social media .I
think best solution is to hang all of them publically.
PRITI LAMBA Let's do it. We together can do so many things I
am with u don't wait Yudhvir Ji Hope for the best and good
luck.
KAMAL Everything is possible and anything can be changed
either its law or polices, But in India it is impossible.
SUKHMINDER TAKHAR our Govt send damini to singpoure for
better treatment..now can we send accused to saudi arabia for
better justice????
HARBANS SINGH In a scathing indictment of the Punjab Police,
the Chief Justice went on say: "The manner in which incidents
have happened over the past few days is an eye-opener. Enough is
enough…. The primary function, nay, the solemn duty of the police
is to protect the citizens and track down crimes. However, when
the police star ts shielding and protecting the culprits and star ts
treating the victims of crime as accused persons, it is a sad day
for the democracy of a country governed by the rules of law."
#Patialagangrape : Punjab and Haryana High Court says enough
is enough
NILLIA SURI LAL Yudhvir Jaswal.....this is a very great cause and
should be looked upon...Please note that I am with you on this
cause and we want to do something on this issue....All the best
RANDEEP S. SANDHU "Never send to know for whom the bell
tolls it tolls for thee." The unfor tunate girl isn't just a victim,
she is a reminder that she is not alone and infact no one is safe. Her legacy
has to be kept alive coz the sinister monster is at play even as I write this.
S. MULTANI Law should be drafted under her name. Every citizen of
india should write to there MP's and make personal phone calls to
draft this law. Protesting, blogging will not achieve this motive.
Pressure is to be put on the MP should be constant. Public has
amnesia they will forget this after 30 days. Next year on
dusherra,burn effigies of thr six rapist than Ravan and pay respect
to the girl. Take advantage of this crisis to do somthing about this
and these rapist should get life in prison without parole. Fear lasts
longer, the new law should be death penalty for the rapist under the
girls name.
HARDIK PANDYA 4 More registered rape cases (1 of them was
with a 10 year old girl) happened in Haryana after Damini case. ..
Who will stand for them???? We have thousands of daminis every
year.....More than 200 rape cases registered against MLA's and
other political leaders in India….we talk about it for few days and
back to our routine life… But we dnt hv any solution…..Some action should be taken immediately without waiting someone to die…
I agree Yudhvir Ji ,we all have to be together for it!
Gujarat Govt has activated 181 services from today
1) Police to reach the location 5-7 minutes
2) Strict action would be taken against eve-teasers and those indulging in harassment of women
3) The offence has been made non-bailable. Bail would not given
without express permission from the concerned women
Its good move but, that's not enough to stop..! RIP to her
EKTA SHARMA If we the govt could send the victim to Singapore for
treatment, can't they send the culprits to saudi for punishment
PUNJABI JUNXXION The response has to be on multiple levels.
First, there's the safety of individuals - you need a criminal-justice
response, you need to be more successful at capturing and prosecuting criminals to send a message, "This is criminal behavior
that will be punished."
Then you have to look at why groups of men are doing this. If the
Delhi government asked me what to do, I'd say, "Someone has to
star t talking to these men, or men like these men, and finding out
why they view women as targets." Why do they feel entitled to?
What is the basis for their hatred?
DEEPAK PUNJ this is more of a morality and ethical issuse instead
of law failure,,, we need to be aware of our thoughts.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
MidWeek
breaking news
Delhi women gun for licences; rape
triggers big rush to acquire armsa
NEW DELHI/BUREU NEWS: The horrific attack on Nirbhaya has are issued more gun licences than women in Delhi even if the later
led to a spurt in requests for gun licences from women. Since have genuine reasons to apply for them," said a member. "The fact
December 18, the day the news
that even parents are ready to
of the brutal gang rape appeared
hand over weapons to their
in newspapers, the licensing
daughters shows they are living
department of Delhi Police has
in fear. There is a 20% increase in
received a total of 274
self-defence courses across the
applications from women. In
city," added the source.
addition, it has also been flooded
In the past two years, Delhi
with hundreds of queries on how
cops have received over 800
to obtain a licence. "We have
applications for guns from
received over 1,200 calls since
women. While the year 2010 saw
that day. These include not only
around 320 applications, the figure
the average working woman, but
had risen to around 500 in 2011.
even students who travel long
But it's not only the numbers
distances to colleges and even
that's a break from the past.
their concerned parents. They
There's a change as well in the
were eager to find out more on
reasons cited. "Women earlier
the procedure to acquire arms,"
mostly cited the inheritance
SINCE DECEMBER 18, THE DAY THE NEWS OF THE BRUTAL GANG
said a Delhi police officer. Delhi
clause -- saying their fathers or
RAPE APPEARED IN NEWSPAPERS, THE LICENSING
police sources say hundreds
husbands had a licence which
DEPARTMENT OF DELHI POLICE HAS RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 274
more had turned up at their office
they want to continue holding.
APPLICATIONS FROM WOMEN.
itself.
Many women applying under this
"We had to patiently tell them that one needs to have a clear clause were proxies for men. But of late women are citing 'self-defence'
danger to one's life to be given a licence. However, some of the to apply for a licence," said an officer in the licencing department. In
parents were not happy with our replies. They said that with even general, 20-22% of all applicants are now women. Since the past two
public transport no longer safe in the city, they just cannot take weeks, the percentage has shot up to around 35%. The officer said 27
chances. When we told them this could not be reason enough, we licences were issued to women in 2010. Of these, 17 applied under the
were told to give in writing that their daughters were indeed safe on inheritance clause. Till July this year, five women were granted licences
Delhi's roads," said a source. A member of the National Association for personal threats. In 2010 and 2011, over 600 applications were
for Gun Rights India claimed women were discriminated against. "Men rejected as no "personal safety threat was assessed".
5
High speed train on Delhi-Mumbai
route on track with speed as high as
200 km per hour
NEW DELHI/BUREAU NEWS: Railways today expressed optimism
over progress in its plans to run passenger trains on busy DelhiMumbai corridor at 200 km per hour and launching for the first time
train sets services on shorter routes. Maintaining that global crisis
is coming in the way from achieving higher growth, it said its
earnings have, however, gone up by 20 per cent this fiscal.
Chairman Railway Board Vinay Mittal said even though there are
several financial hurdles to overcome for materialising the highspeed corridor project, they are working towards achieving the
objective of running train at 200 km per hour on Delhi-Mumbai
route.
"Japan is involved in the study of the high speed train on
Delhi-Mumbai route and things are progressing well," Mittal said
here but did not give any time frame for its implementation. Currently
Rajdhani trains are expected to run at a maximum speed of 100 km to
120 km per hour while other express trains are running at an
approximate speed of 80 km per hour because of the dense traffic
condition. Asked about the proposed train set project which will
reduce travel time, he said that it was being studied but it will be
launched in a limited scale in some Shatabdi routes. However, on
the proposed project on bullet train which will travel at 300 km per
hour, he said "it is a long way to go as it involves heavy funding."
Even though railways' finances remain a big challenge, he said
the bridge gap funding of Rs 3000 cr has been paid back with interest
to Finance Ministry. He said the foggy condition over north India
have affected revenue earnings and the poor market condition led
several of its rakes to lie idle. Expressing optimism over the increased
fund allocation, he said plan allocation in the 12th Five-Year Plan to
railways has been increased to Rs 1.94 lakh crore from the Rs 77,000
crore in the 11th Five-Year Plan. "Steps are being taken to curb
expenditure as there is a need for fund renewal of assets and safety
upgradation," he said.
(Contd. from page 1)
It is thought she was traced after police published a computer-generated image of what she would like
now - a day before her sixth birthday in November. The BBC has reported that Pakistani authorities
were involved in tracking Atiya down, and that she was discovered in Lahore. A Greater Manchester
Police spokesperson confirmed the youngster would be returning to the UK later today. Her father, a
former insurance salesman, took his daughter to Lahore on her third birthday, and told Gemma that she
was 'never going to see Atiya again'. Anjum is currently serving a prison sentence in the UK for
refusing to reveal his daughter's whereabouts despite a court order.
He was first jailed in June 2010, and in April this year a High Court
judge handed him a fourth consecutive sentence after he continued
to insist he did not know where Atiya was. Mr Justice Moor imposed
a 12-month prison term after he found him in contempt of a High Court
order instructing him to disclose Atiya's whereabouts. He said Anjum,
28, would not be eligible for release until he had served at least six
months. Judges have previously imposed jail terms of two years, 12
months and another 12 months in the hope that Anjum would provide
information. They have re-jailed him as each sentence neared its end.
Ms Wilkinson, a former charity worker, took legal action in an attempt to
force Anjum to reveal the crucial details. Anjum, who represented himself
at the latest court hearing, indicated that Atiya was in Pakistan or Iran
but said he did not know her exact whereabouts. Mr Justice Moor said
he was sure Anjum was lying. The judge said: 'I am certain that he is in contempt. It is absolutely absurd for
him to suggest that he does not know the whereabouts of his daughter and he cannot contact her. I am
certain he is lying.' Another judge previously said the case was 'as bad a case of child abduction as I have
encountered'.
MOTHER'S AGONY: HOW ATIYA'S ORDEAL UNFOLDED
2003: Gemma Wilkinson and Razqan Ali Anjum meet while studying at Oldham Business Management
School and start on-off relationship
November 7, 2006: Their daughter Atiya was born
2008: Ms Wilkinson ended her relationship with Anjum after he became overly possessive
November 7, 2009: Atiya went missing on her birthday after her father said he was taking her on a trip
to Southport
November 16, 2009: Atiya was supposed to share a flight back from Pakistan with her grandmother
but the woman returned alone
November 20, 2009: Anjum arrested after returning to the UK without his daughter and refusing to
reveal her whereabouts
June 2010: Anjum jailed after refusing to comply with a court order compelling him to reveal Atiya's
location
November 6, 2012: Ms Wilkinson made an emotional appeal for
Atiya's return and a photograph of what she looks like now was published
December 2012: Atiya found living with relatives in a village in
Pakistan
December 28, 2012: Atiya is due to be returned home to her mother
Just last month Ms Wilkinson, from Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater
Manchester, launched a fresh appeal for information on her daughter's
whereabouts.
She said: 'It's been an absolute nightmare. As to her whereabouts we
know nothing. We've had no contact. I'm worrying every day, every single
day. Everything is affected by it. When I close my eyes I see her. 'I say
goodnight to her every night before bed. I pray she's okay but we don't have
any proof that she's okay and no proof she is even still alive,' she said. 'It's
been discussed that she could have been sold, but I don't want to believe it.
'As far as I'm aware she hasn't been with any family member so I can only assume she's with strangers. 'To know
that she's safe, to know that she's being looked after, to know where she is. A child doesn't disappear, doesn't
evaporate. A child is put somewhere and people know - and that information needs to be talked about. 'She was
so funny. She was a little bundle of joy. She loved her lip gloss and handbags - as soon as she got hold of
my make-up bag, everything in it was hers. We just want her home.' Ms Wilkinson met Anjum in 2003 while
they were studying the same course at Oldham Business Management School, and Atiya was born on
November 7, 2006. But the couple ended their on-off relationship in 2008 after Anjum apparently became
controlling and possessive - and when Ms Wilkinson broke off the affair, her ex swore revenge. During
a visit on the youngster's birthday he said he was taking Atiya to Southport but instead, he took her
to Lahore where he claimed she was staying for a week with relatives.
6
MidWeek
editorial/opinion
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
Thinking Outside The Box Office ‘Member states are
Three stars redefined Bollywood 2012 – narration, location, women responsible for their
Srijana Mitra Das
I
n the silk and tinsel that is Bollywood, three new stars emerged
in 2012. These were not three Khans but three cinematic
ingredients – location, narration and women. This is a major
break from the past – and an excellent portent for the future.
In a remarkable reflection of current political culture, women
took centre stage in pop culture too. Painted, dented or tormented,
strong female characters occupied the heart of hits, from the enigmatic
Vidya of Kahaani to the shy Shashi of English Vinglish and the
satiny Simran of Talaash. Each protagonist came to life through
extraordinary performances, Vidya Balan
leaving viewers breathless following her
twisting turns through Kolkata’s lanes,
Sridevi feelingly balancing female dignity
against family peace and Kareena Kapoor
whose Talaash was a triumph, every sparkle
in Simran’s eye, every pout of her lips,
every arch of her eyebrows a coquettish
twist to the tale. But the women didn’t stop
there. Off-screen too, Bollywood had its
most remarkable year of female power,
reflected in the emergence of successful women directors. From
Zoya Akhtar – capturing the idiosyncrasies of three undecided men,
calling themselves ‘bwoyz’ in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (ZNMD) –
to Gauri Shinde who took Shashi to Central Square and Reema Kagti
who dived deep into murky Mumbai, Bollywood never before saw a
time when the female gaze was so powerful.
This gaze is remarkably different from that of male directors.
Akhtar’s Laila, Katrina Kaif in ZNMD, is a free spirit who teaches
scuba-diving and jumps into bed with her lover before anyone thinks
shaadiwaadi. But not one frame showed Kaif in a voyeuristic light,
no plunging cleavage, no camera panning up her legs, tricks male
directors so routinely employ. Instead, Kaif appeared as an elegant
wild child, her angel-white dresses perfect against the wicked black
motorbike she straddled. Kagti was similarly sensitive; despite
MidWeek
Asian World Today Inc.
1310, Midway Blvd, Unit # 31, Mississauga Ontario L5T 2K5
Direct Line - 647-272-8182
Tel: 905-670-3687 Fax: 905-670-5344
E-mail : For Advertising
[email protected]
[email protected]
YUDHVIR JASWAL
BASHIR NASIR
ALI - NICE PHOTOGRAPHY
CHIEF EDITOR & CEO
647-272-8182
[email protected]
PHOTOGRAPHERS
ANJANA RAI
THAPLIYAL & RAI LAW
OFFICE
BUDGET & ADMINISTRATION MANAGER
LEGAL ADVISOR
ANUVEER PARMAR
CORPORATE AND PROJECT COORDINATION
HARJINDER SINGH
MIHIR OZA ( SPORTS )
RK BATRA ( COMMUNITY)
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
MARKETING GENERAL MANAGER
RAJESH KAUSHIK
SUNIL VERMA
MARKETING MANAGER
INDIA MARKETING
SUNIL VERMA
RAJNISH VERMA
YADWINDER SINGH
AUSTRALIA DIVISON
GRAPHICS DEPARTMENT
Newspaper
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
Published in English every Tuesday
Talaash set within Mumbai’s world of unsexy slavery, Kagti captured
sleaze with empathetic irony. Instead of heaving item numbers –
women in undress surrounded by aroused men – girls were instead
shot combing their hair inside what looked like jail cells, a middleaged prostitute cried in a train towards freedom, a plump brothel
madam’s haircurlers shook with defiance and dependence on the
local police. And finally, there was Shinde, whose direction of the
laddoo-selling, language-stumbling Shashi made viewers weep while
they laughed. Brilliantly, Shinde took the 1980s’ glamour goddess,
STEPPING BEYOND MR INDIA – 2012 SAW BOLLYWOOD
STARRING WOMEN, STORIES AND SETTINGS
Sridevi, known for the wet saris male directors soaked her in, dressing
her in homely threads, little bindis and oily plaits, saddling her with
an unappreciative family, acute loneliness – and a bright English
class with a hot French admirer. Such elegant twists of directorial
fingers came from female hands. And the box office, busting the
‘libidinal economies’ Slavoj Zizek describes, the myth that men like
women simply heaving bosoms or hitching up skirts, powered their
elbows more. As it has with 2012’s two other big stars – narration
and location. Odd-ball movies – Vicky Donor, OMG, Barfi – scored
big at the box office. These spotlighted the script as star at a time
when top artists have been dominating screens for 20 years, younger
actors are establishing footholds and viewers’ own sensibilities,
exposed to global trends and tales, have changed. Less entranced
by star-centric formulas, viewers were instead drawn to stories of
odd passion, comedies twisted with sadness like tequila with lime,
ordinary mortals challenging God – and the supposedly challenged
challenging the ordinary. Scriptwriters had fun through 2012,
covering screens with confetti that sparkled, tickled and burned.
Formulaic films – Agneepath, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Ek Tha Tiger – were
hits too. But the films that stood out were small, sharp and bright.
And their settings helped them. Mirroring the swing of
fascination from a recession-hit West to metropolitan India and then,
the mofussil, Bollywood celebrated a return to roots with desi
locations. If Barfi was set in a dreamy Darjeeling of mists and
heartbreak, Vicky Donor was set in a greasy Delhi of chhole-bhature
and malls. Gangs of Wasseypur was rooted in the black heart of
Bihar’s coal zones, Chittagong in the Van Gogh-like patchwork fields
of peasants fighting a Raj, Shanghai in a murky netherworld between
visions in the sky and realities underfoot. Desi location was a marked
change from the 1990s, where several hits were set in London, New
York or ‘Swizzzerland’ – anywhere but India. My wager is Mira Nair’s
Monsoon Wedding with its bitter-sweet celebration of old, new and
newer Delhi, alerted moviemakers to the richness they were losing.
Kick-starts aside though, the celebration of location stood firm and
will remain so in 2013, as Paan Singh Tomar, running through the
ravines of Chambal, reflected.
Speaking of whom, biopics might surprise you with some
frequency. Tomar’s was the first of a clutch of Bollywood biographies
on sportspersons, Milkha Singh next, Mary Kom rumoured too.
Just like real stories and real places, today’s audience also wants to
see real people in Bollywood – a huge shift from the past when
cinema celebrated the kings and queens of candycoloured dreams.
But this turns the spotlight on the fourth new star of the movie
world – you, the modern viewer, whose ‘signs’, as Roland Barthes
writes, are immanent in new narratives, and for whom cinema – just
like politics – must change its worldview to be a hit.
nuclear safety’
I
nternational Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) director
general Yukiya Amano
visited Japan recently for an
IAEA-Japan
ministerial
conference on strengthening
nuclear safety. Speaking with
Sachin
Parashar, Amano
discussed Fukushima’s impact
on
international
nuclear
expansion, the importance of
independent regulatory bodies,
his take regarding anti-nuclear
Kudankulam – and pro-nuclear
Iran:
Following the Fukushima
episode, what is IAEA doing to
increase nuclear safety?
It is for the countries which
use nuclear power and not IAEA
to ensure highest levels of
safety. Our role is to help them
achieve this objective. We have
safeguard agreements and we
implement these – but on safety,
it is the member state which is
responsible. The IAEA safety
standard is not legally binding.
We expect countries to adhere
to it. We are still learning lessons
from Fukushima. The accident
was triggered by an earthquake
and tsunami but it is obvious
there were human errors too. A
very important lesson is that
regulatory bodies have to be
independent and robust –
independent of the promotional
side. Unfortunately, the Japanese
regulatory body was not
independent enough – as a
consequence, there was not
sufficient oversight.
We are now recommending
to all countries that they
establish such bodies. We are
also reviewing IAEA safety
standards to see if there are
areas we can improve. One such
area is dealing with natural
hazards like earthquakes,
tsunami, flooding and their
combined impact. Member
states are implementing concrete
measures like strengthening the
supply of electricity in case of
prolonged blackouts or the
supply of water for cooling.
What long-term impact will
Fukushima have on the use of
nuclear power?
We don’t promote or
prohibit nuclear power but it
does seem there will be an
expansion of this – although the
pace of the expansion may go
down after Fukushima. This is
very different from Chernobyl,
after which there was no
construction of atomic power
plants for 20 years. After
Fukushima, there are still 65
nuclear power reactors being
constructed all over the world,
two-thirds in Asia. My view is
that countries are worried about
climate change. Also, fossil fuel
prices never seem to go down.
More and more countries don’t
want to be dependent on others
for their energy supplies – so,
they’re looking at nuclear power
as an option.
But it is important for these
countries to first establish good
nuclear infrastructure, have the
right domestic laws and join
major international conventions.
Speaking of which, how are
your negotiations with Iran
progressing?
We’ve just finished the last
round. While there was no
agreement, there was progress.
Both sides are willing to reach
an agreement – that is the right
path. It is in the interest of Iran
too. As a member of the NPT,
Iran must implement safeguard
agreements
and
other
international resolutions. It must
not develop nuclear weapons.
Unfortunately, Iran is not
implementing these rules fully.
We’ve been negotiating but we
don’t have concrete results and
that’s worrying. If we cannot
find solutions, the situation will
escalate. IAEA wants to solve
the issue through diplomatic
means. We remain committed to
dialogue. We have information
that Iran has engaged in
activities related to development
of nuclear explosive devices – we
want to clarify.
Finally,whatwouldyousay to
anti-nuclear protesters in
Kudankulam?
I have no particular
comment but i can give a
recommendation – we need to
share both good news and bad
news to get a better
understanding of the problem.
We have to explain complicated
things in a simple manner. It is
only
through
better
communication and higher
transparency that we can achieve
this.
Radio
SOUTHASIAN PULSE
Mon to Fri - 2 Hours, 2 to 4 PM on AM 530
Television
SOUTHASIAN 360 DEGREES
On FILMYChannel Right Across North America
Canada - (Rogers - Channel-830, Bell fibe TV
Channel-798 ),
USA - DirecTV - Channel 2008
Timings- Friday6-7 PM,Sun -1-2 PMWed - 6:307:30PM-EST
Online
WWW.SOUTHASIANDAILY.COM
ONLY News Portal for Southasian-Canadians
Cricket
CANADIAN PROFESSIONAL
CRICKET (CPC)
4th Annual
CPC Inter-City Cricket Cup Starting June 2011
6 Months of Non-stop cricket action
Events
5th Annual
Midweek Southasian Awards
2012
All Rights Reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be printed without the written consent of the
publisher. DISCLAIMER: Asian World Today Inc. assumes all advertisers to be reliable and responsible for any
and all liability from their claims. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisement he may see unfit
for publication. The opinions expressed in Midweek may not be those of the publisher.
Enough Is Enough
To avoid further deaths like Nirbhaya’s,
here’s what the political class must do
S
he died on Saturday. But not before her indomitable struggle
against inhuman odds captured the imagination of an entire
nation. Not unlike 15-year-old Malala Yousafzai’s victimisation
and bravery had done in neighbouring Pakistan. If comparison is at
all possible in such cases, the tribulations of Nirbhaya (as this
newspaper has named her) were much worse. And she didn’t survive.
One of these two bravehearts had merely wanted an education, while
the other wanted to travel the streets of the national capital safely.
Not too much to ask for, surely. Young and old, male and female, rich
and poor, from Mumbai to Kolkata, from Srinagar to
Thiruvananthapuram, citizens have been speaking up since that dark
night of December 16, when Nirbhaya fought back bravely against
her rapists in the country’s capital. For a shocked political class, the
question must be that what is it about Nirbhaya’s case that has made
it such a lightning rod, stirring up a storm of anger not just in Delhi but
nationally as well? Sexual harassment and rape are unfortunately
commonplace in India, as brutal incidents reported even in the interim
attest. Widespread protests – spontaneous and voluntary – against
such brutalities are not. Still, history is replete with dates on which
people said stop; we won’t take degradation anymore. So it is that the
raped and murdered paramedical student has become a symbol for
many of us. She was studying, working, watching a film, commuting,
and had the right to be safe while exercising the right to create a better
life. In the circumstances it won’t be enough for the political class to
make soothing, emollient noises, hoping that the clamour will die
down. The litmus test is what they are willing to do to combat the
rising graph of barbaric violence against women. Security, after all,
isn’t for VIPs alone. It’s a fundamental human entitlement.
It’s right to say that there is no quick-fix vaccine against gendered
violence: a culture of disrespect for women can’t be remodelled by
policing and judicial reforms alone. It’s wrong to underestimate the
reach of such reforms. If police are accountable not just to the political
classes but to ordinary citizens as well, if there are more police officers
active on the streets, if there are more women police officers, if a zerotolerance policy with respect to crime against women (of any
magnitude) is enforced from top to bottom, if police personnel guilty
of such crimes are swiftly punished, clearly articulated values in the
administration will quickly feed into society at large. Back in 2006,
Supreme Court had mandated sweeping police reforms, including a
police complaint authority to pronounce binding recommendations in
response to public complaints in every district. There has been little
progress on this, mainly because control over police forces is seen as
a fundamental perk of political power. This encourages a mutually
backscratching relationship between ruling politicians and senior
police officers, to the detriment of security for the common citizen.
Will any political party now have the gumption to break up this cosy
relationship by calling for police reforms, as well as implementing
them where it is in power? Another institutional test of whether a
party is willing to put its money where its mouth is, can be how quickly
states can set up fast-track courts to try crimes against women.
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
community
US launches homicide probe
into death of Andhra man
WASHINGTON/BUREAU NEWS: An Indian man hailing from
Andhra Pradesh, who used to run a liquor store in the US, was
found dead at the shop under suspicious circumstances and police
have opened a homicide investigation. Venkat Reddy-Goli, 47, was
found dead by the police inside the Central Liquors store in
Colerain Township of Ohio having a population of some 60,000.
The police said Goli, owner of the liquor store, suffered from
fatal injuries. A spokesman of Colerain Township Police
Department said that no arrest has been made so far. Police said
they have opened a homicide investigation. "It is under
investigation. We can't divulge any other information," he said.
The police arrived at the crime scene in the wee hours of Sunday
after his wife called. The wife went to the store after Goli did not
return from his business on Saturday night. When she reached
the store, she found her husband lying aside in the store and
notified police.
Indian’s subway killing a hate crime
INDIAN SHOVED TO DEATH IN NY, WOMAN CHARGED WITH
MURDER.
WASHINGTON/BUREAU NEWS: As he peered at the approaching
metro train standing on the edge of platform on 40th and Lowery
street station in Queens, Sunando Sen didn't see or hear the footsteps
of death behind his back, much less realize it was racist and hatefilled. This was New York, the most racially and ethnically diverse
city on the planet, where the immigrant from Kolkota had lived
comfortably for nearly two decades and was on the threshold of
entrepreneurial success. Mumbling incoherently, Erika Menendez
had stood up from a bench she was sitting on, walked up behind
Sen, 46, and shoved him in the path of the oncoming train even as a
few horrified witnesses saw the 8 pm incident, which was also
captured in the station's videocams in grainy footage. She then
bolted from the station , causing a city-wide hunt.
She pushed Sen, the 32-year old Menendez later told police
when she was apprehended following a tip-off after a public sighting,
because she hates Hindus and Muslims , who in her view brought
down the city's World Trade Center twin towers on 9/11. She was
arrested on Saturday and charged with seconddegree murder.
Menendez is expected to be arraigned by Sunday morning . If
convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. By charging
her with murder as a hate crime, the possible minimum sentence she
faced would be extended to 20 years from 15 years, according to
prosecutors. The incident has stunned New York City, not the least
because it is the second episode in a month of someone being shoved
in the path of an oncoming train in a subway system that is more
than 100 years old. Even in the troubled days after 9/11 such hate
crimes were rare in NYC. And ironically, the woman who harboured
such racist sentiment and conflated Muslim and Hindu faith was
herself Hispanic. Queens district attorney Richard Brown told the
New York media that Menendez told the police she believed she had
pushed a Muslim man off the platform "because I hate Hindus and
Muslims ever since 2001 when they put down the twin towers I've
been beating them up".
"Beyond that, the hateful remarks allegedly made by the
defendant and which precipitated the defendant's actions should
never be tolerated by a civilized society," Brown said, adding that
he had no information on the defendant's criminal or mental history
and it will be up to the court to determine if she is fit to stand trial. In
an earlier incident on December 3, a Korean-American man died
after he was shoved on to the path of an oncoming train in Queens
by a homeless person, allegedly after an altercation. Deaths in New
York subway is not unusual (there were 47 deaths in 2011), but they
are mostly accidents and suicides, seldom homicides. New Yorkers
meanwhile mourned Sen, who came to city after enrolling at NYU in
the early 1990s to study graphic design. He had only recently started
a small printing business with financial backing from a college friend,
and was working seven days a week to make it a success. "I didn't
know anything about the business," his friend and business partner
Sanjeeb Das said about Sen, who was single. "He knew everything
. We were close like brothers," said Das, who shared a placed with
Sen from 1998 to 2005 before moving out to get married. "Every
weekend , he came to my house. He loved my small son."
Naomi Watts appreciates Vivek Oberoi
N
aomi Watts who portrays the role of the tsunami victim
in 'The Impossible' has written an appreciation letter
t o Vi v e k O b e r o i o n h i s c o n t r i b u t i o n t o w a r d s
rehabilitating tsunami hit
families in Indian subcontinent.
Vi v e k h a d a d o p t e d a
v i l l a g e i n Ta m i l N a d u
named Thevanapattinam
in 2004. Naomi was deeply
moved when she heard
t h a t Vi v e k h a s b e e n
involved in providing
welfare for these families.
Naomi Watts has received
a
Golden
Globe
nomination
for
her
outstanding role in 'The
Impossible'.
'The
Impossible' will release in
India on January 4, 2013.
The movie is the story of Maria (Naomi Watts), Henry ( Ewan
McGregor) and their three children. The family had just begun
started enjoying their winter vacation in Thailand when an
unexpected tsunami threatened to destroy the entire region
on the unforgettable day of December 26, 2004. The story
traces the frenzied journey of search, compassion, courage
and how the family survives in the darkest hours of their lives,
following the wild flood.
The letter from Naomi reads, "Dear Vivek, Words really
fail to express how touched I am to see the work you have
done for the rehabilitation of the Tsunami-hit families in
Thevanapattinam, Tamil Nadu. It takes a lot of courage and
immense devotion to be able to take up such a responsibility
on one's shoulders...
As a celebrity it is important for us to realize that we can
act as catalysts for change but unfortunately few take any
r e a l m e a s u r e s . Yo u r e f f o r t t o b r i d g e t h i s g a p d e s e r v e s
appreciation from all quarters.I salute you on behalf of the
entire team of 'The Impossible' for adopting Thevanapattinam
and providing relief work to the Tsunami victims."
7
NAOMI WATTS
APPRECIATES
VIVEK OBEROI
I P8
Indians abroad hold
candle light vigil for
Delhi rape victim
W A S H I N G T O N /
MELBOURNE:
Indian
diaspora in the US, Australia
and the UK held candlelight
vigils for the 23-year-old
gang-rape victim in Delhi,
demanding stern punishment
for the culprits and fast track
courts to deal with sexual
assault cases. Braving chilly
w e a t h e r, I n d i a n - A m e r i c a n s
gathered at the Gandhi Statue
i n Wa s h i n g t o n a n d h e l d a
candle light vigil for the girl,
who died yesterday in
Singapore after battling for
life for 13 days. "Delhi bus
incident is our Rosa Parks bus
incident. Hopefully we will
discuss gender violence more
and do some ... thing about
it," a group of IndianAmericans, who held the
candle light vigil last night,
said on their Facebook page,
especially created for the
occasion. In Melbourne, a
large group of Indian men and
women gathered in front of
the Indian consulate and lit
candles to express their
outrage over the incident.
Expressing her anger and grief
over the loss of the young
girl's life, lawyer Navjeet Jhaji
said the Indian government
should take stern actions
against the culprits. "There
should be freedom for the
women to just move out
freely on the streets." Ravi
Bhatia, a community leader,
said sexual violence was an
all too common occurrence in
India. "Tens of thousands of
women in India are sexually
harassed,
beaten
and
brutalised,
raped
and
murdered, denied justice and
basic human rights," he said.
The memorial service for the
girl, who was brutally gangraped and assaulted by six
men in a moving bus in Delhi
on December 16, was
organised by a social website
group called Indian Solidarity
Group.
'The Attacks of 26/11'
selected for Berlin film fest
R
am Gopal Varma's new film The Attacks of 26/11 has
been selected for Berlin International Film Festival.
Producer Parag Sanghvi says he is honoured to be
part of the prestigious festival. "I am happy that I convinced
Ramu to make this film in the first place and it is an honour for
us to have our film at
the
prestigious
Berlin Film Festival.
It is a matter of
prestige for us that
we are both in the
Panorama as well as
the
Competition
section, and to get
invited itself is a very
big thing," Sanghavi
told IANS. The Attacks of 26/11 is produced by Alumbra
Entertainment and Eros International and directed by Varma.
The shooting of the film is complete and is currently in postproduction stage. It will release in theatres March 1, 2013.
'Listen Amaya' selected
for London Asian film fest
Britney Spears in a Hindi film?
S
adanandan Lucsam, a film producer from Kerala
who made India's first food comedy, 'Salt 'N'
Pepper', has signed Britney Spears for a song-anddance number in his untitled debut Hindi production.
"Britney's song is an integral part of the film. She
sings and dances to the title track of the movie, which is
a peppy number and will be shot lavishly. It will be a
proper Hindi number with some good English lines as
well, to make it universal in its appeal," says
Sadanandan. The filmmaker claims to have made the
payments to one of her agencies. He says he has blocked
her dates and is working on the song.
The producer adds that he will officially announce
the name of the project, along with the cast and crew
members, closer to when the film goes on floors. "We
do not believe in tom-tomming about the project before
we start work. We want to make sure that things are in
place before we announce the name of the music
directors," says Sadanandan.
F
arooque Shaikh and
Deepti Naval-starrer
"Listen Amaya" will be
screened at the 15th London
Asian Film Festival, to be
h e l d i n M a r c h n e x t y e a r.
Directed by debutant director
Av i n a s h K u m a r S i n g h , t h e
film sees Farooque and
Deepti sharing the screen 28
years after their 1983 film
"Katha".
The film tells the story of a
Amaya and her widowed
m o t h e r, w h o b e g i n s t o
develop a relationship with
Amaya's friend played by
Farooque Shaikh. Swara
Bhaskar plays the role of
Amaya in the film. "I am glad
and very much happy that
this film has been selected
for London Asian Film fest.
Av i n a s h h a s t r i e d t o s a y a
beautiful story and it is a
very sweet film," Farooque
told.
"I hope this film gets
recognition from everywhere
and lots of luck to Avinash,"
he added. The film had
previously bagged the best
feature film and the best
director award at the New
Jersey Independent South
Asian Cinefest. A selffunded film, "Listen Amaya"
has
received
standing
ovation wherever it has been
screened earlier.
MidWeek
8
community
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
Reading ‘Love Letters’ with Om Puri, Divya Dutta
READING ‘LOVE LETTERS’ WITH OM PURI, DIVYA DUTTA.
I
f love cannot be defined, then a love story too transcends fixed and logical meanings. A love
story ends on a note of despair, sometimes loss, death or tragedy at other times, but seldom
does it end with our favourite cliche, 'happily-ever-after.' While Romeo and Juliet's love does
not live for long beyond the balcony, Antony and Cleopatra's kiss of love is poisoned by Octavius
Caesar, Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler's passion is one inch short to permanence, Laila and
Majnu are forced to part ways and Salim and Anarkali's blossoming romance was doomed from
the beginning. Amrita Nigam and Zulfikar Haidar is yet another pair whose love was perhaps
meant to be unrequited but also, eternal and exemplary at the same time. 35 years of life lived
together through letters, letters that brought them close, letters that moved them away from
each other and letters that securely enveloped a romance unknown to the ignorant world.
'Teri Amrita', a Punjabi play (translated by Amrik Gill and directed by veteran actor and
thespian Om Puri), originally written by Javed Siddiqui titled 'Tumhari Amrita' is an adaptation
of American playwright A R Gurney's 'Love Letters' (1988). Recently staged in Delhi over four
consecutive days 'Teri Amrita' ran to packed houses in the evenings of this chilly December
month.
An unfinished letter, an incomplete love story
There are two chairs, two tables and heaps of letters upon which written, are words, waiting
to be read, heard, lived and loved. Draped in a red and black saree, actress Divya Dutta breathed
life into the character of Amrita Nigam, an artist whose paintings were an expression of her
passionate self; and a free-spirited woman often misunderstood and condemned by society for
her 'antics'. Om Puri, on the other, looked radiant in a white cotton chikankari kurta-pyjama and
well-suited the persona of Zulfikar Haidar, a student of Civil Services until he stumbles upon law
as his true calling and eventually ends up a bureaucrat and an important political figure during
the pre-independence years.
The year is 1940 and it is Amrita's eighth birthday party, also, a beginning of a friendship
that is to last seasons, birthdays and festivals spanning 35 years. Writing letters to each other
becomes so intrinsic to the
lives of Amrita and Zulfi that
when they find nothing new to
say to each other, the letter
just reads, 'Happy New Year'
or a 'Happy Birthday'. On days
when Amrita is unhappy or
upset to learn that Zulfi would
miss her yet another art
exhibition due to political
engagements, she would
either resolve not to send
anymore letters or pen abuses
to her lover. A little cajoling
from Zulfi in his next letter
would be enough to get her
back to writing to him.
'Will you marry me
Zulfi?'
To believe that only
marriage can consummate love
would be an affront to a relationship that is beyond societal dictates. When Amrita writes,
'Mujhse Shaadi Karoge Zulfi' (Will you marry me Zulfi), Zulfi is left thinking about how he should
articulate his reply. "To write your name, Amrita on this white sheet of paper is like giving
direction to a lover lost on an empty road," writes Zulfi trying to tell Amrita that they were
married from the day they exchanged their first letter. But he gets married, not to Amrita but
another woman after he gives into his parents' wishes. Whether it was the difficult proposition
of a Hindu-Muslim marriage during the partition years that prevented the union of Amrita and
Zulfi one doesn't know, but one surely could not question the purity and intensity of a bond
destined to be etched in the memory of successive generations.
'I cannot marry you Zulfi'
But there were uncomfortable questions when one fateful day a journalist caught hold of
Amrita's letter addressed to Zulfi. The possession of Amrita's letter became a weapon to malign
the political image of Zulfi
and also ridicule the status of
a woman (Amrita) who had
lost her family to fatal health
conditions and resorted to
alcohol and her canvas for
company. Amrita had toured
almost the entire world with
her paintings exhibited in
New York, Rome and
elsewhere. However, she
began to lose her vision and
failed to distinguish red from
black, "Instead of red, I
painted a black sunset Zulfi,"
she wrote. Given the
circumstances,
Zulfi
proposes marriage to Amrita
to save both her and him from
filthy conspiracies, but Amrita
refuses. "Your wife and little
child had come to visit me.
You cannot do something against your family. I cannot marry you," she signs off.
The last letter
Amrita dies. Zulfi writes a letter to the journalist urging him to publish not one but all the
letters exchanged between him and Amrita over 35 years so that the love of his life is not
(mis)judged for a single letter but
understood fully as a person that
she truly was.
There's humour, sorrow,
pain and pathos in this play, a
play where two actors have
nothing but their voices and
dialogues to weave a story.
With actors like Om Puri and
Divya Dutta on stage, every
dialogue immediately became an
image in the mind; such was the power of their theatrical genius.
On clinical terms Amrita may have died due to an alcohol
overdose but in reality she died because she began to find
death dearer than life.
She was not just Amrita; she was Zulfi's Amrita, 'Teri
Amrita'.
History of 'Teri Amrita'
Shabana Azmi and Farooq Sheikh have been performing
'Tumhari Amrita' for almost two decades now. When director
Feroz Abbas Khan first staged 'Tumhari Amrita' in 1992 at
Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai, as a tribute to Jennifer Kapoor on
her birthday, little could he foresee that the play would be
celebrated for over than 20 years. Om Puri and Divya Dutta
first performed the play at Rose Theatre, Ontario, Canada, where
the former made a comeback to theatre after 25 years while it
was the latter's debut performance as a theatre artist.
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
canada
PROPOSED CHANGES
WOULD STRENGTHEN
CANADA'S
INTERNATIONAL
STUDENT PROGRAM
I P10
Conservative Government Moving
in the Opposite Direction: NDP
While US President Barack
Obama is taking steps toward
more effective gun control in
the US, Stephen Harper is
ignoring police and moving in
the opposite direction.
"The
Conservatives'
sense of effective gun control
is as bad as their sense of
timing," said NDP Justice
Critic Françoise Boivin
(Gatineau). "Despite police
warnings and international
treaty
obligations,
the
Conservatives are shelving
tighter regulations for gun
shows, considering reducing
mental health checks for gun
licenses, and refusing to
enforce simple rules that
would help track and curb
gun trafficking."
The RCMP have warned
that decreasing the frequency
9
of mental health checks for
firearms licenses to ten years
or longer would limit their
ability to monitor mental
health
status
changes;
Canadian
police
have
underscored the importance
of tighter control of gun
shows; and international
treaties aimed at helping
solve gun crime, require the
gun
markings
the
Conservatives are deferring.
Further, while the Prime
Minister insists that our
system is safer than in the
US, Conservative cuts to the
Canada Border Services
Agency (CBSA) have meant
fewer staff patrolling our
borders. "Firearms continue
to be smuggled into Canada,"
said NDP Public Safety critic
Randall Garrison (Esquimalt Juan de Fuca). "Cutting
CBSA
funding
makes
a b s o l u t e l y n o s e n s e . We
know that smuggled guns are
fuelling street violence in
major cities."
Liberal support- Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps
listed as terrorist Entity
TORONTO/BUREAU NEWS :
Liberal Leader Bob Rae made the
following statement today on the
Canadian government's listing of
the Qods Force of Iran's Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps
(IRGC) as a terrorist entity:
"The government's decision
to list the Islamic Revolutionary
action on the Iranian regime. It
is not enough to simply declare
that Canada has some of the
toughest sanctions; we need a
real and comprehensive strategy
to hold the regime accountable
for its actions."
Liberal Human Rights
critic Irwin Cotler concluded:
Guard Corps' Qods Force under
Canada's Anti-terrorism Act is
long overdue, but still falls short
of comprehensive action. For
years, the Liberal Party of Canada
has joined with communities
across Canada calling on the
Harper Conservatives to list the
entire IRGC as a terrorist entity,
and this government still refuses
to do so."
Liberal Foreign Affairs
critic Dominic LeBlanc
continued:
"A very significant disparity
remains
between
the
Conservatives' rhetoric and
"There is still much that
needs to be done: Canada must
list the entire IRGC as a terrorist
entity, undertake the mandated
legal remedies to hold the regime
to account for its statesanctioned incitement to
genocide, and should sanction
the major human rights violators
who are engaged in massive
domestic repression.
The Liberal Party of Canada
continues its call on the
Canadian government to take a
strong leadership role on the
international stage, rather than
this piecemeal approach."
Focused on the Economy:
No New Spending
70 per cent expecting
J i m F l a h e r t y, M i n i s t e r o f
Finance, was in Burlington,
Ontario hosting pre-budget
consultations with local
business and community
leaders.
His message was clear:
the
focus
of
our
Government's next budget is
to continue our initiatives
aimed at supporting job
creation,
promoting
economic growth and keeping
Canada on the right track
towards long-term prosperity.
What our Government's
next budget will not do is
indulge the big, expensive
and risky spending schemes
that will increase taxes on
Canadians and increase our
deficit. But if given the
chance, the Opposition
would. The NDP proposed
increasing spending by at
least $56 billion and plans to
help pay for it through a $21
billion carbon tax on
Canadians. And both the
Liberals and NDP have
supported a 45 day work year
for EI- a move which could
cost Canadians as much as $4
billion per year and which
does nothing to help create
jobs. Our Conservative
Government will not support
these out of control tax-andspend schemes. Rather, we
will consult with Canadians
and listen to their ideas on
how to create a stronger, more
vibrant Canadian economy.
Our Government remains
focused on helping create
jobs and growth.
Proposed Changes Would Strengthen
Canada's International Student Program
OTTAWA/BUREAU NEWS : New measures to prevent fraud in the
International Student Program (ISP) were proposed today by
Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason
Kenney. "Attracting the best and brightest young minds from around
the world is key to the continued success of Canada's economy and
long-term prosperity," said
Minister Kenney. "But there are
too many stories of international
students who pay a lot of money
and leave their families back home
to study in Canada, only to find
out they have been misled. These
changes will help us better protect
international students and the
reputation of Canada's postsecondary education system by
making sure that international
students are coming to quality
institutions that comply with basic
standards of accountability."
Citizenship and Immigration
Canada (CIC) is proposing
regulatory changes to limit study permits to students attending
institutions designated by provinces and territories. The proposed
changes would address concerns that some institutions are providing
poor-quality programs or facilitating, knowingly or not, the entry of
foreign nationals to Canada for purposes other than study.
Under the proposed amendments, CIC would work with
provinces and territories - which are constitutionally responsible
for education - to develop a framework to designate educational
institutions that will be permitted to host international students. If
a school is not designated, it would be able to continue offering
programs of six months or less to foreign nationals in Canada on
regular visitor visas. Visitors who wish to enroll in short-term courses
do not currently require a study permit, and this would continue to
be the case.
Eligible
international
students attending designated
institutions would also be able to
work part-time off-campus, without
having to apply for a separate work
permit. This new flexibility would
contribute to Canada's appeal in
attracting the best and brightest
students from around the globe.
Furthermore, to help eliminate
abuse of student visas, changes
are being made to ensure that the
primary intent of an international
student in Canada is to study.
Currently, foreign nationals are able
to apply to any Canadian school
or business offering training in Canada and need only demonstrate
an intent to study - there is currently no requirement for them to
actually pursue studies once in Canada and no way of tracking
whether they do. These changes would provide CIC the authority
to request evidence from study permit holders to verify their
compliance with study permit conditions. International students
would be removed from Canada if they fail to meet new requirements.
(Contd. on page 10)
a Happy Financial
New Year :CIBC Poll
Annual poll reveals confidence in achieving future
financial goals is higher among Canadians who
have met with an advisor in the past year
TORONTO: A new CIBC (TSX:
CM) poll conducted by Harris/
Decima shows that as Canadians
approach the New Year they are
generally positive about their
current financial situation, an
increase of 6 per cent from a year
ago. Canadians are also
confident about achieving their
future financial goals - a trend
that was most prevalent among
those who have
met with an
advisor in the last
year.
Key findings
of this year's poll
include:
T h e
percentage
of
Canadians who
say they feel positive about their
current financial situation has
increased over last year, and is
now back to the levels seen in
2011:
2013
2012
2011
70%
64%
69%
Residents of Ontario
(74 per cent) and the Prairies (75
per cent) were among the most
positive in the country when it
comes to their current financial
situation
Percentage of Canadians
who say they are confident they
will reach their future financial
goals:
2013
2012
2011
74%
72%
71%
Regionally, residents of
the Prairies (84 per cent) and
Alberta (82 per cent) were among
the most confident about
reaching their future financial
goals
Canadians
are
increasingly seeing the value in
setting goals with 76 per cent
saying it's more important today
than it was five years ago to set
financial goals for yourself
More Canadians are
also taking their own advice and
setting goals for the year with
61 per cent of respondents
saying
they
generally
set
financial goals for
t h e m s e l v e s ,
compared to 51 per
cent two years ago
"Canadians are
entering 2013 with a
more
positive
outlook on their
finances today, and with the
confidence that they can reach
their long term financial goals,"
said Christina Kramer, Executive
Vice
President,
Retail
Distribution and Channel
Strategy, CIBC. "The next step
is to turn that confidence into
action by putting plans in place
at the start of the year that will
help you make progress towards
the things that matter most to
you." The poll also revealed that
one of the keys to a positive
outlook on your finances is
having a discussion with a
financial advisor:
Canadians who met
with advisor were more likely to
feel positive about their financial
situation today (77 per cent)
versus those who had not met
with an advisor (65 per cent).
(Contd. on page 10)
10
MidWeek
canada
70 per cent expecting a Happy Financial New Year :CIBC Poll
They were also more likely to feel confident about reaching
their future goals (79 per cent vs 70 per cent).
46 per cent of Canadians said they've met with an advisor
sometime in the last year
"Setting up a conversation with an advisor early in 2013 will
only require a small time investment, but as we've seen in these poll
results, the benefits can be significant," added Ms. Kramer. "One of
the immediate benefits of that conversation is that you will gain a
better understanding of where you stand today. Then you can lay
out some realistic steps to help achieve your personal financial
goals." Across age groups, confidence in achieving future financial
goals was generally strong, although there were different views
among some age groups.
For example, among Canadians aged 18-34, 73 per cent say
they are confident they will reach their future financial goals - a
decline of 5 per cent from last year.
Conversely, Canadians aged 55 to 64 saw a gain in
confidence entering the new year with 75 per cent saying they are
confident they will reach their future financial goals compared to
just 68 per cent last year.
KEY POLL FINDINGS
Percentage of Canadians feeling positive about their current
financial situation today, by region:
Percentage of Canadians who are confident they will reach their
future financial goals, by region:
Percentage of Canadians who are confident they will reach their
future financial goals, by age:
Each week, Harris/Decima interviews just over 1000 Canadians
through teleVox, the company's national telephone omnibus survey.
These data were gathered in a sample of 2,009 Canadians between
October 25th and November 4, 2012. A sample of this size has a
margin of error of +/-2.2%, 19 times out of 20.
Canadians and Smartphones :
Made for each other ?
speeds and the latest
connected technologies."
According to those
surveyed,
the
top
technology
trends
and
predictions include:
Canadians watch more
TV and movies anyplace:
Over half (52 per cent) said
they increased the amount of
TV and movies they watched
over the Internet at home in
2012. Men were almost twice
as likely as women to watch
TV and movies on their
mobile devices while on the
go. Eighty-six per cent of
young adults and 43 per
cent of those surveyed
caught Gangnam Style on
YouTube. Over the next five
years, the majority of those
surveyed (65 per cent)
expect to have seamless
connections that allow them
to go from room to room
without missing a second of
a TV show, movie or game.
Canadians to get more
time back in their day: Most
feel that wireless network
speeds have improved in the
last year and by 2017,
almost half expect to save at
least two hours a day by
using faster home and
mobile Internet.
BYOD - Bring Your Own
Device - on the rise: Over
half (55 per cent) said they
were able to use the device
of their choice at work or for
work-related purposes in
2012. Seventy-two per cent
believe that the majority of
Canadians will be able to
use their preferred mobile
device at the office within
the next two years.
More Canadians to work
from home thanks to cloud
services and faster mobile
Proposed Changes Would
Strengthen Canada's International
Student Program
The proposed changes respond to findings from a 2011 evaluation
of the International Student Program, which concluded that gaps in
the program leave it open to abuse and fraud. Similar reforms have
already been implemented by Canada's key competitor countries for
international students. These changes will strengthen Canada's
position as a leader in international education.
"By improving the International Student Program, we are
strengthening Canada's reputation as a destination of choice for
international students," said Minister Kenney. "In addition to the
economic impact, international student graduates are a great source
of potential permanent immigrants. For those who choose to stay in
Canada, their Canadian education and their language skills are
important factors for success." "International students are vital to
the global experience offered on university campuses across
Canada,"said Paul Davidson, president of the Association of
Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). "They enrich our
institutions with their cultures, languages and unique perspectives
and have a positive economic impact on communities coast to coast.
We support efforts to strengthen Canada's reputation as a destination
of choice for students around the world."
"The Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC)
and CIC collaborate to maintain the integrity of Canada as a
destination of choice for international students," said James Knight,
President and CEO of the ACCC. "Canada's 140 public colleges and
institutes are renowned for the quality of their programs and services
for international students. We welcome measures to preserve the
excellence of the Canadian brand." As part of the consultative
process, the proposed changes were posted today in the Canada
Gazette for a 45-day public comment period.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper
highlights government's 2012
achievements
Percentage of Canadians feeling positive about their current
financial situation today, by age:
TORONTO/BUREU NEWS :
The love affair between
Canadians
and
their
smartphones intensified in
2012. According to the latest
Rogers Innovation Report,
c o m m i s s i o n e d b y Vi s i o n
Critical and released today
by Rogers Communications,
Nomophobia - the state of
stress caused by being away
from your smartphone - has
gripped
Canadian
smartphone users. Sixty five
per cent say they feel naked
without their smartphone and
Internet access. A little over
half sleep with their device
next to them, and 82 per cent
use their smartphone in the
bathroom. Over half say they
check their mobile device
before brushing their teeth in
the morning.
Looking ahead, these
Canadians predict a surge in
attachment to their mobile
devices
and
wireless
connectivity. Eighty per cent
believe people will choose
their wireless device to go
online versus their desktop
computer.
"Consumers
are
absolutely passionate about
their online connections.
And, that's only expected to
increase as technology
advances,"
said
Reade
B a r b e r, Vi c e P r e s i d e n t ,
Mobile and Fixed Internet at
Rogers Communications.
"From mobile banking and
work
f l e x i b i l i t y,
to
downloading the latest ebook or watching the big
game on the go, Canadians
are doing more online today
and will be even more
connected in 2013 and
beyond and as they sign up
for the fastest Internet
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
speeds: Fifty-nine per cent
of respondents predict that
over the next two years
Cloud services-combined
with faster mobile networkswill mean more Canadians
will work from home.
Canadians making more
mobile payments: More than
one in ten used an app to
pay for a purchase in 2012.
The majority of those
surveyed (67 per cent) think
that within two years most
Canadians will use mobile
devices to pay for purchases
and save money.
More digital and less
paper - increased use of ebooks
and
online
magazines: In 2012, 10 per
cent of those surveyed
downloaded a racy novel to
a mobile device - and must
have liked it - since the
majority (78 per cent) think
e-book sales will explode.
Expect more room in the
recycling bin as 77 per cent
predict more Canadians will
do their magazine reading on
their tablets in 2013.
Buffering to be as old
school as dial up Internet:
In 2012, ten per cent of
respondents
said
they
updated to faster mobile
Internet speeds, signing up
for the next gen network
LT E , a n d 2 2 p e r c e n t s a i d
t h e y u p g r a d e d t o a n LT E
device. That is expected to
jump, with 80 per cent
predicting
that
more
Canadians will sign up for
the fastest internet speeds
available in 2013. The
result? The strong majority
(71 per cent) predict that
buffering on a wireless
device will be as old school
as dial up Internet. And in
the next five years, more
than three quarters (76 per
cent)
believe
the
overwhelming majority of
Canadians will download
files in seconds using the
fastest mobile Internet
technology in the world.
All about integration technology ecosystems like
Windows 8 gaining ground:
The majority of those
surveyed (82 per cent)
believe that in 2013,
integrated
technology
systems that seamlessly
connect two or more
devices, will increase in
p o p u l a r i t y. T h e s e i n c l u d e
mobile Internet ecosystems
like
Mac
computers
integrated with iPhone or
Wi n d o w s 8 s o f t w a r e f r o m
your desktop at work or
home
and/or
tablets
integrated with Windows 8
smartphones.
Contd. from Page 1
"We also made solid progress on modernizing Canada's immigration
system to make it more proactive, targeted, fast and efficient in a
way that will sustain Canada's economic growth and deliver
prosperity for the future.
"Our Government also began implementing a plan for Responsible
Resource Development that will streamline the review process for
major economic projects. This is expected to facilitate more than 600
projects worth as much as $650 billion over the next 10 years.
"Additionally, we made significant progress on putting in place
infrastructure and other measures across the country, laying the
foundation for future growth and prosperity. This includes:
supporting projects at Lower Churchill Falls that will generate
enormous benefits for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador
and Nova Scotia; signing an agreement for the construction of the
new Detroit River International Crossing; rolling out the Community
Infrastructure Improvement Fund, which will help improve existing
community infrastructure across the country; and making real and
substantive progress on the Beyond the Border Action Plan and on
Regulatory Cooperation with the United States.
"We also continued to strengthen our relationship with First
Nations, including through commitments made at the historic CrownFirst Nations Gathering; announcing support for First Nation
Education to improve school infrastructure and address literacy;
and introducing legislation to protect drinking water in First Nation
communities.
"On the security front, we have taken numerous steps at home to
target crime and terrorism and to provide greater support and
protection for victims of crime, including new income support for
parents of murdered or missing children. Internationally, we continued
to work with the United States to enhance border security, and we
established a new initiative to support police training and border
security in the Americas. With respect to counter-terrorism, we
witnessed the adoption of Canada's first Counter-Terrorism Strategy
and committed to renewing Canada's Global Partnership Program to
reduce the threat from weapons of mass destruction and to combat
nuclear terrorism.
"The Government of Canada also promoted Canadian unity, heritage
and sovereignty by: supporting our Olympic and Paralympic athletes,
who won a total of 49 medals at the London Games; commemorating
The Queen's Diamond Jubilee by welcoming The Prince of Wales
and The Duchess of Cornwall, and awarding deserving Canadians
with Diamond Jubilee medals; and honouring the many battalions
and First Nations groups who fought in the War of 1812, a pivotal
event in Canada's history. We also made progress on ensuring that
the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Coast Guard have the
equipment they need to be a capable and flexible force for good with
the awarding of shipbuilding contracts to both Vancouver Shipyards
Co. and Irving Shipbuilding Inc., which will also generate economic
benefits on both coasts.
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
india
BAN CONDOLES DEATH
OF GANG-RAPE VICTIM,
URGES REFORMS TO
DETER VIOLENCE
AGAINST WOMEN
Sonia Gandhi not to celebrate New
Year in view of gang-rape incident
NEW
DELHI/BUREAU
NEWS: Congress president
Sonia Gandhi will not be
celebrating the New Year in
view of the gang-rape
incident in the national
capital. "Sonia Gandhi has
appealed to partymen and
well-wishers against coming
to her to extend New Year
greetings in the wake of
gang-rape incident," party
general secretary Janardhan
Dwivedi said here on
M o n d a y. P r i m e M i n i s t e r
Manmohan Singh and Gandhi
were present at the airport
when the mortal remains of
the 23-year-old gang-rape
victim were flown in here on
Sunday
morning
from
Singapore where she was
shifted
from
Delhi's
Safdarjung Hospital for
treatment. She died in
Singapore's Mount Elizebeth
Hospital
on
Saturday
morning. Both Singh and
Gandhi had spoken to the
family members and consoled
them. "December 28 is close
to New Year. Normally, we
wish each other but not so
this time as our thoughts are
with the young woman...,"
she had told reporters on the
127th Foundation Day of
Congress
at
AICC
headquarters here on Friday.
Gandhi has sought speedy
action
against
the
perpetrators
of
the
"barbarous" attack on the girl
who was brutally raped and
assaulted in a moving bus on
December 16 in South Delhi.
BJP suggests chemical castration
death penalty for rapists
KOCHI/BUREAU NEWS: Against the backdrop of the Delhi gang- personnel, Naidu charged. The Prime Minister did not address the
rape incident, BJP on Monday suggested maximum punishment to nation for seven days, he said, adding, all this showed the
the accused in rape cases-- either death penalty or chemical government's 'casual approach' on an important issue. The Congress
castration. "There should be
president had not reacted to the
maximum punishment to the
incident till Sunday, he said.
rapists, death penalty or
Naidu also flayed the police
emasculation (chemical castration
action against the protesters.
of the rapist)," senior BJP leader
Demanding setting up of fast
Venkiah Naidu told reporters here.
track courts in every district and
His suggestions come close
trial to be completed within three
on the heels of Congress
months which should be in
proposing castration for rapists. In
camera, Naidu said there should
a draft bill for a tougher law to
be speedy disposal of sex
check crimes against women which
offence cases.
could also include chemical
Sensitising the police and
castration in rare cases, the
the senior officer of the area must
Congress
has
proposed
be made accountable for any
imprisonment up to 30 years for
atrocities against women, he
rape convicts. Lashing out at the
said. Naidu also blamed violence
UPA, Naidu said the 'insensitivity,
in movies and television serials
DELHI GANG-RAPE INCIDENT HAS EVOKED VERY STRONG
indecision and inaction' of
for increasing crimes against
REACTIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH PROTESTERS
Congress-led government has sent
women. The role of cinema and
SEEKING AMENDMENT IN LAWS TO ENSURE CAPITAL
a 'wrong signal' in the country that
TV serials need to be reviewed
PUNISHMENT FOR THE RAPISTS.
the political class, especially the
and scenes of violence,
Parliament system had failed to rise to the occasion.
vulgarity, obscenity, and provocative dialogues need to be checked,
Naidu said a similar suggestion for deterrent punishment of he said. Calling for strict code of self-conduct, he said cinema and
chemical castration had been made by the parliamentary standing serials have tremendous impact on real life. "We also need to bring
committee on home affairs chaired by him. The proposals had been in changes in our education system to inculcate family values, remind
submitted before the home ministry and suggestions from the home the youth of our culture and respect for women," he said. Pointing
and law ministries were being awaited. The committee's next meeting out that the Women's Reservation bill had been pending for long
would be held on January 4, he said. The Delhi gang rape incident and it was time to take it up on an urgent basis, he said BJP would
had revealed the government's 'casual approach', he said.
support any initiative of the government in this regard. Police
For four days the Union home minister was 'evasive' and 'casual' reforms, judicial reforms and increasing women's participation in
in his responses to the persistent demands of members of both police force are overdue, he said. The BJP reiterated its demand for
Houses of Parliament and took several days to announce the setting convening of a special session of Parliament to discuss the issues
up of the judicial commission and suspension of some junior police in depth and make relevant changes in law and send a strong message.
Rights group announces reward of $10,000 for identification
of each rapist of November 1984 massacre
JALANDHAR/BUREAU NEWS: As there is strong anger in the
country against the rape and rapists, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), an
international human rights group advocating justice for the victims
of November 1984, while showing solidarity and sending its "deepest
condolences" to the family of the Delhi gang rape victim, questioned
the silence of the Indian administration, politicians and the justice
system over the rape of Sikh women in broad daylight during first
week of November 1984. The NGO has announced a reward of $10,000
for the identification and prosecution of those who raped Sikh women
during November 1984. "The reward of $10,000 will be given to the
witnesses who come forward with the identification of rapist and
their prosecution," said SFJ legal advisor Gurpatwant Singh Pannun
in a statement issued on Monday. While sharing the pain with Delhi
gang rape victims for the loss of their daughter who was gang raped
in a Delhi Transport Bus, Rights group held that it was an irony that
public transport buses were then used to transport death squads
that raped Sikh women in broad day light during November 1984
massacre of Sikhs. "Successive governments have not only given
impunity to those who perpetrated violent crime of rape against Sikh
women but also have rewarded those with official positions," SFJ
said. While responding to Sonia Gandhi's, statement that "As a
woman, and mother, I understand how protesters feel," "Today we
pledge that the victim will get justice,"?, SFJ asked her stand on the
plight of the victims of 1984.
Patrick Suckling appointed as Australia's next envoy to India
MELBOURNE/BUREAU NEWS: Career diplomat Patrick Suckling
has been appointed as Australia's next high commissioner to India.
Suckling will take up the post in New Delhi next month, according
to media reports here. The appointment was announced by foreign
minister Bob Carr who said the role was important because India is
Australia's fourth largest export market, with trade between the two
11
countries reaching 18-billion dollars a year. Suckling is a career
diplomat who has previously been posted to New Delhi and
Washington. He has a post-graduate diploma in Hindi from the
University of Sydney. Suckling will replace Peter Varghese, who is
returning to Australia to head the department of foreign affairs
and trade.
GMR fallout?
Visa now must for
Maldivian medical
touristsa
NEW DELHI/BUREAU NEWS:
India has tightened visas for
Maldives in what is being seen
as retaliation for the GMR fiasco
in that country. New Delhi has
stopped Maldivians from using
their visa-free travel facilities to
India for other activities like
medical treatment, restricting it
only to tourism. India revised its
approached Sri Lanka saying it
wants to extend its healthcare
scheme to some of the hospitals
in Colombo. Now, Maldivians are
queuing up outside the Indian
High Commission to seek
medical visas which are limited
in number. The Maldivian home
minister said they would
approach Thailand for help in
INDIA HAS TIGHTENED VISAS FOR MALDIVES IN WHAT IS BEING
SEEN AS RETALIATION FOR THE GMR FIASCO IN THAT COUNTRY.
earlier "liberal" interpretation of
the 1979 bilateral visa agreement
with Maldives this month which
allowed
thousands
of
Maldivians to use a 90-day visaon-arrival facility — meant only
for tourism — to travel for
treatment in Indian hospitals.
The Indian government indulged
in Maldivians' liberal use of the
facility. But that will no longer
be allowed, said sources. Now,
Maldivians will need valid
medical visas for treatment in
Indian hospitals or face
deportation, New Delhi has
warned. Foreign minister Salman
Khurshid suggested that a lack
of reciprocity by Male had forced
India to cut down on its largesse
in doling out visas. "We know
that people from the Maldives
come here for treatment but as
far as visas are concerned, we
will go strictly by the rules," said
Khurshid. While India allowed
Maldivians to seek treatment on
tourist visas — as it never
questioned the purpose of their
visit —authorities in Male have
admitted that there always was a
"mutual understanding" that
such travelers required medical
visa. Indications are that
Maldives is already facing the
heat. Calling for its nationals not
to depend on any one country
for treatment, Male has now
medical treatment for its citizens.
According to the Indian
government,
Maldives'
interpretation of the visa
agreement was always different
and that until now it was more
difficult for Indians to get into
Maldives than the other way
round. The fact that India
workers'
passports
are
confiscated by their employers
is something India has
repeatedly taken up with
authorities in Male but to no
avail. According to India,
Maldives detains and deports
about 50 Indian nationals every
year. Maldivian home minister
Mohammed Jameel Ahmed
denied the charge, saying that
only four have been deported
this year. But the Indian High
Commission contradicted him on
Saturday. "Regarding the
deportation of Indian travelers
from Male International Airport,
the High Commission of India
stands by its figures," said the
High Commission in a statement.
Unlike Maldives, India has also
been giving tourist visas free of
cost. After tightening visa
regulations, India has put
forward a list of demands to
Maldives in which it has also
sought quick release of 14
Indians detained in the Indian
Ocean nation.
Ban condoles death of gangrape victim, urges reforms to
deter violence against women
NEW DELHI/BUREAU NEWS: United Nations Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon expresses "deep sorrow" over the death of the 23year-old Delhi gang-rape victim on Sunday. According to a statement
issued on Saturday night by Ban's spokesperson, "He offers his
sincerest condolences to her parents, family and friends, and utterly
condemns this brutal crime." The 23-year old physiotherapy student
had been gang-raped by six men in a moving bus in the Indian capital
on December 16, 2012. Subsequently, she had been transported to a
Singapore hospital where she was being treated for severe injuries,
and where she was reported to have died on Saturday. According to
United Nations News Centre, the attack sparked widespread protests
about gender attitudes in India, as well as calls for changes to relevant
national laws. "Violence against women must never be accepted, never
excused, never tolerated. Every girl and woman has the right to be
respected, valued and protected," Ban's spokesperson said in the
statement. "He also encourages the Government of India to strengthen
critical services for rape victims," the spokesperson continued, adding
that the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of
Women (UN Women) and other parts of the UN system stand ready
to support such reform efforts with technical expertise and other
support as required. Established in July 2010 with the aim of accelerating
progress on meeting the needs of women worldwide, UN women works
for, among other issues, the elimination of discrimination against
women and girls; empowerment of women; and achievement of
equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of
development and human rights.
12
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
MidWeek
world
Hillary Clinton admitted to New
York hospital with blood clot
CLINTON (65), WHO SUFFERED A STOMACH INFECTION EARLY
THIS MONTH, AND WAS WORKING FROM HOME FOR MOST
PART OF THE DECEMBER, WAS EXPECTED TO RETURN TO WORK
NEXT WEEK.
WASHINGTON/BUREAU NEWS: US Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton was admitted to a New York hospital on
Monday after doctors discovered a blood clot related to a
concussion she suffered early this month. "In the course of a
follow-up exam today, Secretary Clinton's doctors discovered
a blood clot had formed, stemming from the concussion she
sustained several weeks ago," her spokesperson and the
Deputy US Assistant Secretary of State, Philippe Reines, said
in a statement.
"She is being treated with anti-coagulants and is at New
York-Presbyterian Hospital so that they can monitor the
medication over the next 48 hours," Reines said. "Her doctors
will continue to assess her condition, including other issues
associated with her concussion. They will determine if any
further action is required," he added.
Clinton (65), who suffered a stomach infection early this
month, and was working from home for most part of the
December, was expected to return to work next week.
School shooting
was worst day
as president:
Barack Obama
WASHINGTON: US President
Barack Obama said in an
interview on Sunday that the
massacre at a Connecticut
elementary school which killed
20 children and six adults was
"the worst day of my
presidency". Obama also
expressed scepticism about a
proposal by the gun lobby
group 'The National Rifle
Association' to introduce
armed guards in every US
school. "I am sceptical that the
only answer is putting more
guns in schools," he said.
"The question ... becomes
whether we are actually shook
up enough by what happened
that it does not just become
another one of these routine
episodes where it gets a lot of
attention for a couple of weeks
and then it drifts away," Obama
said. "It certainly won't feel like
that to me," Obama said. "This
is something that was the worst
day of my presidency. And it's
not something that I want to
see repeated."
13
19 pilgrims killed, 25
injured in Pakistan blast
ISLAMABAD/BUREAU NEWS:
As many as 19 people, including
four women, were killed and 25
injured on Sunday when a militant
rammed his explosives-laden
vehicle into a convoy of three
buses carrying Shia pilgrims in
Pakistan's Balochistan province,
Geo News reported. The incident
took place in Mastung district when
the buses were taking pilgrims from
the province's Taftan town to Quetta
city. All the pilgrims were from Multan
city and on their way to Iran via
Quetta. One of the buses, carrying
43 passengers, was completely
gutted, while another was partially
damaged in the targeted attack, when
the attacker rammed his explosivesladen vehicle into the bus, killing 19
pilgrims and injuring 25 others, said
Mastung deputy commissioner
Tufail Baloch. According to one of
the bus drivers, the vehicles caught
fire following the blast. One bus was
completely destroyed while another
was partially damaged. The third
vehicle was unaffected in the
incident. Pakistan President Asif
Ali Zardari has strongly
condemned the attack, reports
Xinhua. No group had so far
claimed responsibility for the
attack.
White House, Republicans seal
deal on fiscal cliff crisis
Contd. from Page 1
Had no deal been struck, budget experts warned that the fragile US
economy could have been sent spinning back into recession by the
$500 billion combined whack from spending cuts and tax hikes. In the
end, the deal was clinched just a few hours before a midnight deadline.
A Senate vote was possible overnight, while the House of
Representatives was not due back into session until Tuesday. World
stock markets, expected to be thrown into turmoil by a failure to beat the
deadline, are closed for New Year's Day, so lawmakers have a few extra
hours of breathing room to get the deal concluded. The deal means a
return to Bill Clinton-era tax rates for top earners to 39.6 percent, starting
for those who make $450,000 a year and above. Obama had originally
campaigned for tax hikes to kick in for those making $250,000 and above.
The president said earlier that the deal would extend tax credits for
clean energy firms and also unemployment insurance for two million
people that had been due to expire. It was also expected to include an
end to a temporary two percent cut to payroll taxes for Social Security
retirement savings and Medicare health care programs for seniors and
changes to inheritance and investment taxes. A source familiar with the
deal said that the two-month delay to spending cuts -- known as the
sequester -- was financed by increased revenues and spending cuts
from defense and non-defense spending. Both Democratic House
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
had signed off on the deal, the source said. Now it remains for Republican
House Speaker John Boehner to rally his restive and difficult to control
conservative coalition around the agreement.
14
MidWeek
property & decor
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
How to shop for your bed linen Simple home decor
durables.
2. Look for the very best
in design and colours, more
important, the texture of the
same.
3. Look for colour coordinating,
rather
than
matching. Mix and match
gives you the best possible
combination in the bed room.
U
nimportant though it
may seem, but the
colours and designs
make a lot of difference to
your bedroom when it comes
to choosing the perfect bed
linen for home.
The advent of many
lifestyle retailers in India has
really made it possible for a
homemaker to choose from an
array of lifestyle products to
suit their respective lifestyle.
So while there are many
places where one can look for
bed linen for one's home.
Ta k i n g f r o m o u t l e t s l i k e
Westside to Fabindia and the
state handloom emporiums
across various cities, there
are options aplenty to
choose from. Here's how you
can go about shopping for
your bed linen:
1. Keep a budget for your
bed linen as you would do
for any other item, like buying
electronic goods or consumer
4.
Choose
colours
according to you and your
spouse's favourite colours.
5. Keep it simple. Do not
go for stuff that will make the
bed look more like a cluttered
floral wall than a bed where
you normally like to relax and
take a breather after a long
day's work.
Hosting a successful
baby shower
H
osting a baby shower
can be loads of fun.
With the right amount of
planning, you can throw a lovely
baby shower for your friend/
sister/colleague in the comfort
of her own home. Here's how you
can go about it...
The very first thing you
need to do is to create a guest
list. Find out stealthily, which
people the mother-to-be would
like to have at the party. This will
also give you an idea about the
approximate budget and how
much food will be required.
Choose a baby shower
theme. Themes can be as simple
as blue or pink or even
something that the mommy-tobe is a fan of. Make sure you
choose a date between four to
six weeks before the due date.
Ask guests beforehand if they
can make it and, more
importantly, whether the motherto-be is free on that date.
Delegate tasks. Keep
someone in charge of plates,
napkins, glasses, utensils, ice,
Window draping not
that woeful after all
P
roblem with window
draping? Here's how you
can
solve
it
Windows to the world outside
are like artwork frames. These tips
will cover some great ways to solve
some pesky decorating dilemmas.
Problem 1
You have a small room with
low ceilings
Solution: Hang full-length
drapes to elongate the perceived
height of the walls. For the
maximum effect, hang the drapes
from a point above the actual
window by adding a tall cornice or
topper.
Problem 2
You have a room with
mismatched furniture
Solution: Unify the room by
choosing fabric in a coordinating
colour scheme for the window
treatments.
etc. Ask someone to pick up
flowers, balloons, decorations,
cameras and the cake on the day
of the party. Any baby shower is
incomplete without games. Make
a list of all the games you can
play. Usually four to five games
are more than enought. Browse
online for some fun baby shower
games.
You
need to decide
whether you
want to serve
just appetisers
or a whole meal
to guests. You
can either have
everything
made at home
or order in, or
have
a
combination of both. You could
also make a baby shower basket.
tips for the New Year
W
arm up your house for
the New Year with a
few simple decorating
ideas that will add on an element
of fun to the otherwise dreary
winters Winter has set in. For
most people the world over, the
onset of winter means a change
in their home decor! People feel
the need to surround themselves
with
additional
warmth. Although
the weather outside
might be dreary, your
decor inside can
remain
cheerful.
Warm up your home
for the New Year
with a few simple
decorating ideas.
These ideas are simple, yet
effective, and a lot of fun!
During the day, open up all
your curtains and let the light of
the winter sun warm your home.
If you have a favourite corner
where you read the morning
paper or a favourite book, make
sure that it is next to a window.
That can become your winter
corner. There is nothing more
sublime than reading while the
sun warms your back. A
steaming cup of tea or coffee
completes the picture. After
dusk, candles and lanterns, of
course, are the ideal decor
accessory. Candles that have a
delightful fragrance are perfect
when it's cold outside. Their
beautiful glow will definitely be
a winner in your home! Add
some string lights around your
home during New Year. You are
sure to smile and feel warm and
cosy when you surround
yourself with twinkling lights.
If you have a minimalist
theme for the New Year's Eve
party, this is the time to add a
few more pieces. The additional
depth and increased utilisation
of space adds warmth to your
home. So if you have a few extra
items in your cupboard, bring
them out now.
Winter is also a wonderful
occasion to bring out the
additional rugs and throws that
you stored away in the summer.
Covering a bare floor with a thick
rug will not only make your space
look warmer, but feel more
comfortable under your feet.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
property & decor
MidWeek
15
16
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
Shakira gives birth
to a baby boy?
MS DHONI'S UNBEATEN 113 IN SAPPING CONDITIONS IN CHENNAI PROVED INSUFFICIENT FOR INDIA, AS PAKISTAN
REGISTERED A SIX-WICKET WIN
I am very harsh on myself: Deepika Padukone
D
eepika Padukone may
have
chartered
a
successful Bollywood
career for herself in a short span
but the actress says she is rarely
happy with her work. The 25year-old says her self-criticism
helps her do better with each
film. "I am very harsh on myself.
I am very rarely satisfied with my
own work but I am glad that it is
like this. I would rather be harsh
on myself than be happy with
the smallest thing that I do.
I compete with myself and
challenge myself to do
better everyday. It gives me
the drive to push myself
otherwise I would be stuck
in the rut," Deepika said.
She proved that she is more
than a pretty face with her
powerful performance as
Veronica in Cocktail, her lone
release this year."I am glad that
this film happened for people to
realise that. I have always
believed in my work and
myself
but
sometimes
you have
to wait for the right script and
opportunity to come your way.
Cocktail did that for me."She
has already won an award for
her performance in the film.
Deepika, however, says she is
more happy to see that the
audiences' perception about her
has changed
for good.
"I think
awards
are
always welcome. Big Star
awards recently acknowledged
my contribution. But I am more
happy about the energy shift
that I feel from the audiences
post Veronica. There is nothing
in the world that compensates
for that feeling." With her latest
film Race 2 ready to hit the
screens on January 25, Deepika
says she is looking forward to
2013. "I could not have asked
for more this year.
I invested a lot emotionally
into the character of Veronica
and I am very happy with the
result. It has been a great year
for me not only in terms of
Cocktail's success but also with
the kind of films that I signed
post that. I have an interesting
line-up for 2013." Deepika is
looking forward to a busy year
in 2013 with Race 2,
Kochadaiyaan and Yeh
Jawaani Hai Deewani
releases. She has also
reunited with Shah
Rukh Khan for
Chennai Express
after Om Shanti Om
besides working with Sanjay
Leela Bhansali for Ram Leela.
"Yeh Jawaani... is almost
done and we have just started
shooting Chennai Express. I am
working with Shah Rukh again
after four years. The film is true
to Rohit Shetty's style.
While Ram Leela with
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is a love
story," says Deepika, adding
that
Kochadaiyaan
with
superstar Rajinikanth is ready
for release. Talking about Race
2, her first release of the year,
Deepika says she plays a
manipulative role. "It is for the
first time that I am doing an
action thriller.
The first part was very
successful and Race 2 has
similar twists and turns. My
character Alina is very
manipulative and intelligent and
she knows how to get her way
through whatever she wants."
The Abbas-Mustan film also
stars Saif Ali Khan, Anil Kapoor,
John Abraham, Jacqueline
Fernandez, Ameesha Patel and
Bipasha Basu.
Cricket will not be the same without Sachin Tendulkar
J
ust as the absence of heat
makes us feel cold, the
absence of controversies in
his resume make Sachin
Ramesh Tendulkar the coolest
of all Indian icons. Ever
wondered what goes into the
making of a man who has
become a legend in his lifetime?
There is a lot more to Sachin
than just being a run-machine.
His greatness as a batsman
lies not in having made more
runs than anyone else, but the
process he adopted. Sachin's
success underlines the fact that
talent alone is not enough. It is
what you do with it that matters
in the final analysis. Not for a
second has Sachin let his focus
slip. He has always preferred the
hard grind to shortcuts. In spite
of his cult status and the
trimmings (fame, power, wealth)
that go with it, Sachin has never
let anything interfere with his
game.
We may not think twice
about criticizing him for just about
everything - his batting
technique, hairstyle, sartorial
sense, nomination to Rajya Sabha
and his decision to play on - but
no matter what you say, or how
much the critics crib, you can
never provoke a reaction from the
Little Master, who believes in
keeping his own counsel.
CHASING HIS DREAMS
They say, a closed mouth
gathers no foot. Never has an
Indian celebrity spoken so little
and yet inspired so much awe as
Sachin. Lack of sound bites has
not dimmed the media's
enthusiasm to relentlessly pursue
the man who has always let his
bat do the talking.
Not one word out of place,
not one step out of turn in his
23-year career in the
course of which Sachin
has scaled peaks of
success that lesser
mortals can only dream
of. Yet, he continues to
be humble and honest
- values that his parents
had instilled in him at
an early age. If at 39,
his
brand
value
remains intact, it is
because he continues
to inspire millions to
dream.
(Contd. on page 22)
hile she revealed her
pregnancy only in
September earlier this
year, Colombian singer Shakira
has reportedly given birth to her
first child - a healthy baby boy.
Her partner, Spanish footballer,
Gerard Pique broke the news via
a microblogging website,
announcing, "Our son has been
born! We are very happy!
Thanks to all for your
messages!"
in
Spanish. However,
the news is yet to
be confirmed,
with
some
people saying
that
the
statement
could also be a
practical joke
because it was
written on
Spain's Day
of
the
H o l y
W
Pregnant with her first child,
Shakira came up in the Colombian
and Latin American music scene
in the 1990s before making a huge
crossover in the U.S. The singing
sensation superstar was also
recently named as the latest judge
on the U.S. edition of The Voice,
when she replaced pop star
Christina Aguilera. In a radio
interview some time
ago,
Pique
revealed that
Innocents, akin to April Fool's Day.
While previous reports had said
that Shakira was due to give birth
early next month, she could have
gone into premature labour.
his girlfriend was not going to let
the baby come in the way of her
career and was even going to
release a new album.
(Contd. on page )
Want to be in top-10
in 2013: Kashyap
NEW DELHI/BUREAU NEWS:
Indian shuttler Parupalli
Kashyap rounded off a brilliant
year by winning his maiden tier
three event, the Syed Modi
International India Grand Prix
Gold men`s singles title, in
Lucknow. From being the first
male player from India to make
the quarterfinal of the London
Olympics to his triumph at the
Syed Modi, Kashyap, the World
No.20, had no regrets in 2012.
In an interview, Kashyap
revealed that he has now set his
sights on the All England Open
and the World Championships.
Excerpts:
It has been a great year for
you. You were the first male
Indian player to reach the
London
Olympics
quarterfinalist
and now
the Syed
Modi title.
How do
you rate
y o u r
season?
It has
been my
best season as I have never
played so consistently. I made a
couple of semi-finals and
quarterfinals of the Super Series
events, beat three-four top 10
players, so it has been good.
(Contd. on page 23 )
18
MidWeek
bollywood
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
Is Ranbir planning a secret
D
New Year's bash with Kat?
Dabangg 2 Has $4 Million
Opening Weekend Overseas
abangg 2 collected
close to $4 million in
overseas.
It is the third film Salman
Khan in a row to put up
S
ources say, Ranbir Kapoor
will travel to the States to
bring in the New Year with
his friends Most of the swish
sets in B-Town are off across the
globe to ring in the New Year.
And we hear that Ranbir Kapoor
too has packed his bags and will
be leaving for the US shortly.
Sources say that the actor will
be spending time with his close
friends in the States. RK had
been busy shooting for his film
with Abhinav Kashyap and also
the one co-starring Deepika
Padukone. And he has finally
managed to take some time off
from his busy schedule.
A source close to Ranbir
15 Hits in 2012
E
strong numbers in overseas.
The figures from major
markets are as follows.
says, `He has been very busy
this year and he desperately
needed a break. RK will go to the
US to bring in 2013.`Cosy
couple? There is a slight nip in
the air and what better way than
to cuddle up to your loved one
to stay warm. Onlookers at a
recent party hosted by
choreographers Bosco and
Caesar at the former's house
couldn't help but notice how cute
RK and rumoured girlfriend
Katrina Kaif looked together.
Apparently the two took turns
to cuddle each other and were
glued to the hips throughout the
bash. All we can say is, pyaar
kiya toh darna kya?
United Kingdom - £350,000
North America - $1,025,000
UAE
- $1,125,000
Australia
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewaani
On 31st May 2013
Agneepath, Kahaani, Housefull 2, Vicky Donor, Ishaqzaade, Rowdy Rathore, Bol Bachchan,
Cocktail. Raaz 3, Barfi!, OMG! Oh My God, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Son Of Sardaar and Dabangg 2.
k Tha Tiger: The very fact that former real-life couple Katrina
Kaif and Salman Khan were the lead pair for this film was
enough to draw audiences to the theatres. Its songs,
picturisation and power-packed action kept the cash registers ringing,
and helping this film garner approximately Rs190 crore. Salman
played an Indian spy named Tiger, who falls head over heels in love
with a female spy from Pakistan,
essayed by Katrina. Their
chemistry, of course, worked.
Rowdy Rathore: The return of
'khiladi' Akshay Kumar - that's
what this film was awaited for.
Akshay's action, mixed with
Prabhudheva's distinct taste of
dance and exaggerated jumps,
gave Hindi movie buffs a perfect
masala affair. The Bollywood
remake of Telugu movie
"Vikramarkudu", it also stared
Sonakshi Sinha. The movie earned
Rs140 crore.
Agneepath: A remake yet again. The success ratio of remakes
of past hits has been low, but"Agneepath" was a dream debut for
Karan Malhotra. He added a contemporary touch to the eponymous
1990 movie. With Hrithik Roshan reprising the role of Vijay Dinanath
Chauhan and Sanjay Dutt playing the villain Kaancha Cheena,
"Agneepath" turned out to be 2012's first blockbuster and managed
to mint around Rs120 crore.
Housefull 2: One would hardly think of enjoying a movie with
12 known actors playing key roles. But this one managed to entertain
viewers. A sequel to hit 2010 movie Housefull, this Sajid Khan film,
with its classic comic sequences, but slightly crowded cast, made
over Rs110 crore at the box office.
Barfi!: The simple story line, sensitive treatment and excellent
performances helped Anurag Basu's Barfi! establish an emotional
connect with the audience. The love story of a deaf and mute boy,
- $275,000
played deftly by Ranbir Kapoor, with an autistic girl, essayed by
National award-winning actress Priyanka Chopra, left many teary
eyed. India's official entry for the foreign film category Oscar this
year, the movie, which is now out of the Oscar race, made collections
of Rs110 crore.
Jab Tak Hai Jaan: Love was redefined in typical Yash Chopra
way with Jab Tak Hai Jaan. The late filmmaker, who bid
adieu to the world just a few days before the movie's
release, gave his final work with the king of romance
Shah Rukh Khan in the lead. The movie, also featuring
Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma, captured the scenic
beauty of London and Kashmir very well - garnering
collections of over Rs120 crore.
Bol Bachchan: It was hard to think of a modern
day version of the 1979 comedy Gol Maal. But Rohit
Shetty made it happen - and how! This Abhishek
Bachchan and Ajay Devgn-starrer turned out to be truly
paisa vasool. Ajay's one-liner English dialogues and
Abhishek's double dhamaal paved the way for crossing
the Rs100-crore mark for this film.
Son Of Sardaar: Remember Ajay Devgn and his Phool Aur
Kaante stunt on two bikes? He took it to the next level by riding
together on two horses in Son of Sardaar. A turban-clad Ajay
managed to tickle the viewers' funny bone, along with Sanjay Dutt
and Sonakshi Sinha, and helped this movie make around Rs105 crore.
Talaash: Aamir Khan's Midas touch rarely fails. Talaash was
just another case in point. This suspense thriller by Reema Kagti
narrated the story of a Mumbai cop trying to put a puzzle in place
and it kept the audience on the edges of their seats. The film, also
starring Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukerji, made around Rs90 crore
at the Indian box office.
OMG: Oh My God!: Comedy, sadness, anger and greed. Paresh
Rawal carried out all emotions in one character flawlessly. Akshay
Kumar played god in the Umesh Shukla-directorial, which
questioned the existence of god. Complete with humour and a
message, the movie minted over Rs.70 crore at the box office.
Dharma Productions has announced the release date of their next
film,Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewaani. Releasing on 31st May 2013, the
film has been directed by Ayan Mukerji and has an exciting star cast
including Ranbir
Kapoor, Deepika
Padukone, along
with Aditya Roy
Kapur and Kalki
Koechlin. The
film
has
Bollywood's
favorites Ranbir
and
Deepika
romantically
paired. Ranbir and
Deepika share a
very good on
screen chemistry
and the audiences
are
looking
forward to watch
the good looking
couple on silver
screen
again.
This is the second time where Ayan will be directing Ranbir. Before
this, the duo worked together in Wake Up Sid which won many
accolades at the box office. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewaani is
scheduled to release post the IPL.
Paresh Rawal's film under
Censor Board's scanner
B
ack in 1943 when freedom fighter Subhash Chandra Bose
mouthed the words "Tum mujhe khoon do, main tumhe azadi
dunga", it moved an entire nation Back in present times: With
Paresh Rawal saying these exact words in his next film, it has come under
the radar of the Censor Boards. A source says, `Paresh had a scene with
this line. The words remain the same but the context is different. The
Censor Board has however objected to this line and have asked it to be
edited out.` Producer Viki Rajani says, `Yes, the board asked us to delete
the line as it may hurt people's sentiments. Though we are just days away
from the release, we managed to convince Pareshji to come and dub for a
new line. Unfortunately, the effect won't be the same.`
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
MidWeek
bollywood
19
Movie Review
Upcoming
BOLLYWOOD Movies
THE IMPOSSIBLE
wal,
i, Suraj Kabad
ar
ik
h
d
A
a
al
ra
Cast: Trim
Kumud Mish
Abhay Joshi,
Genre: Drama
Duration: 1 hour 24 minutes
Director: Manav Kaul
Critic's Rating: 3 star
Story : Hansa and his elder sister Chiku wander around their
picturesque village in Himachal as they look for their missing father,
while soaking in the beauty of their hill station and hiding toffees in
the backyard.
Movie Review: Hansa is a simple and delightful film that captures
top
10
songs
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1
Film:
Dabangg 2
FEVICOL SE
FILM
SONG
Khiladi 786
Jab Tak Hai
Jab Tak Hai
Jab Tak Hai
Jab Tak Hai
Khiladi 786
Dabangg 2
Dabangg 2
Hookah Bar
Ishq Shava
Saans
Challa
Heer
Long Drive
Dagabaaz Re
Pandeyjee Seeti
Ishq Wala Love
Jaan
Jaan
Jaan
Jaan
Student Of The Year
the day-to-day lives of people who live in a tourist destination. The
film revolves around the lives of adolescent boy Hansa ( Suraj
Kabadwal) and his headstrong elder sister Chiku ( Trimala Adhikari).
Their father goes missing. The lack of an earning member makes the
family crumble under financial pressure.
With debts to clear and nobody to help, the kids start finding
happiness in small things. A five rupee coin makes Hansa happy
while Chiku loves to scare her younger brother in the darkness of
the night. The little joys and each other's company help the siblings
pass each day. The film will remind you of the opening line from
George Clooney's poignant film 'The Descendants' (2011).
Rubbishing the popular perception of most who believe that people
who live in beautiful places have beautiful lives, the protagonist
narrates, "Paradise? Paradise can go f*** itself." The pain and
suffering of the people who live in these places are no less. Hansa in
a way sends out the same message but in a lighter way. The film is
heart-warming and the characters real. Mesmerising cinematography
by Sachin Kabir is a major highlight. From sunrise to sunset, gigantic
hills to small cosy houses, bricks and trees to friends chasing each
other in jungles, the film is a gorgeous work of art. Manav Kaul
doesn't let the film look sombre in spite of the adversities shown. He
makes the film look real, yet fantasy-like. The child actors give an
incredibly authentic performance. Hansa proves that small,
independent films need not be abstract or grim to make an impression.
RELEASE DATE: 04-Jan-2013
STARING: Ewan McGregor , Naomi
Watts , Tom Holland ,
Genre: Drama
Summary: : An account of a family
caught, with tens of thousands of
strangers, in the mayhem of one of the
worst natural catastrophes of our time,
the tsunami in Indonesia.
GANGSTER SQUAD
RELEASE DATE: 11-Jan.-2013
STARING: Anthony Mackie , Emma
Stone , Frank Grillo , Giovanni Ribisi
Genre: Drama
Summary: A chronicle of the LAPD s
fight to keep East Coast Mafia types
out of Los Angeles in the 1940s
and 50s.
TABLE NO. 21
STARING: Rajeev Khandelwal
Tena Desae, Paresh Rawal
DIRECTOR(S): Aditya Datt
PRODUCER(S): Viki Rajani
Sunil A Lulla
Genre : Thriller
RAJDHANI EXPRESS
STARING:
Kangana counts
her working hours
Leander Paes.... Keshav
Jimmy Sheirgill.... D.Y. Commis
DIRECTOR(S):
MATRU KI BIJLEE KA MANDOLA
STARING:Imran Khan.... Matru
Anushka Sharma.... Bijlee
Pankaj Kapoor.... Harry Mandola
TALAASH
HIT
JAB TAK HAI JAAN
BLOCKBUSTER
SON OF SARDAAR
SUPER HIT
CHAKRAVYUH (9 DAYS)
FLOP
ENGLISH VINGLISH (HINDI)
ABOVE AVERAGE
Sunny Leone loves
Delhi's gol-gappas!
I
ndo-Canadian porn star Sunny Leone is set to perform in the
capital on New Year's Eve. She says she enjoys the street food,
especially the spicy gol-gappas. "I love Delhi! My favourite thing
about being there was before I came here as Sunny Leone (was)
walking on the streets, eating gol-gappe," she said.
Sunny made her Bollywood debut with "Jism 2" this year. She
has now even settled in Mumbai and is loving it.
"I moved into my new place a couple of months ago in Mumbai,
it's beautiful. It overlooks the Arabian Sea. I never thought I will
wake up in the morning and say 'I am looking at the Arabian Sea'. So
it's really special for me. Everything is coming together and I love
it," the 31-year-old said. Sunny will soon start shooting for " Ragini
MMS 2", her second Bollywood project.
Vishal Bhardwaj
PRODUCER(S): Vishal Bhardwaj
MOVIE COLLECTIONS
HIT OR FLOP MIDWEEK
ABOVE AVERAGE
Ashok Kohli
Producer: Ritika Kohli
DIRECTOR(S):
KHILADI 786
4-Jan. 2013
RELEASE DATE:
Ajay Devgn Kumar Mangat Pathak
AKAASH VANI
STARING:
Kar tik Tiwari.... Akaash
Nushrat Bharucha.... Vani
DIRECTOR(S):
Luv Ranjan
Producer : Kumar Mangat Pathak
Abhishek Pathak
MUMBAI MIRROR
K
angana Ranaut, it is learnt, is very particular about the hours
she puts at her work every day. An insider from the unit of
her heroine-centric film tells us that if she works an hour
extra one day, she makes sure to shoot an hour less the next day.
"Kangana also points out to the director that she'd like to leave
earlier since she shot extra the previous day," says our source.
Ameesha to ring in the
New Year with Neil
A
meesha Patel and Neil
Nitin Mukesh will ring in
the New Year together in
Mumbai by unveiling the first
look of south director Susi
Ganesan's Shortcut Romeo, a
remake of Tamil film,
Thiruttu Payale (2006).
The event, to be
held at a SoBo
lounge, will
have the
actors'
c l o s e
friends,
w e l l known
industrialists
a n d
businessmen,
apart from
the cast
and crew
of the
film, in
attendance. A special invite,
designed in the form of a show
reel, has been sent out to the film's
team and friends. Ameesha is so
excited about this event that she
even pushed back her scheduled
Bangkok trip by a few days. Says
a source, "For Ameesha, unveiling
the first look of the film called for a
bigger celebration." Initially,
Ameesha was to bring in the New
Year in Thailand but changed
her entire plan after watching
the rough cut of the film.
She's believed to have
told her friends that
she's proud to be
a part of this film.
More so since
her role is a
complete
contrast to her
good-girl
image. "And
b e s i d e s
showing her
in new light,
the negative
role
has
been also
been a challenge for her," says our
source, adding that Neil's character
has grey shades, too. The source
adds, "Ameesha and Neil have
finished dubbing.
STARING: Sachiin Joshi....
Abhijeet Patil
Gihani Khan.... Rani
Prakash Raj.... Shetty
Vimala Raman.... Jia
Prashant Narayanan.... Prashant
DIRECTOR(S): Ankush Bhatt
PRODUCER(S):
Raina Sachiin Joshi
Genre : Crime,Thriller
INKAAR
18-Jan. 2013
RELEASE DATE:
STARING: Arjun Rampal
Chitrangda Singh
Gaurav Dwivedi
Sandeep Sanchdev
DIRECTOR(S):
Sudhir Mishra
Producer: Prakash Jha
Genre : Romance,Crime
RACE 2
STARING: Saif Ali Khan.. Ranvir Singh
Anil Kapoor....
John Abraham.... Armaan Mallik
Deepika Padukone.... Elena
DIRECTOR(S): Mustan Burmawalla
PRODUCER(S):
Kumar S Taurani
Genre :Action,Suspense,Thriller
MAIN RONY AUR JONY
RELEASE DATE:
2013
STARING:
Priyanshu Chatterjee.... Tej Singh
Sandali Sinha.... Priya
DIRECTOR(S):
Rajesh Ram Singh
Producer: Nandita Singha
Lyricist : Rahat Indori Rahul B. Seth
20
MidWeek
hollywood
Beauty Icons of 2012: Duchess Catherine tops
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
Upcoming
HOLLYWOOD Movies
T
he Duchess of Cambridge has been named top Beauty Icon for the second year running in a new poll. The British royal took the title
for the second year running in the poll, conducted by British high street chain Superdrug.
The Top 10 2012 beauty icons:
1. Duchess Catherine 2. Nicole Scherzinger 3. Jessica Ennis
4. Holly Willoughby 5. Pippa Middleton
6. Cheryl Cole
7. Victoria Pendleton 8. Katherine Jenkins 9. Jessie J
10. Helen Flanagan
JACK REACHER
RELEASE DATE: Jan. 04, 2013
STARING: Tom Cr uise, Rosamund
Pike, Rober t Duvall...
PRODUCER(S): Tom Cruise
DIRECTOR(S):Christopher McQuarrie
STORY: A city is thrown into chaos following a shooting that leaves five dead.
What at first seems like a simple case to
solve becomes complicated when the
accused requests that Jack Reacher be
put on the case.
Genre : Crime, Drama
THE IMPOSSIBLE
RELEASE DATE: Jan 4, 2013
STARING: Naomi Watts, Ewan
McGregor...
DIRECTOR(S) : Juan Antonio Bayona
PRODUCER: Ghislain Barrois
STORY : An account of a family caught,
with tens of thousands of strangers, in
the mayhem of one of the worst natural
catastrophes of our time.
Genre : Drama
GANGSTER SQUAD
RELEASE DATE: 11 Jan. 2013
STARING: Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling,
Emma Stone, Josh Brolin...
DIRECTOR: Ruben Fleischer
PRODUCER: Dan Lin
Stor y : Based on a tr ue stor y,
Gangster Squad takes you through the
LAPD's effor t to keep the East Coast
mafia out of LA.
Genre :Crime, Drama
Holmes' Broadway play 'Dead Accounts' closes
K
atie Holmes' return to
Broadway will be
much shorter than she
would have liked. The former
Mrs. Cruise's play "Dead
Accounts" will close within a
week of the new year. Producers
said Thursday that Theresa
Rebeck's drama will close on Jan.
6 after 27 previews and 44
performances. The show, which
opened to poor reviews on Nov.
29, stars Norbert Leo Butz as
Holmes' onstage brother who
returns to his Midwest home with
a secret. Rebeck created the first
season of NBC's " Smash" and
several well-received plays
including
"Seminar"
and
"Mauritius." Holmes, who
became a star in the teen soap
opera "Dawson's Creek," made
her Broadway debut in the 2008
production of "All My Sons." She
was married to Tom Cruise from
2006 until this year.
Orlando and
Miranda quash
breakup rumours
O
rlando Bloom and
Miranda Kerr put
rumours of their split to
rest, as they were seen heading
out to a friend's house with
their son Flynn the day after
Christmas. The trio made their
way to a friend's house in the
Los Feliz area of Los Angeles
to 0continue their festive
celebrations, and when they
left, the trio looked happier
than ever, the Daily Mail
PROMISED LAND
RELEASE DATE: 11 Jan. 2013
STARING: Frances McDormand ,
Lucas Black , Matt Damon ,
Rosamund Pike , Rosemarie DeWitt
Summary:A salesman for a
natural gas company experiences
life-changing events after arriving
in a small town, where his
corporation wants to tap into the
available resources.
LES MISERABLES
RELEASE DATE: Jan. 18, 2013
STARING: Hugh Jackman, Anne
Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Helena
Bonham Car ter...
DIRECTOR(S): Tom Hooper
PRODUCER : Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner
STORY: Set against the backdrop of
19th-century France, Les Misrables
tells an enthralling story of broken
dreams and unrequited love, passion.
Genre : Drama, Music, Musical
MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN
RELEASE DATE: Jan 2013
STARING: Satya Bhabha, Shahana Goswami,
Rajat Kapoor...
reported. In fact, the couple
formed a tag team as they
spilled out into the chilly LA
night with Kerr holding Flynn,
as Bloom tenderly touched his
head.
Shakira gives birth
to a baby boy?
"The album will be released after
the baby is born because she'd
need to go on tour and she can't
do that now," Pique admitted.
"And it's very likely that there will
be a song in Catalan, it could even
be 'Boig per tu' ('Crazy for you')."
The couple have already
confirmed in the past that they
were expecting a son, and even
shared an ultrasound image of
the unborn child. They had yet
to pick a name though.
"Concerning the name, we just
haven't been able to decide. There
are ridiculous names, like Ulisito,
that came out of the press. There
was also Biel, which we like, but I
don't think it will be that one
either, or Gerard. We'll see,"
added Pique.
Director : Deepa Mehta
Producer : David Hamilton
Story : Midnight's Children is a gloriously
rich, sprawling story, told by a persuasive
narrator, who has magical powers and a
most inventive grasp of the truth. Our hero
Saleem Sinai was born to a wealthy Indian
family in Bombay, or so we are led to
believe.
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
RELEASE DATE: Jan. , 2013
STARING: Bradley Cooper, Rober t De
Niro, Jennifer Lawrence, Jacki
Weaver, Anupam Kher...
DIRECTOR(S): David O. Russell
PRODUCER : Donna Gigliotti, Bruce
Cohen
STORY: Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen
Genre : Comedy
A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD
RELEASE DATE: 15 Feb. 2013
STARING: Bruce Willis , Cole Hauser
Patrick Stewar t , Jai Cour tney
Genre: Action, Thriller
Summary: A Good Day to Die Hard
is the fifth installment of the Die Hard
film series, starring Bruce Willis in
the lead role. Bruce Willis
(John McClane) travels to Moscow.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
MidWeek
21
22
MidWeek
sports
New rules will make bowlers
suffer, say rival skippers
CHENNAI/BUREAU NEWS :
The new ODI rules will make
the lives of bowlers and
captains extremely difficult.
That's the shared view of both
MS Dhoni and his Pakistan
counterpart Misbah-ul-Haq
that came out after they had
played their first game under
the changed set of rules.
What irked them most is the
rule that there cannot be more
than four fielders outside the
30-yard circle at any stage of
the game. The maximum
permitted number was five
earlier.
The only point they
differ on is who's going to
suffer the most because of
this restriction — spinners or
pacers. While MS Dhoni feels
spinners will be the worst
affected, the Pakistan skipper
believes that it would be the
pacers who would come
under pressure.
“People
have been complaining that
spinners no longer flight the
ball. I don't know what they
expect the spinner to do with
one fielder less outside the
circle. It's a rule more in
favour of teams who play
more fast bowlers,” said
Dhoni, after the six-wicket
loss. And with India having
to make do with part-time
bowlers in the absence of a
genuine fast-bowling allr o u n d e r, D h o n i f e e l s i t ' s
going to hit them hard. “We
have been managing with
part-timers, so I don't know
whether it will be possible
now. Perhaps those who can
bowl will need to take their
bowling
even
more
seriously.”
The Pakistan skipper has
his reasons. “Spinners can
still control but it is very
difficult for the pacers,
especially at the end without
a third man and a fine leg.
Nowadays batsmen play lap
sweep and different strokes,
making it even more difficult.
A spinner can still bowl on
one side of the wicket with
three or four on the
boundary,” said Misbah. He
revealed that captains are not
consulted before these rules
are changed by the ICC
committee. “It would be better
if the committee consults
captains before bringing in
new rules,” he said. What
Dhoni didn't say was that his
team will have to play well be
stay in the reckoning.
Bowled and not beautiful
CHENNAI/BUREAU NEWS :
The Indian cricket board should
lay down one rule for all visiting
teams - they shouldn't field a
bowler who clocks in excess of
140kph and swings the ball
appreciably. In the wake of a
meek surrender by India's top
order on Sunday, it won't be a
bad idea.
So pathetic was the collapse
that India were reduced to 29 for
5 by left-arm pacers Junaid Khan
and Mohammad Irfan -- who had
played a total of 15 matches - that
even a sensational unbeaten
hundred by MS Dhoni, after he
was dropped, couldn't shift the
focus. An India defeat was
almost a foregone conclusion
after that calamity upfront.
NOT COMPETENT
The
collapse
only
reinforced the view that most
India batsmen are not half as
good when the ball darts around
at lively pace. And this isn't a
one-off; India lost their last
seven wickets for 30-odd runs on
a bowler-friendly Bangalore track
in the first T20 match.
Agreed, the conditions were
tough to start with after the pitch
was under cover due to rain on
Saturday. And both Irfan and
Junaid bowled extremely well. But
the world champions should
have done far better.
Sehwag, Gambhir, Virat and
Yuvraj were all beaten trying to
play shots too early. "Conditions
were tough and the ball was doing
a lot. It was a bad toss to lose,"
said MS Dhoni. "They pitched it
up, all of them were bowled. That
is where we lost the plot." The
Indian skipper got behind the line
of the ball, dropped anchor till the
ball lost its sheen, the wicket its
life and the bowlers ran out of
steam. He then shifted gears
and hammered the attack,
giving the bowlers something
to bowl at.
HARD RUNNING
Dhoni's
aggressive
running between the wickets
characterised his knock.
He was in discomfort later
on due to cramp, but kept
running hard for every run he
thought was there. No wonder
he got a standing ovation from
the crowd and a pat on the back
from every Pakistani player. For
Pakistan, the target was never
Dhoni's heroic ton goes in vain as
Pakistan notch up six-wicket win
CHENNAI/BUREAU NEWS:
Left-arm pacer Junaid Khan
scythed through India's toporder with a four-wicket burst to
set up Pakistan's six-wicket
victory in the first one-day
international at the Chidambaram
Stadium on Sunday. The 23-yearold Junaid left the home side
struggling at 29 for 5 with a
destructive opening spell after
the tourists opted to bowl first,
before MS Dhoni struck a
remarkable 113 not out from 125
balls to help India recover to a
respectable 227 for 6 in the day
match.
Left-handed opener Nasir
Jamshed struck his second ODI
century (101 not out) and the
experienced Younus Khan hit 58
as Pakistan achieved the target
with 11 deliveries remaining to
go 1-0 up in the three-match
series. The second ODI will be
played in Kolkata on January 3.
Junaid exploited the helpful
conditions following overnight
showers to make a mockery of
India's top-order as he dismissed
Virender Sehwag (4), Virat Kohli
(0), Yuvraj Singh (2) and Rohit
Sharma (4) in quick succession
in a display of quality seam
bowling. Struggling Gautam
JUNAID KHAN EXPLOITED THE HELPFUL CONDITIONS TO MAKE
A MOCKERY OF INDIA'S TOP-ORDER AS HE DISMISSED SEHWAG
(4), KOHLI (0), YUVRAJ (2) AND ROHIT (4) IN QUICK SUCCESSION.
Gambhir was bowled by tall pacer
Mohammad Irfan as India's brittle
batting lost their way before
man-of-the-match Dhoni hit his
eighth ODI hundred and shared
in two vital partnerships to put
the innings back on track in the
first
international
game
implementing a series of rule
changes in ODIs. Dropped on 16
by Misbah-ul-Haq off offspinner Md Hafeez with the team
score on 84/5, Dhoni, who
braved bouts of cramps, put on
73 in 142 deliveries for the sixth
wicket with Suresh Raina (43) to
stabilise the innings. Raina fell
to Hafeez in the second ball of
the batting Powerplay, taken in
the 34th over, but Dhoni and
Ravichandran Ashwin (31 not
out) shared in a 125-run stand for
the next wicket with the skipper
leading the way with a display
of controlled aggression. Dhoni
hit his first boundary in the 79th
delivery that he faced but
stepped up the tempo as he
struck six more boundaries and
three sixes.
Ganguly in favour of Indian coach after Fletcher
CHENNAI/BUREAU NEWS:
With Duncan Fletcher's two-year
tenure as India coach nearing its
end, former captain Sourav
Ganguly has pitched in for a
home-grown person to take
charge of the team next year,
saying that the country has
enough talent for an Indian to
become a coach.
"We need to have an Indian
coach and I am dead sure we
have enough talent in the
country to find an Indian coach,"
Ganguly said. "It is not about
individuals but I feel time has
come for an Indian coach to take
over," Ganguly said at a panel
discussion after the launch of
inaugural
Wisden
India
Almanack magazine on Saturday
night.
Fletcher's two-year tenure ends
in March next year and it is
widely believed that his contract
will not be extended by the
Indian Cricket Board (BCCI)
given the team's string of poor
performances under him. Under
Fletcher, India had lost Test
series away and home against
England besides also being
whitewashed in Australia.
The first copy of the
inaugural edition, which features
batting great Rahul Dravid on
the cover, alongside current
India star Virat Kohli, was
presented to BCCI president N
Srinivasan. The magazine is
being published by Fidelis
World.
going to be tough unless the
India bowlers got a start like the
Pakistan pacers did.
They actually did when
Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled
Mohammad Hafeez with a huge
in swinger and then had Azhar
Ali caught, reducing Pakistan
to 21 for 2. But a 100-plus
partnership between Nasir
Jamshed (101 no) and Younis
Khan (58) sealed the deal for
Pakistan. But Yuvraj dropped
Nasir on 68 and Ashwin had
Shoaib Malik caught off a no
ball, adding to the misery.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
Kohli doubtful starter
for 2nd ODI
CHENNAI/BUREAU NEWS : Batsman Virat Kohli was on Sunday
rendered a doubtful starter for the second ODI against Pakistan to
be held in Kolkata on Thursday after he suffered a foot injury in
the first match in Chennai. Kohli suffered the injury while bowling
the 41st over of Pakistan's run chase. His backfoot slipped in the
delivery stride and he landed on his knees. He limped off the field
and Suresh Raina finished off the last ball of the over. The BCCI
said Kohli's condition will be monitored and a decision on his
availability for the second ODI will be taken over the next couple
of days. "Virat Kohli, who sustained a foot injury while bowling in
the first AIRTEL ODI against Pakistan at Chennai earlier on Sunday,
underwent an MRI scan after the game," BCCI Secretary Sanjay
Jagdale said in a release. "All his major ligaments are fine. There is
minimal injury fluid in his knee. He will recover after treatment. His
condition will be monitored, and a decision on whether he will play
the second AIRTEL ODI at Kolkata on 3 January 2013, will be
taken over the next couple of days," the release said.
Cricket will not be....
(Contd. from page 17 )
Sachin, of course, started dreaming about playing for the country
quite early. When he was picked in the Indian squad for the Pakistan
tour in 1989, Sachin was 16, not even old enough to sign the contract
papers sent by BCCI. He continues to live his dream even today. It
has been a fascinating journey that has taken him across continents,
exposed him to hostile conditions and challenged him to rise to the
occasion at every turn. Critics who label him as 'selfish' often lose
sight of the fact that Sachin spent his entire teenage life and youth
in the service of the nation whose stock in international cricket was
not very high. Sachin's Taurian stubbornness was on view in his
very first Test match in Karachi when he stood up to Pakistan's
hostile three-pronged pace attack, comprising Imran, Wasim.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
MidWeek
sports
23
In-form Chopra two ahead; Kapur and Bhullar close behind Want to be in top-10
NOIDA/BUREAU NEWS:
Sweden`s Daniel Chopra
continued his fine form as he
maintained his two-shot lead
over local favourites Shiv
Kapur and Gaganjeet Bhullar
after the second round of the
Shubhkamna
Champions
Tournament, an event hosted
by Jeev Milkha Singh, here
today. Following up his eightunder 64 from the first round,
Chopra added a bogey-free
four-under 68 to get to 12under 130, two clear of Kapur
(66) and Bhullar (67), who are
both at 10-under. Kapur, after a
string of five birdies between
eighth and 13th, dropped a
bogey on the very last hole
while Bhullar, who had six
birdies and one bogey, had a
good par save on the last.
Anirban Lahiri (66) was one
shot behind at nine-under 135.
The rest of the field was way
behind with Mukesh Kumar
(71), Shamim Khan (67) and
Abhijit Chadha (70) tied at fifth
at five-under 139 while
tournament host, Jeev (71)
shared the eighth place with
in 2013: Kashyap
Arjun Atwal (70) and Anura
Rohana (74) at four-under 140.
Chopra had mixed feeling
about his 68 that put him two
clear, but felt he could have a
shot or two better. "I didn`t
make the putts that I did
yesterday. I played as well as
yesterday, but it is just that the
putts didn`t fall. Still it is great
to be in contention once again
(after Thailand and Johor) and
hopefully after finishes in sixth
and fourth I can close the year
with something better like a
win," said the Swede, who is
hoping to celebrate his 39th
birthday with his first win in 20
months. "I had a good start
again wit a birdie, but had
nothing after that till the
seventh. And then again there
was no birdies till the seventh,
where rolled in a 15-footer.
Next I want myself to be in the top 10 so lets see how quickly I
get there. I am also able to beat top 20 players regularly.
Do you have any specific targets for next year?
I am playing in all the Super Series` next year. To be specific I
want to win the All England and grab a medal at the World
Championships. I would like to win a Super Series.
How have you matured as a player this season?
I have learnt how to manage my injuries. Champions like Taufik
Hidayat, whatever their condition is, will make finals and win
tournaments.
That`s something which I want to do on a consistent basis. Cause
injuries won`t go, the key is to manage them.
You finally won your maiden Grand Prix event, that too in India?
I am glad to have won this tournament and that too in India. It
gives me a lot of confidence going into the next season. I managed
my injuries well and I would like to thank my physio and coach
(Pullela) Gopichand. It would not have been possible without them.
It was like a dream come true for me.
How is bad the abdominal injury that you picked up in Hong
Kong in November?
I just tried to play smartly in a relaxed manner. I did not try
hitting unnecessary shots. But the abdominal injury is bothering me
more, especially during the final. I have also sprained my back during
the quarterfinal.
Did you get enough time for rehabilitation before Syed Modi?
I withdrew mid-way in Hong Kong and also skipped the Macau
tournament. I rested fr 10 days and took a week to prepare for Syed
Modi. I was still doubtful for the tournament. But while preparing
for the tournament, I did not feel any pain.
CRICKET SCHEDULES 2012-2013
ICC Test Ranking
INDIA VS ENGLAND 2012-13
Team
Matches
Points
Rating
South Africa
England
Australia
Pakistan
India
Sri Lanka
West Indies
New Zealand
Bangladesh
29
41
38
29
37
32
31
27
15
3566
4825
4332
3148
3879
3062
2809
2126
0
123
118
114
109
105
96
91
79
0
INDIA VS PAKISTAN 2012-13
ICC ODI Ranking
Team
Matches
Points
Rating
England
South Africa
India
Australia
Sri Lanka
Pakistan
West Indies
Bangladesh
New Zealand
Zimbabwe
Ireland
Netherlands
Kenya
25
18
31
28
35
29
25
21
20
14
6
4
4
3016
2170
3652
3164
3839
3077
2206
1636
1434
700
207
63
45
121
121
118
113
110
106
88
78
72
50
35
16
11
ICC T20 Ranking
Team
Sri Lanka
West Indies
India
England
South Africa
Pakistan
Australia
New Zealand
Bangladesh
Ireland
Zimbabwe
Matches QFY
Matches
12
13
15
16
16
20
15
16
8
8
7
15
17
18
22
21
28
20
21
11
12
10
Points
1524
1585
1789
1891
1868
2324
1615
1563
668
659
306
Rating
127
122
119
118
117
116
108
98
84
82
44
SRI LANKA TOUR OF AUSTRALIA
2012/13
NEW ZEALAND TOUR OF SOUTH AFRICA
2012/13
24
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

Six-year-old girl held in Pakistan for three years

Transcription

Similar documents

50 cent - Oak Grove College

Bandyke Moving Pictures

Page 19 - Films - Magazine for the Arts

ULTRASONIC FILM SPLICER MICROFILM EQUIPMENT

REEL-Recovery-Film-Festival - Lifeskills Of South Florida

THE SOURCE (international)

Elena Ford, Why haven`t you responded to my

Basic Chest X-Ray Interpretation

Our Play Safe Program encourages children to play

Part 2 - South Asian Daily